62 THE WEDGWOODS. 



driven round with great velocity; that in a short time the flint 

 stones so "broken are reduced to an oily substance, which, by turning 

 of a cock, empties itself into casks provided for that purpose ; that 

 by this invention all hazards and inconveniences in making the said 

 manufacture in the common way will be effectually prevented, and 

 in every particular tend to the manifest improvement and advantage 

 thereof, and preserving the lives of our subjects employed therein." 



In 1733 (April 24th) Balph Shaw, potter, of Burslem, 

 who, like many other potters of the district, had long 

 adopted the improvements introduced by Mr. Astbury and 

 others, took out a patent for employing " various sorts of 

 mineral, earth, clay, and other earthy substances, which, 

 being mixt and incorporated together, make up a fine body, 

 of which a curious ware may be made, whose outside will 

 be of a true chocolate colour, striped with white, and the 

 inside white, much resembling the brown China ware, and 

 glazed with salt." The secret was merely washing tbe inside, 

 and forming broad lines on the outside of the articles, with 

 a very thick slip of flint and pipe-clay. " To keep his 

 process more secluded and secret, he was accustomed to 

 evaporate his mixed clays on a long trough, in a place 

 locked up under cover, beneath which were flues, for the 

 heat from fire applied on the outside. This also kept the 

 clay free from any kind of dirt ; and the idea is supposed 

 to have been gained from the tile-makers' method of drying 

 their tiles in stoves. A pair of flower-pots, excellent speci- 

 mens of this person's manufacture, which had been received 

 as a present from the maker by his wife's grandfather, were 

 in the author's possession till very recently. Mr. Shaw 

 became so litigious and overbearing, that many of tbe manu- 

 facturers were extremely uncomfortable, and prevented im- 

 proving their productions. Not content with the success 

 he experienced, and the prospect of speedily acquiring 

 affluence, his excessive vanity and insatiable avarice incited 

 to proceedings that terminated in his ruin. Unwilling to 

 admit the customary practices of the business, and to brook 

 any appearance of competition, be was constantly objecting 



