CHAP, vin Wedgwood appointed Queens Potter 73 



gondola some nine miles along his canal, through a most 

 delightful vale, to Manchester. The next day we waited 

 upon the Cheshire gentlemen at a meeting of the Com- 

 missioners for the Weaver Navigation at Northwick. 

 They also promised to use their interest in favour of 

 our design, provided we fell into their navigation." 



Thus Wedgwood was fully occupied, not only with 

 executing his orders for cream ware, but with his exer- 

 tions to open up the navigation of the country by means 

 of the Grand Trunk Canal. At the same time the 

 manufacture of pottery occupied the greatest share of 

 his attention, inasmuch as it was by that occupation 

 that he lived and flourished, and employed so large a 

 number of working people in his neighbourhood. 



It was a matter of great satisfaction to him to be 

 employed to make the completest service of cream- 

 colour ware for the Duke of Bridgewater ; but his prin- 

 cipal object was to be employed by the highest people 

 in England their Majesties the King and Queen, and 

 the Eoyal Family. George III. succeeded to the British 

 throne in 1760, and in the following year he married 

 the Princess Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. 



Their Majesties were great friends of British manu- 

 factures, and anxiously desired to patronise its principal 

 promoters. It is not improbable that the Queen was 

 first induced to order a cream service from Wedgwood 

 through the instrumentality of the Honourable Deborah 

 Chetwynd, one of her Majesty's maids of honour. She 

 was a Staffordshire lady, daughter of the Master of the 



