Both to him and to Professor Church, M. Solon and to many others, who have given me so much personal assistance in this work, I desire to express my gratitude. I can only regret that my own contribution to original research on the subject has been confined to the Tunstall Court Rolls, kindly lent me by Mr Sneyd, and to the MSS of my great-great-grandfather, Josiah Wedgwood, now in the museum of the Wedgwood firm at Etruria. Lastly I would express my indebtedness to my brother Frank Wedgwood, who has read through the proofs and made many corrections, such as would occur to one whose whole life has been devoted to the practice of the art of potting. LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Slip decorated Staffordshire ware. c. 1660 _Page_ 14 Earliest known piece of Staffordshire salt glaze ware, 1701 32 Red china teapot, probably by Elers. c. 1760 36 Sample of later date, with moulded spout 36 Samples of solid agate ware, made by Wedgwood or Weildon. c. 1760 36 Salt glaze teapot, drab body, supposed to be by Thomas Wedgwood, died 1737 54 Burslem in 1750 (map) 60 Scratched blue salt glaze cup, dated 1750 68 Enamelled salt glaze jug, probably by Baddeley of Shelton, dated 1760 70 Staffordshire figures decorated with Weildon glaze, probably by Wedgwood, c. 1760 79 Etruria Works 83 J. Wedgwood 87 William Turner, Master Potter 100 Hackwood, the Modeller 103 Hanley in 1800 (map) 107 Vase by John Turner of Lane End, died 1786 109 Thomas Minton 111 William Adams 122 John Wood, of Brownhills 125 Burslem in 1800 (map) 131 Josiah Spode 134 Herbert Minton 137 Job Ridgway 141 Josiah Wedgwood II 149 William Adams 162 Ald. W. T. Copeland, M.P. 178 CHAPTER I. THE CREATION OF THE POTTERIES.