WEDGWOOD'S COKNISH CLAY AND STONE MINES. 263 



carried on for the firm by a person named Tittensor, was 

 sold off, and the manufacture of china, of any description, 

 entirely ceased at New Hall.. The engravings on the pre- 

 ceding page show some of the " hard paste" china made at 

 these works, from examples principally in my own collec- 

 tion. 



Thus, the introduction of the manufacture .of "china 

 ware" a manufacture which has grown and increased to an 

 enormous extent in the district into Staffordshire, was 

 made mainly through the exertions of Josiah Wedgwood, 

 in throwing open the use of the raw materials from Devon- 

 shire and Cornwall. As soon as the use of these materials, 

 the Cornish clay and Cornish stone, was, by Act of Parlia- 

 ment, on the concession of Champion, thrown open to the 

 manufacturers of earthenware, Wedgwood availed himself of 

 the fruit of his opposition by immediately entering into 

 partnership with Mr. Carthew, of St. Austell, in Cornwall, 

 for the working of the mines of Cornish stone, and for the 

 supply of the materials to other manufactories besides 

 his own. 



These mines were worked by Wedgwood to the time o 

 his death, and after his decease were continued, for at all 

 events some years, by his successors. I have in my own 

 possession a letter, dated " Etruria, May 27, 1795" a few 

 months after the death of the great Josiah and signed 

 " Josiah Wedgwood and Byerley," which, as it gives the 

 price of Cornish clay and stone at that period, is particularly 

 interesting. The following is an extract : 



""We beg leave to acquaint you that we now possess and are 

 working the Cornish clay and stone mines that for twenty years 

 have been known under the name of Wedgwood and Carthew's. 



" "We can speak very decidedly from our own experience of the 

 quality of these materials, which are certainly equal to any of the 

 kind. If you should be in want of any, we shall be very glad to 

 serve you. 



"The clay will be four guineas per ton in London, Bristol, or 

 Liverpool, the casks included. "Wt. 112 Ibs. to the cwt. in 4 casks 

 of 5 cwt. each. 



