CHAPTEK V 



WEDGWOOD BEGINS BUSINESS FOR HIMSELF 



ON the conclusion of his partnership with Whieldon, 

 Wedgwood set up for himself a small manufactory at 

 his native village of Burslem, in a pottery known as The 

 Ivy Works. The site of these works is now partly occu- 

 pied by the Burslem Market Place and Municipal 

 offices. The exact date of Wedgwood's commencing 

 business on his own account is not known ; but it 

 must have been after the month of March 1760, as 

 the record of experiments above cited contains an entry 

 dated " Fenton, 28th March 1*760." 



However this may be, it is clear that Wedgwood 

 had started in business at Burslem in 1760, and the 

 probability is, that he was enabled to do so by means 

 of the savings he had made in the partnership with 

 Whieldon, as well as of the small legacy which he 

 had inherited from his father. He was now thirty 

 years of age. We have seen how careful and observ- 

 ant he had been as a young man, and how desirous 

 he was of advancing the manufacture to which he 



