ii The Wedgwood Family 13 



began preaching at Burslem. Even the poor potters 

 here are a more civilised people than the better sort (so 

 called) at Congleton." The women who attended his 

 preaching assumed to a certain extent the garb of men, 

 and were quite as ready with their oaths. Everything 

 was rude, barbarous, and uncivilised. 



In most cases an ordinary potwork was carried 

 on by a man and a labourer. When the potter had 

 sons and daughters they helped in the work. The sons 

 dug the clay, the man fashioned and fired the ware ; and 

 when the goods were ready the mother and daughters 

 filled the panniers, swung across the backs of horses or 

 donkeys. Their drivers then drove them through the 

 lanes to fairs and markets in order to sell the manufac- 

 tured goods. The poor brutes were driven on with 

 whip or cudgel, the men and women mostly with pipes 

 in their mouths. 



The roads in the neighbourhood of Burslem were 

 of the worst description. The lanes were known as 

 " hollow ways," and in wet weather they were streams 

 of muddy water. When the poor brutes, laden with 

 their panniers of crockery, could not toil through the 

 deep and sticky mud, they often fell down and smashed 

 the ware. Sometimes they broke their legs, and were 

 either shot or left to die a happy release for the poor 

 overworked animals. 



These muddy lanes were unenclosed. When the 

 horses and donkeys could not pass through the hollow 

 ways, they were driven on to the adjoining commons 



