180 THE WEDGWOODS. 



which I shall call a Pennsepolygraph, or pen and .stylo- 

 graphic manifold writer." An "JErial zone'* was also 

 proposed by him, and his invention was laid before the 

 Admiralty, but judging from the following extract from a 

 letter now lying before me, the 'invention was not considered 

 to be a very feasible one. " The jiErial zone is in proper 

 hands if it is laid before the Admiralty, for there does not 

 seem to be any greater likelihood of its becoming an article 

 of general use, than there is of the ladies leaving off muslin , 

 because some lose their lives every year by its use." * 



In 1806, Ralph Wedgwood established himself at Charing 

 Cross, and soon afterwards his whole attention began to be 

 engrossed with his scheme of the electric telegraph, which 

 in the then unsettled state of the kingdom in midst of war 

 it must be remembered he considered would be of the 

 utmost importance to the government. In 1814, having 

 perfected his scheme, he submitted his proposal to Lord 

 Castlereagh, and most anxiously awaited the result. His 

 son Ralph having waited on his lordship for a decision as to 

 whether government would accept the plan or not, was 

 informed that " the war being at an end, the old system 

 was sufficient for the country ! " The plan, therefore r fell 

 to the ground, until Professor Wheatstone, in happier and 

 more enlightened times again brought the subject forward 

 with such eminent success. The plan, thus brought forward 

 by Ralph Wedgwood in 1814, and of which, as I have stated, 

 he received the first idea from his father, was thus described 

 by him in a pamphlet entitled, " An Address to the Public, 

 on the advantages of a proposed introduction of the Stylo- 

 graphic Principle of writing into general use ; and also of 

 an improved species of Telegraphy, calculated for the use 

 of the Public as well as for the Government/' The pamphlet 

 is dated May 29th, 1815, and as the question of the merit of 

 invention is one of considerable importance, I gladly give 

 the extract, so as to establish the claim to that merit to a 

 member of the Wedgwood family. 



* Letter from Josiah Wedgwood, M.P. 



