1 78 Josiah Wedgwood CHAP. 



excellently painted and enamelled specimens of 

 Plymouth porcelain. 



Cookworthy shortly after removed his works to 

 Bristol, in order to be nearer the coal. There he 

 carried on the manufacture of porcelain, but under 

 considerable difficulties. He still continued to lose 

 money. He and one of his partners, Lord Camelford, 

 lost about 3000 in the prosecution of the under- 

 taking. Cookworthy was about seventy years old when 

 he resolved to give up his manufacture. With the 

 willing consent of his partners, he made over, in May 

 1.7*74, the business and his patent rights to Eichard 

 Champion of Bristol; Cookworthy only reserving for 

 himself a share of profit from the China clay used 

 in the works. 



In order to extend the period of the patent right, a 

 petition was presented to Parliament in February 1775, 

 applying for an Act to extend the term of Cookworthy's 

 patent for a period of fourteen years. The potters of 

 Staffordshire strongly opposed the extension of the 

 patent. Josiah Wedgwood was appointed their leader. 

 He was opposed to patents generally. In the case of 

 the growan clay of Cornwall, he was of opinion that the 

 extension of commerce, and especially of earthenware 

 and china, depended upon the free use of the various 

 raw materials which were the natural products of the 

 country. 



Notwithstanding Wedgwood's opposition, and the 

 pamphlets and cases which he published against the 



