42 THE WEDGWOODS. 



manufactory at night all their most important processes were 

 however developed, and publicly stated for general benefit. 

 Mortified at the failure of all their precaution, disgusted at 

 the prying inquisitiveness of their Burslem neighbours, and 

 fully aware that they were too far distant from the principal 

 market for their productions even had not other kinds of 

 porcelain been announced, which probably would diminish 

 their sales about 1710 they discontinued their Staffordshire 

 manufactory, and removed to Lambeth, or Chelsea (where is 

 at this day a branch of the family), and connected the inte- 

 rests of their new manufactory with those of a glass manu- 

 facture, established in 1676 by Venetians, under the auspices 

 of the Duke of Buckingham. Others, however, have stated 

 that their removal was consequent on misunderstanding and 

 persecution because their oven cast forth such tremendous 

 volumes of smoke and flame, during the time of glazing, as 

 were terrific to the inhabitants of Burslem, and caused all 

 its (astonishing number of eight) master potters to hurry in 

 dismay to Bradwell." 



I shall, later on, show how the secret was surreptitiously 

 obtained by two persons named Astbury and Twyford, and 

 give some interesting particulars relating to them. It is 

 interesting to add that the oven erected and used by the 

 Elers was in existence as late as the beginning of the present 

 century, and that the place, in an old account book in my 

 possession, is called the " Eller field." 



The two potters who had wormed out the secret of the 

 Elers are said each to have commenced business on his own 

 account at Shelton, and to have made "BED," "CROUCH," 

 and "WHITE STONE" wares from native clays, using salt 

 glaze for some of the vessels, and lead ore for others. 



So little has hitherto been known of the Elers, and of the 

 important part they played in improving the potter's art in 

 Staffordshire, that a few words more concerning them must 

 become interesting to my readers, especially when it is 

 remembered that these brothers produced the finest kind of 

 ware which had at that time been made in this country, 



