44 THE WEDGWOODS. 



fortunes of the family, except the granting of a pension of 

 three hundred a year to the sister of the Elers, who became 

 the second wife of Sir William Phipps, the founder of the 

 house of Mulgrave. Elers, or rather, I believe, the two 

 brothers, settled in Staffordshire, John Philip having married 

 a Miss Banks (whose sister had married into the Vernon 

 family), in August, 1699. The story of the success of their 

 manufacture of pottery, and of the not very creditable means 

 used to worm out their secret, I have already told. On leaving 

 Staffordshire, John Philip Elers settled for a time at Batter- 

 sea, or Vauxhall, and from thence removed to Dublin, where 

 he embarked in commercial speculations. David Elers became 

 a merchant in London, and, dying unmarried, was buried at 

 Battersea. 



John Philip Elers left a son, Paul, born in Dublin, who 

 was brought up to the bar, and had his chambers in the 

 Temple. Of this gentleman a somewhat amusing anecdote 

 is told. He had, it seems, an intimate friend, a member of 

 the family of Grosvenor. Mr. Grosvenor being on the point of 

 marriage to an heiress of the Hungerfords, of Black Bourton, 

 Oxfordshire, had arranged with his friend, Mr. Elers, to 

 go down with him to draw up the marriage settlements. 

 While this was going on, Mr. Grosvenor and his bride-elect 

 quarrelled, and the lady transferred her affections and her 

 estates to Mr. Elers. They were shortly afterwards married, 

 and Mr. Elers gave up his profession, and retired to the 

 estate he had thus acquired. He soon, however, became 

 involved, and ultimately, after cutting off the entail, the 

 estates passed into the hands of the Duke of Marlborough. 

 Mr. Elers had a family of nine children Paul George, 

 lieutenant of the 70th Eegiment ; John, in the navy ; 

 Maria, married to Kichard Lovell Edge worth, and conse- 

 quently mother to Maria Edgeworth, from whom she inherited 

 her talents as well as her name; Louisa, married to the 

 Rev. Alexander Colston ; Charlotte, married to the Rev. 

 John Kirby ; Diana, married to the Rev. R. Welchman ; 

 Rachel, married to Capt. Hopkins, R.M., who was killed on 



