Dudley Westropp — The Pottery Manufacture in Ireland. 7 



by the Hon. the Dublin Society to be as good as any imported." Nothing is 

 said as to the exact kind of ware made. The word " delft" probably meant 

 enamelled or tin-glazed earthenware similar to that imported in large 

 quantities from France and Holland. During this period — that is, between the 

 years 1747 and 1751, the Dublin Society awarded premiums for crockery- ware 

 to James "Walker, of Mullinahack; Mary Conolly, of Bride Street; Joseph 

 M'Closkey, of New Street ; James Johnson, of Kivers Street — all of the City 

 of Dublin ; Thomas Shaw and Mortagh Dempsey, probably of Dublin ; and to 

 John Conolly, of Arklow. Premiums were also awarded in the years 1765 

 and 1767 to James Walker, Joseph M'Closkey, and Thomas Hardy for black 

 pottery, in imitation of and equal in goodness to that imported from Liverpool, 

 and to Thomas Ashburner and Andrew or William Meakins for pan, ridge, 

 and flooring-tiles and water-pipes. 



As the manufacture of fine pottery in Ireland appears to have declined 

 about the middle of the eighteenth century, the Dublin Society offered 

 premiums for erecting a manufactory of earthenware in imitation of delft, 

 Rouen, and Burgundy wares. As a result a Captain Henry Delamain, in 1752, 

 took over the earthenware manufactory from Davis and Co., enlarged it, 

 and commenced to carry on the business in a more extensive manner, 

 receiving a premium of £20 from the Dublin Society in 1754. 



On November 1st, 1753, Delamain presented the following petition to the 

 Irish House of Commons : — 



"Petition of Henry Delamain the younger, of the City of Dublin, gentleman. 

 When the Delft manufacture failed in this city, the petitioner convinced 

 that it might be carried on greatly to the advantage of the nation, took said 

 manufactory into his hands, built workhouses and kilns, erected a mill to 

 grind flint and metals, and discharged debts affecting the old manufactory ; 

 and also supported the most knowing persons that were employed in the old 

 manufactory whilst his new one was building, to prevent their leaving the 

 kingdom ; and purchased the art of printing earthenware with as much 

 beauty, strong impression and despatch as can be done on paper. That the 

 petitioner lived above twenty years abroad, where he acquired a knowledge 

 of the manufacture of Delft and earthenware, and having taken a circuit 

 through this Kingdom found that every province therein is furnished with 

 the proper materials for making thereof. That the petitioner after many 

 repeated experiments has discovered the secret of glazing delft wares 

 with coals, and painting and glazing that ware. That the petitioner 

 employs upwards of forty families in his manufactory, and proposes to 

 take a number of charter-school boys, apprentice, by which means he 

 will be able to supply new manufactories with artists. And the 



