Young Josiah left school at the age of nine and was apprenticed to his brother. At eleven, he had a most virulent attack of small-pox, which left him a weakling. Later on in life, he had to have one of his legs amputated owing to a weakness which he always had after his first terrible illness. Physically handicapped from the start, Josiah Wedgwood—wooden-legged though he was for over a quarter of a century—was the prince of English potters. His genius was coupled with great business capability. His inventions were eminently successful. Starting with £20, which his father left him, he died worth over half a million. Thoroughness seems to have been his policy, and prosperity always attended him. He interested himself in getting an Act of Parliament for better roads in the vicinity of the Staffordshire potteries. He cut the first sod of the Grand Trunk Canal. His aim was a glorious one. “Let us make all the good, fine, and new things we can,” he said to his partner Bentley once, “and so far from being afraid of other people getting our patterns, we should glory in it, and throw out all the hints we can, and, if possible, have all the artists in Europe working after our models.” He allowed no imperfect thing to leave his factory. It is a quaint scene one conjures up of the potter who, when going through his works, used to lift the stick he leant on and smash to pieces some offending dish or vase, saying, “This won’t do for Josiah Wedgwood.” The beginnings of Wedgwood ware were simple enough. In 1752, Josiah left Burslem to go to Stoke, where he was engaged in manufacturing knife-handles and like objects in imitation of agate and tortoiseshell. Subsequently he entered into partnership with John Harrison, of Newcastle, and their wares were made at Stoke. In 1754, Wedgwood and Harrison entered into partnership with Thomas Whieldon at Little Fenton, the most eminent potter of his day. Shortly after Harrison disappears from the partnership. This connection between Whieldon and Wedgwood was a most important one. Their principal manufactures were tortoiseshell plates and dishes, cauliflower jugs, teapots with crabstock handles, and agate knife-handles. While with Whieldon, Wedgwood produced a new green earthenware, highly glazed and decorated with flowers and fruit, which was mainly used for dessert services. [Illustration: CUP AND SAUCER. WHIELDON TORTOISESHELL WARE.] The tortoiseshell ware now known by Whieldon’s name is very beautifully made. Usually the plates and dishes are hexagonal or octagonal in shape, with very finely moulded edges, and having a mottled and variegated arrangement in colour, which more resembles marble than tortoiseshell.