Do thon, thrice-happy England, still pre- 
pare 
Thy clay, and build thy fame on earthen- 
Ware!” 
Upon the amazing increase and im- 
provement in the manufacture of Eng- 
lish earthenware during the last half- 
century, it would be impertinent to 
dilate, as the former is universally 
known, and your cups, plates, and 
dishes, must remind you of the latter 
at every meal. I cannot, however, 
forbear attempting to give you some 
idea of the ratio! in which the trade in 
this article still advances, by subjoin- 
Ing an extract from ‘‘ A Comparative 
Statement of the: Value of | British 
Earthenware exported, and of Foreign 
Earthenware imported, during the 
years 1821 and 1822,” which was 
issued from. the Custom’ House’ in 
April last :— 
In the year 1821. 
Value of exports:+++++£423,399 12s. 7d. 
Value of imports -+++9+.+£4,992 18s. 4d. 
Inthe year 1822, 
Value of exports «-+«++ £489,732 17s. 1d. 
Value of imports..--++++ £6,695 Os. 7d. 
Hence you will perceive, that the 
value of earthenware exported ad- 
vanced nearly 70,0001. in a single year ; 
and the bustle now visible in the pot- 
leries seems to presage that the next 
Return will exhibit a correspondent or 
still greater increase. The consign- 
Ments were chiefly to Ireland, North 
America, the East and West Indies, 
Germany,Holland,and Russia. France 
received very little, and the other 
European nations comparatively no- 
thing. The imports were principally 
from France, the East Indies, and 
China: the total value of ware, (princi- 
pally jars and vases,) received from 
the two latter, in 1822, was 1940/. 
14s. 8d.; yet, a century ago, England 
depended almost entirely upon China 
for the supply of this article. 
The circumstances which have 
mainly contributed to produce this 
prosperity (aided by the national spirit 
of enterprise,) are the increase of canal- 
navigation, and the exlhaustless sup- 
ply of coal which the earth in the neigh- 
bourhood affords. Of the former, the 
potteries may be said to form the 
very centre; and, of the consumption 
of coal, some estimate may be formed 
from the statement, that 8000 tons are 
burned weekly in the manufactories 
alone, to say nothing of the immense 
fires which are kept up both night and 
day in the private houses: the people, 
The Staffordshire Potteries. 
293 
not having the fear of a salamander 
before their eyés, seldom taking the 
trouble to extinguish them. Half the 
district, in fact, is undermined, and the 
walls of many buildings betray what is 
passing beneath them, by fearful rents 
and deviations from the perpendicular, 
where the foundations have partially 
given way ; yet the inhabitants scarcely 
seem aware of their danger, or, if 
awakened to a sense of it by some 
warning more serious than usual, for- 
cet it again in a day or two, and 
relapse into their previous indolent 
security ,— 
«They start, when some alarming awful 
shock 
Strikes through their wounded hearts the 
sndden dread,; 
their hearts wounded, like the 
wounded air, 
Soon close.” 
The potteries cannot boast of having 
produced any noted writers, with the 
exception of Elijah Fenton, who was 
a native of Shelton. . The house in 
which he was born is still standing, 
and at present is occupied by.a Mr. 
Woodward. | Dr. Johnson, tells us, 
that he “‘sought intelligence of Fen- 
ton, among his relations, in his native 
county, but could not obtain it;” and 
you will therefore be little surprised to 
learn, that what Johnson was unable to 
gather fifty years ago, I failed to pro- 
cure in the present day. The ,very 
name of Fenton, in fact, appears to be 
unknown in the neighbourhood ; and it 
was; therefore, of little service to make 
enquiries respecting a man whom few 
had ever before heard mentioned: so 
true it is, that a poet, like a prophet, is 
least honoured in his own country. I 
am not certain whether Wedgwood, 
who may almost be said to have 
created the potteries of Staffordshire, 
was a native of the district ; but, if so, 
his name should never be forgotten 
when speaking of its eminent men, 
I am sorry to qualify this generally 
favourable description of the potteries 
with a few notices of their defects, but 
truth demands it. 
“ They have their praise. 
But 
Now mark a 
spot or two, : 
Which so much beanty would do well to 
purge.” 
In \the first place, the system of 
police is wretchedly defective; in 
plainer terms, there appears to be 
scarcely any police at all, and the rab- 
ble are therefore at liberty to indulge 
their brutal passions and knavish 
propensitics 
