Dudley Wjsstropf — The Pottery Manufacture in Ireland. 17 



On March 22nd, 1762, William Delamain and Samuel Wilkinson 

 presented a petition to the Dublin Society asking for aid, and at the 

 inquiry the following depositions, copied from the original minutes, by 

 kind permission of the Council of the Eoyal Dublin Society, were made : — 

 " Mr. Delamain, being sworn, deposed that they have an account of every 

 kiln that has been burnt since his brother's death in 1757. They have 

 been very cramped all along, and particularly since his sister's death, by 

 want of money, but have never stopped for one week since the first 

 beginning. There are twenty hands employed in the house, and three 

 hundred might be employed if they had a stock. They get their clay 

 from Carrickfergus. The manufacture was first begun by his brother in 

 1753, when he got £1,000 from Parliament. He has been concerned as 

 executor to his brother since March, 1760 ; and his sister carried it on 

 from her husband's death to her own. About thirty men brought up in 

 this manufactory are now employed in the china manufacture in England. 

 If they had £1,000, they could lay in a sufficient stock of coal, clay, and 

 other materials to carry on the work effectually. The clay should be 

 three years old before it is used ; there is not a coal in Dublin for their 

 use, and though three different sets of ware are bespoke by Mr. Secretary 

 Hamilton, they can't fire a kiln for that reason. Mrs. Ann Day being 

 sworn, said she can't say what the quantity of goods made yearly is. The 

 last account amounted to £1,000, for between the year and eighteen months, 

 but that was only the cash account ; other goods being sold on credit, she 

 thinks she can say with great justice that £50 worth a week, might be 

 made with the hands they have now. They have but twenty hands. They 

 have a good demand, and would have more if the ware could be sold cheaper. 

 They have reason to expect that their ware would meet with great success 

 in the American islands, but the insurance is so high. They have sent some 

 to Jamaica, and it returned in rum ; but it is by the retail trade that they 

 support the manufacture. The great consumption of their ware is at home ; 

 they have three established customers in Cork who would take a great 

 quantity if they had a stock to supply them. The great demand is from 

 the city of Dublin and the province of Minister. They don't supply the 

 shops with their best ware, but some of the poorer sort of shops buy the 

 second and third ware, and they have made a good deal of goods for 

 Mr. Newton for about two years back. They might go on making the 

 flint ware, but are not acquainted with the method ; their's is not of that 

 kind, but near the Burgundy ware, and to imitate china. There is no 

 ware in England of the same kind as theirs ; and if they could send it there, 

 they would find a greater call for it than they have here. The duty on 

 R.I.4. proc, vol. xxxn., sect. c. [3] 



