In Mr. Skardon’s possession is a pair of small sauce boats, embossed and painted with birds and flowers in colours; they each bear the name, painted on the bottom, as here shown. In Dr. Ashford’s possession is an example bearing a very similar mark, but in writing letters, thus:-- [Illustration: _M^r W. Cookworthy’s Factory Plymouth_ 1770] Another curious example, formerly in the possession of Mr. C. W. Reynolds, bears the word “Plymouth,” the arms of the borough, some illegible letters, and the date “March 14 1768 C F.” However beautiful and satisfactory the productions of the Plymouth works might be as _china_, they were not, it would appear, remunerative _commercially_. The clay and the stone Cookworthy had within easy distance, but his material was difficult and expensive to make, his experiments produced frequent failures and losses, and therefore he was unable to keep pace with other manufactories, and to compete with them. Add to this that he was far from being a young man--being then in his seventieth year--it is not surprising that he should determine on giving up the works, especially when Lord Camelford, who was one of his partners, says between two and three thousand pounds had been sunk in their prosecution. On the 6th of May, 1774, therefore, William Cookworthy (who, it would appear probable, had already removed the manufacture to Bristol), for considerations set forth in the deed of assignment, sold the business and patent-right to Richard Champion, merchant, of Bristol, who had been connected pecuniarily with the works at Plymouth, and who had previously, “under license from the patentee” (William Cookworthy), commenced the manufacture of china in Bristol, under the style of “W. Cookworthy & Co.,” and they were transferred to that city.[89] Champion appears to have been a connection of Cookworthy’s--a cousin of the latter, Phillip Debell Tuckett, marrying, in August, 1774, a sister of the former (Esther Champion), about the time when the affairs for the transfer of the works were finally completed; and the arrangements appear to have been completed entirely to Cookworthy’s satisfaction. The following letter, highly characteristic of Cookworthy’s style, relates to the settlement of the transfer. Though without date, it evidently was written only a short time prior to the 6th of May, 1774. It is addressed to his cousin, Anna Cookworthy, of Plymouth:-- “Bristol, 4th day, 10 o’clock. “MY DEAR COUSIN,