380 THE WEDGWOODS. 



Royal Institution of Great Britain," under the title of " An 

 Account of a Method of Copying Paintings upon Glass, and 

 of making Profiles by the Agency of Light upon Nitrate ol 

 Silver; with observations by H. Davy." This is the first 

 recorded attempt at fixing the images of the camera-obscura 

 (which Wedgwood appears to have used from a youth) 

 by the chemical influence of light. But for the death of this 

 deep-thinking and wonderful man (Thomas Wedgwood), 

 which took place about two years after this time, doubtless 

 the world would have largely benefited by his labours in this 

 particular field. As it was, he died before he had succeeded 

 in permanently fixing the pictures he had obtained, and 

 it was left to later experimentalists to perfect that wonderful 

 art which he had discovered, and of whose success he had 

 laid the foundation. 



Mr. Josiah Wedgwood, the elder brother of Mr. Thomas 

 Wedgwood, just named, was also a man of considerable 

 taste, and of high attainments. He was one of the founders 

 of the Royal Horticultural Society, and took an active part 

 in public affairs. In 1832, he was elected one of the mem- 

 bers of parliament for the then newly-constituted borough 

 of Stoke-upon-Trent, but retired from its representation 

 in 1835. He died at Maer. 



In 1810, Thomas Byerley, upon whom the bulk of the 

 direct management of the concern had devolved from the 

 time of the death of the Great Josiah, died, and was buried 

 at St. Anne's, Westminster the church where he was mar- 

 ried, and where Mrs. Byerley's mother (Mrs. Bruckfield) and 

 his infant son were previously buried. 



During the period of the war then going on with France* 

 a weary and a troublous time for the commerce of this 



* I have heard it related that during this war large orders were 

 received from France by the Messrs. Wedgwood, and other potters of the 

 district, for marbles. These were made in great quantities, shipped off to 

 the Continent, and there used as bullets. During the same war, I believe, 

 goods to the value of several thousand pounds, which were in their ware- 

 house in France, were destroyed. 



