1 8 Josiah Wedgwood CHAP. 



arriving at Banbury, that the horse on which he had 

 ridden was so much affected in the eyes that Astbury 

 feared that blindness would result. He conversed with 

 the ostler at the inn on the subject, and the latter 

 recommended the employment of burnt flint. This 

 was quite a new idea to Astbury. However, a piece of 

 flint was put into the fire, and allowed to become red 

 hot. After the flint had cooled it was reduced to 

 powder, some of which was blown into the horse's eyes, 

 producing such immediate and effectual relief that 

 Astbury was enabled to proceed on his journey. He 

 was an observant man, and was much struck by the 

 pure whiteness which the flint attained on being 

 burnt, and the ease with which it might be reduced 

 to powder. 



On returning to Shelton he obtained some flints, 

 burnt them, and introduced them into his clay. The 

 result was a finer and whiter kind of ware than any 

 that had yet been produced. He shortly obtained a 

 preference for his ware, and when the secret became 

 known for nothing can be long kept a secret in the 

 pottery district ground flint soon became a general 

 ingredient in the potter's materials. 



One of the earliest connections of Brindley with 

 Staffordshire was the erection by him of an improved 

 flint-grinding mill, near Burslem, in 1758. The flint 

 was eventually ground and used in water, so as to 

 avoid the lung diseases to which potters were subject 

 when flint was ground in its dry state. It must also 



