8 Josiah Wedgwood CHAP. 



distinction. In 1470, John Wedgwood married Mary, 

 the daughter and heiress of John Shaw, and thus 

 possessed the estate of Harracles, in the parish of 

 Norton, near Leek. The property was inherited by the 

 elder branch of their descendants, which, for want of 

 issue, shortly became extinct. 



The second branch of the family removed to Burslem ; 

 and the first of them we find mentioned is Gilbert 

 Wedgwood, who about the year 1600 married Margaret, 

 daughter and co-heiress of Thomas Burslem, Esq. ; and 

 by her he had Burslem Wedgwood and Thomas Wedg- 

 wood. 



Thomas, the second surviving son of Gilbert and 

 Margaret, was a man of considerable property. He 

 owned a large part of Burslem, including three or 

 four potworks. He married Margaret Shaw, and had 

 by her a family of several sons and daughters. He died 

 in 1679. Thomas was the ancestor of the families 

 known as the "Overhouse Wedgwoods" and the "Church- 

 yard Wedgwoods " ; the latter were so called because 

 their potworks were close to the Burslem Churchyard. 



Another son of Gilbert Wedgwood and Margaret 

 Shaw married in 1684 Mary Leigh, another small 

 proprietress. They had four sons and five daughters. 

 The eldest son Thomas inherited from his father the 

 Churchyard potworks. On arriving at maturity, he 

 married Mary Stringer, by whom he had thirteen 

 children, seven sons and six daughters. Josiah, the 

 great potter, was the youngest of the family. 



