THE EARLY POTTERIES OF STAFFORDSHIRE. 67 



And the said Dr. Thomas "Wedgwood doth also promise and engage 

 to pay unto his said apprentice, the said Aaron Wood, for every 

 weeke's worke done by the said apprentice in the first, second, and 

 third year of his said apprenticeship, the sum of one shilling weekly, 

 of good and lawfull money of Great Brittaine, and for every weeke's 

 work done by the said apprentice in the fourth, fifth, and sixth 

 year of his said apprenticeshipp, the full sum of one shilling and 

 sixpence, and for every weeke's work done by the said apprentice 

 in the seventh and last year of his said apprenticeshipp, the full 

 and just sum of four shillings of lawful money of Great Brittaine ; 

 and the, said Dr. Thomas Wedgwood doth hereby further covenant, 

 promise, and agree that he, the said Dr. "Wedgwood, shall and will 

 over and above the weekly wages aforesaid, give yearly to the said 

 Aaron Wood his said apprentice, one pair of new shoes, during the 

 terme of seven years. In witnesse whereof the said parties afore- 

 said to these present Indentures, have interchangeably put their 

 hands and scales the day and year first above written. 



" RALPH WOOD. 

 " AAEON WOOD. 

 " DK. THO. WEDGWOOD. 



" Sealed and delivered in the presence of 



" SARA x WOOD. 

 her mark. 



" Jos. ALLEN." 



At the conclusion of this term of apprenticeship he was 

 engaged as a journeyman, at five shillings a week, for five 

 years. At the end of that time, in 1743, he engaged himself 

 with John Mitchell, of Burslem, for seven years, at seven 

 shillings per week, and to work by himself. After a time 

 the introduction of plaster moulds, which I shall have to 

 refer to later on, found him constant employment for different 

 masters, among whom was Thomas Whieldon,who afterwards 

 became the partner of Josiah Wedgwood. 



Of the general state of the potter's art at the time when 

 Josiah Wedgwood sprang into existence I shall give a glance 

 in the next chapter, and it will therefore be unnecessary here 

 to allude to it. I shall also, later on, show when the manu- 

 facture of China was first introduced into the district, and 



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