58 KINGSBRIDGE 



prenticed to a chemist in London, named Bevans, and 

 he walked there on foot. This task, no light one in 

 those days, or even now, for a boy of fourteen, he 

 successfully accomplished. His apprenticeship he appears 

 to have passed with extreme credit, and on its termination, 

 he returned into Devonshire, not only with the good 

 opinion, but with the co-operation of his late master, 

 and commenced business in Notte Street, Plymouth, as a 

 wholesale chemist and druggist. Here he gradually worked 

 his way forward, and became one of the little knot of 

 intelligent men who in those days met regularly together 

 at each other's houses, of whom Cookworthy, Dr. Huxham, 

 Dr. Mudge, and the elder Northcote, were among the 

 most celebrated. 



Here he brought his mother to live under his roof, and 

 she became, by her excellent and charitable character, 

 a general favourite among the leading people of the place, 

 and was looked up to with great respect by the lower 

 classes whom she benefited. 



In 1745, an American brought William Cookworthy 

 some specimens of China Clay (Kaolin) and China Stone 

 (Petunse) found in Virginia; and of Porcelain made there- 

 from. This seems to have stimulated his enquiries respecting 

 the art of china-making; but the death of his wife, which 

 appears to have taken place the same year, entirely took 

 away his attention from business, and his researches into 

 china-clays were thrown aside. He retired into seclusion 

 at Looe, in Cornwall, where he remained for several 

 months, and on his return to business, took his brother 

 Philip into partnership. This arrangement enabled Cook- 

 worthy to prosecute his researches while his brother took 

 the commercial management of the business. Left thus 



