68 JosiaJi Wedgwood CHAP. 



domestic and maternal duties occupied her attention 

 henceforth. 



In January 1765, Mrs. Wedgwood became the mother 

 of a girl-baby. Writing to her brother Tom in London, 

 who was ill of a cold, but was earnestly invited to come 

 down to Staffordshire with his wife for the benefit of 

 his health, Wedgwood said : " We have now got a pretty 

 employment for you. Sukey is a fine sprightly lass, 

 and will bear a good deal of dandling. You can sing 

 'lullaby-baby' whilst I rock the cradle. But I shall 

 hardly find time for nursing, as we have another Turn- 

 pike broken out amongst us here, betwixt Leek and New- 

 castle, and they have vi et armis mounted me upon my 

 hobby-horse again, and a prancing rogue he is at present." 



Wedgwood was at this time one of the busiest men 

 in the kingdom. He was especially active in the pro- 

 motion and construction of turnpike roads, so as to open 

 up the pottery district to the world at large. Besides 

 the road between Leek and Newcastle, there were others 

 between Uttoxeter and Burslem, and Buxton and Bake- 

 well, towards the construction of which Wedgwood 

 offered to subscribe. He was also busily engaged with 

 a still more important subject, the arrangements pre- 

 paratory to the survey and construction of the Grand 

 Trunk Canal. He had numerous conferences with Lord 

 Gower the chairman, and Mr. Brindley the engineer of 

 the canal. After the scheme was launched and sub- 

 scriptions were required, Wedgwood was appointed 

 treasurer. 



