THOMAS BYERLEY. 315 



EFaires de mon magazin a Londrcs, a mon cnticre satisfaction. Us 

 5 sont proposes de reunir tons leurs efforts pour suivre les diverses 

 ranches de cette manufacture, & se promettent de perseverer avec 

 iligenee dans le chemin que je leur ai trace, your les porter a une 

 Lus grande perfection. 



" C'est pourquoi que je les ai associe dans mon commerce sous la 

 iison de JOSIAH WEDGWOOD, PILS & BYERLEY. 



"Permettez moi de saisir cette occasion pour vous temoigner ma 

 ratitude pour toutes les bontes dont vous avez "bien voulu me 

 ambler: Je vous en demande la continuation pour ce nouvel 

 tablissement, vous assurant d'avance de tous leurs efforts pour 

 tei-iter votre amitie & votre confiance. 



" J'ai 1'honneur d'etre avec la plus grande consideration. 



"31 , votre tres humb. & tres ob*- Serv." 



Thomas Byerley, the relative and now partner of Josiah 

 Vedgwood, was born in 1745, in, I believe, the neighbour- 

 ood of Welchpool, where his father, who was a commis- 

 ioner of excise, resided. Mr. Byerley, senior, who was a 

 escendant of the Byerleys of Byerley Hall, Yorkshire, and 

 f the county of Durham, and married Margaret Wedgwood, 

 ister to the great Josiah, died when his son was only about 

 en or eleven years of age ; and Mrs. Byerley also died early, 

 'he young man spent some years in America, where he was 

 uccessful, but at the commencement of the war he returned 

 o England, and was for some time with his relatives, the 

 Vedgwoods, at Burslem, with whom he gained a knowledge 

 f the potter's art. He was much noticed by his uncle, 

 "osiah Wedgwood, who took him, during the time of " Wedg- 

 rood and Bentley," into his establishment, and eventually, 

 s I have shown, admitted him into partnership. 



Of Thomas Byerley I introduce, in the engraving on the 

 Dllowing page, a portrait, from a medallion produced as a 

 ompanion, I presume, to those of Josiah and Mrs. Wedg- 

 rood, and of Thomas Bentley, of whom I have already 

 ;iven engravings. 



It is somewhat curious that both of Josiah Wedgwood's 

 >artners Thomas Bentley and Thomas Byerley should 

 tave married their wives from Derby, but so it was. Mr. 



