236 THE WEDGWOODS. 



chant, of Bristol, a connection of Cookworthy's who had 

 been connected pecuniarily with the works at Plymouth, 

 and they were transferred to that city. 



The deed of assignment of the patent rights, &c., from 

 Cookworthy to Champion, is dated May 6th, 1774, and 

 among other "considerations" it was covenanted that what- 

 ever the amount of value of the raw material (the Cornish 

 clay and stone which Cookworthy had discovered and brought 

 into use) Champion used in the course of a year, an equal 

 amount of money should be paid to Cookworthy. Thus if, 

 in the course of a year, Champion paid 1000 for material 

 in Cornwall, he would also have to pay another 1000 to 

 Cookworthy for the privilege of using it, thus doubling the 

 price of the material from that at which Cookworthy had 

 himself worked it. Having thus become proprietor of the 

 concern which had been carried on jointly by Cookworthy, 

 Lord Camelford, and himself (and probably others), Cham- 

 pion at once established them near to his own residence in 

 Castle Green, Bristol, and on the 22nd of the following 

 February (1775), presented a petition to the House of 

 Commons, praying for the term of patent right to be 

 enlarged for a further period of fourteen years to himself. 

 His petition was referred to a committee, which began its 

 sittings on the 28th of April. By this time he had prepared 

 and produced some specimens of china made at his works, 

 for examination by the committee. The result of his appli- 

 cation was the ultimate passing of an Act of Parliament, 

 by which the patent was accordingly enlarged. This Act 

 was passed in 1775 (15 Geo. III., cap. 52), and is entitled 

 " An Act for enlarging the term of Letters Patent granted 

 by his present Majesty to William Cookworthy, of Plymouth, 

 Chymist, for the sole use and exercise of a discovery of 

 certain materials for making Porcelain, in order to enable 

 Richard Champion, of Bristol, merchant (to whom the said 

 Letters Patent have been assigned), to carry the said dis- 

 covery into effectual execution for the benefit of the public." * 

 * For this Act see the Art- Journal for November, 1863. 



