290 Proceedings of Soctetves. 
“On Glass.”” By Mr R. W. Swinsurne.—The art of casting plate 
glass by throwing the molten material on an iron or copper table, and 
rolling it into a sheet of equal thickness, was first adopted in England, 
in Lancashire, in 1771; but there is abundant-proof that plate glass 
of smaller dimensions was made before that time at South Shields, 
where is situated the only manufactory of plate glass in this district. 
In the early part of the seventeenth century, an article called blown 
plate glass was made at that place, and the manufacture was con- 
tinued by the family who originally established it until 1845, when the 
process was abandoned, being entirely superseded by the cast plate. In 
this is afforded an instance of the superiority of machinery over manual 
labour. Blown plate glass, which was the great original of the art in all 
countries, depended entirely in its manipulation on the strength of lungs 
and dexterity of muscle of the individual operator, whose ckef-d’ euvre 
was about four feet long and two and a half feet wide, whereas the cast 
is made by the co-operative efforts of twenty men, who move from the 
furnace the crucible in which the material is melted, and by means of 
powerful machinery roll it into a plane of any required dimensions. ‘The 
record of the daily manufacture of blown plate glass at South Shields, in 
1750, is still extant, and affords a curious proof of the infancy of the art 
and of the difficulties of the operator. Up to the year 1845, the returns 
of the Excise duty show that there was more plate glass made at South 
Shields than at any other manufactory in the kingdom. In that year the 
Excise duty on glass was abrogated, and in consequence the produce of 
this manufactory has been quadrupled. Previously to 1845, the quantity 
of unpolished plate glass blown and cast at South Shields was 312,000 
feet per annum: now its capability of produce is 1,240,000 feet per 
annum. <A new kind of plate glass, called rolled plate, has been for some 
time manufactured at Sunderland, by the spirited firm of Messrs 
Hartley & Co. The invention is due to Mr James Hartley, who has had 
the honour of establishing a new branch of manufacture of great public 
utility. This new article somewhat resembles unpolished plate glass, but 
is lighter in substance and eminently fitted for roofing and other pur- 
poses of construction where translucency only is required. 
‘On Earthenware.” By MrC. T. Matine.—The manufacture of white 
earthenware was introduced into this district by Mr Warburton, at Carr’s 
Hill Pottery, near Gateshead, about 1730 or 1740. Those works were 
very successfully carried on for seventy years, when they gradually de- 
clined, and in 1817 were closed; a small portion of the building is still 
used as a brown-ware pottery. The next manufactory was built by Mr 
Byers, at Newbattle, in the county of Durham, about 1755, where brown 
and white earthenware still continue to be made. There are now about 
twenty-five potteries in this district, of which, on the Tyne, six manufac- 
ture white and printed ware ; four, white, printed, and brown ware ; and 
three brown ware only—employing 1200 people, and manufacturing, — 
yearly, about 12,000 tons of white clay, and 3000 tons of brown clay, and 
consuming in the process of manufacture about 34,000 tons of coals. On 
the Wear, there are two potteries manufacturing white and printed ware ; 
two white, printed, and house ware; and two brown ware only—employing 
about 500 people, manufacturing yearly about 4000 tons of white clay, 
1500 tons of brown clay, and consuming in the manufacture about 14,000 
tons of coals. On the Tees there are four potteries, manufacturing white 
and printed ware, employing 50) people, manfacturing 5000 tons of 
white clay, and consuming 13,000 tons of coals. The description of goods 
manufactured in this district is that used by the middle and working 
