CHARACTERISTICS OF JOSIAH WEDGWOOD. 413 



honourable and right, Josiah Wedgwood hewed out for him- 

 self a path through the world-jungle which surrounded him, 

 that led him to the highest point of worldly prosperity, 

 and earned for him a name which has been, and always 

 will be, received with honour. 



When he started life he had, as I have shown, the poor 

 and miserably small sum of twenty pounds, left him by his 

 father, to establish himself in business, and battle with the 

 world upon. When he died he was able to leave very large 

 landed estates, manufactories, and houses, to his widow and 

 sons, and sums of 30,000 to each of his sons, and fortunes 

 of 25,000 to each of his daughters, and all this, with the 

 exception of the help which his wife's fortune gave him, the 

 result of his own skill and his own industry. 



In the early chapters of this memoir I gave the indenture 

 of apprenticeship of Josiah Wedgwood, and a copy of the 

 will of his father, in which the " score pounds" is left to 

 him ; and I cannot do better in this my concluding chapter 

 than give my readers a copy of his own will, in which the 

 extent of his property is shown, and the legacies to his 

 children and others are defined. This will, which is pre- 

 served in Doctors' Commons, I now for the first time 

 make public. It is as follows : 



'.' The last "Will and Testament of me, JOSIAH WEDGWOOD, of Etruria, 

 in the County of Stafford, made the second day of November, in the 

 year of Our Lord One thousand seven hundred and ninety-three, in 

 manner and form following (that is to say) : I give and bequeath 

 unto my dear and affectionate Wife, Sarah Wedgwood, all that 

 messuage or dwelling-house situate at or near Etruria aforesaid, 

 with the buildings, gardens, and appurtenances thereto belonging, 

 late in the holding of Mr. Thomas Wedgwood ; and also all that 

 field or piece of land in which the same stands, containing eight 

 acres or thereabouts ; and also all that close, piece, or parcel of land 

 lying contiguous to the said dwelling-house, called the Horse Pas- 

 ture, containing by estimation twelve acres or thereabouts ; and also 

 all that piece or parcel of land situate at Etruria aforesaid, hereto- 

 fore purchased by me from Mr. Hugh Booth ; To have and to hold 

 the said messuage or dwelling-house, pieces or parcels of land, here- 



