132 THE WEDGWOODS. 



long as they are in existence. At this new manufactory he 

 put up a cupola with a bell, which was, as is now the case 

 everywhere, rung to call the workpeople together. This was 

 the first bell put up and used for the purpose in the district, 

 and from this circumstance the Burslem potters, always 

 ready to give to people or places distinctive appellations, got 

 into the habit of calling it the " Bell Bank," or " Bonk," 

 as it was and is more commonly pronounced. Thus the 

 name of the " Bell Works " originated in the same manner 

 as had the distinctive names of " Church Wedgwoods," 

 " Big House Wedgwoods," " Duke Wedgwoods," and a 

 score or two other similar appellations. 



The BELL WORKS, of which, in their present state, I give 

 the accompanying engraving from a sketch recently made 

 by myself, was, at the time when Josiah Wedgwood entered 

 on its occupancy, the property of Mr. John Bourne, an army 

 contractor, in the neighbouring town of Newcastle. From 

 him the property passed to his grandson, Mr. John Adams, 

 of Cobridge, about the year 1771, and in 1847 the estate 

 again passed by will into the hands of its present owner, 

 Mr. Isaac Hitchin, of Alsager. The pot- works were occupied 

 by Josiah Wedgwood, as tenant to Mr. John Bourne, until 

 his removal to Etruria. The next tenant was, I believe, 

 Mr. William Bourne, an earthenware manufacturer, who 

 held them for some years, and was tenant in 1809. Mr. 

 Bourne afterwards entered into partnership with a potter 

 named Cormie, and the works were carried on under the 

 style of " Bourne and Cormie/' In 1836, the works having 

 then remained for some time unoccupied, were divided, a 

 portion being taken by Messrs. Beech and Jones as an earth- 

 enware manufactory, another portion taken away for the 

 building of the present Independent Chapel, which was 

 erected on its site in the following year ; and other parts 

 were let off to various holders for different purposes apart 

 from the pot trade. In 1839, the partnership between Beech 

 and Jones was dissolved, the former gentleman alone con- 

 tinuing to occupy the same portion of the premises, in which 



