406 THE WEDGWOODS. 



specimen of the potter's art. It was manufactured by 

 its donor, Mr. James Macintyre, of Burslem, from designs 

 furnished by Mr. W. Maddock. The body is of the finest 

 china, but so splendidly decorated that the trowel has very 

 much the appearance of beiag made of enamelled gold. The 

 ground colour is delicate amethyst, over which is traced 

 light green scroll work. Mr. Gladstone's arms, the arms of 

 the Local Board of Health, and a suitable inscription, 

 are enclosed in medallions upon the blade, and these medal- 

 lions, together with the blade itself, are surrounded by a 

 deep rich border of figured gold. The inscription is as follows : 

 " Presented to the Right Honourable William Ewart 

 Gladstone, M.P., Chancellor of the Exchequer, on the 

 occasion of his laying the foundation-stone of the Wedgwood 

 Memorial Institute, Burslem, on the 26th day of October, 

 1863." The blade is connected with the handle by an 

 elegant device in silver, by Mr. Mayer, of Liverpool. The 

 back of the blade is ornamented in the same style as the face, 

 and has in the centre a medallion enclosing the Portland Vase. 



The institute is now, happily, a great fact, and ere long 

 the town of Burslem will have in full operation one of 

 the most valuable and important educational institutions 

 which has yet been established in the provinces. The scheme 

 has been energetically carried out so far by the committee 

 and its hard-working and enlightened secretary, Mr. W. 

 Woodall : subscriptions have flowed in ; the " Public 

 Libraries and Museums Act" has been taken advantage 

 of; and everything done to render the scheme, what it pro- 

 mises to be, a great success. 



The " Wedgwood Institute" is, almost primarily, intended 

 to be a museum. Its principal room has been specially 

 designed for the purpose by Captain Fowke, and for future 

 requirements the whole of the upper floor can be thrown en 

 suite into apartments, wholly top-lighted, for this use. It 

 has been so designed through the conviction continually 

 forced upon its promoters that the absence of such a museum 

 is a reflection, not only on the public spirit of the district, 



