“As for tobacco-pipe clays, they are found all over the County ... whereof they make pipes at Armitage and Lichfield ... also at Darlaston, but of late disused, because of better and cheaper found in Monway field betwixt Wednesbury and Willingsworth, which make excellent pipes. And Charles Rigg, of Newcastle, makes very good pipes of three sorts of clay; a white, and a blew, which he has from between Shelton and Handley Green.” [Illustration: Slip decorated Staffordshire ware. _c._ 1660. In the Stoke-on-Trent Museums.] “The most preferable clay of any is that of Amblecot, of a dark blewish color, whereoff they make the best pots for the glass-houses of any in England; ... Other potters clays for the more common wares, there are ... at Horseley Heath, Tipton and in Monway field ... of these they make diverse sorts of vessells at Wednesbury, which they paint with slip made of a reddish sort of earth gotten at Tipton. “But the greatest pottery they have in this County is carried on at Burslem, near Newcastle-under-Lyme, where for making their severall sorts of pots they have as many different sorts of clays, which they dig round about the towne, all within half a miles distance, the best being found nearest the coale; and are distinguished by their colours and uses as followeth:— 1. Bottle clay, of a bright whitish streaked yellow colour. 2. Hard-fire clay of a duller whitish colour, and fuller interspersed with a dark yellow, which they use for their black wares, being mixed with the 3. Red blending clay, which is of a dirty red colour. 4. White-clay, so called, it seems though of a blewish colour, and used for making a yellow-coloured ware, because yellow is the lightest colour they make any ware of.[9] all which they call _throwing clays_, because they are of a closer texture, and will work on the wheel; “Which none of the three other clays, they call _slips_, will any of them doe, being of looser and more friable natures; these mixed with water they make into a consistence thinner than a syrup, so that being put into a bucket it will run out through a quill; this they call Slip, and is the substance wherewith they paint their wares; whereof the 1-sort is called the Orange slip, which before it is worked, is of a greyish colour mixt with orange balls, and gives the ware when annealed an orange colour. 2. The White slip, this before it is workt, is of a dark blewish colour, yet makes the ware yellow, which being the lightest colour they make any of, they call it (as they did the clay above) the white slip. 3. The Red slip, made of a dirty reddish clay, which gives wares a black colour.