Dudley Westkopp — The Pottery Manufacture in Ireland. 3 



1724." This piece niay have been made in Belfast, and, if so, it would 

 appear that the factory was at work at least as late as the date mentioned. 



As far as we know at present no further mention of this Belfast pottery 

 has been found. 



In the "Dublin Chronicle" for May 15th, 1787, the following notice 

 occurs : — " Some gentlemen near Belfast, where are extensive strata of the 

 finest pottery clay, large quantities of which are exported to England, have 

 united for the very laudable purpose of engaging from England some knowing 

 hands and establishing an Irish factory." This probably refers to the factory 

 set up shortly afterwards in Belfast by Thomas Greg, Samuel Stephenson, and 

 John Ashmore, for the purpose of making fine earthenware in imitation of 

 Queen's ware. In the year 1792 they petitioned the Dublin Society for aid 

 to carry on the manufacture, and for several years received premiums in 

 proportion to the value of the ware produced. Between June, 1792, and 

 June, 1793, the value of the ware made amounted to £1045 4s. 3d ; from 

 June, 1793, to June, 1794, to £1107 14s. ; and from June, 1794, to June, 

 1796, to £1001 6s. lid 



On January 29th, 1793, the proprietors of the factory presented a petition 

 to the Irish House of Commons asking for aid, and stating " that the 

 petitioners, taking into consideration the many and great advantages which 

 might arise from the introduction of a manufacture of Queen's ware and other 

 kinds of fine earthenware, such as made in Staffordshire, they conceived that 

 many materials which have been heretofore overlooked and neglected woidd 

 be thus rendered useful and important; and many workmen and children 

 would thus find employment. With these views and from these motives the 

 petitioners have united themselves into a company, and, by their exertions, 

 have carried this manufacture to greater perfection in the County of Down, 

 near Belfast, than was ever known in this kingdom. That petitioners have 

 been at great expense in searching for and making experiments upon materials 

 for this purpose, the most important of which they have discovered in this 

 country, and which are mostly prohibited from being imported from England. 

 That petitioners have also been at great expense in erecting buildings, in 

 importing machinery, and in bringing workmen from foreign places. That 

 petitioners have found that the expense attending the introduction of this 

 new manufacture, and the difference in the price of coals from what they 

 are in Staffordshire, has greatly exceeded their expectations, and that several 

 additional buildings are necessary to the greater extent and perfection of it." 



On February 1st, 1793, it was " resolved that the petitioners deserve the 

 aid of Parliament." In 1795 Thomas Greg claimed the premium offered by the 

 Dublin Society to the first person who shoidd erect a proper mill for grinding 



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