“Mr. George Berks,” says Mr. Stringer, to whom I am indebted for the following notes, “who was a man of good general attainments, did what modelling was required. One of the earliest improvements effected by Mr. Minton was the substitution of brass moulds for the plaster ones used by Mr. Wright, which enabled the maker to beat up the clay so as to give a sharper edge to the tile. Before that alteration the edges had to be cut after they were taken from the plaster mould. A decided advantage was thus gained; but innumerable other difficulties had to be encountered, chiefly arising from the irregular contraction of the clays. Sometimes the inlaid parts would at a slight tap at the back of the tile fall out, or the tiles would become stained in the firing; and in short all sorts of ill luck and misadventures were the weekly result. The tiles were at first fired in a small oven at the china works which would hold about 700 tiles, and he and his fellow labourers used regularly to go there to witness the drawing of the oven. Time after time they found nearly the whole contents spoilt in one way or other, and they were carted away to form part of the foundations on which many of our pottery streets now stand. If it so happened that 100 out of the 700 proved fairly good, the fact was a source of encouragement to all concerned. Repeated failures were, however, only followed by further experiments. Mr. Minton was ever confident that skill and perseverance would in the end prove a success; but surely never was any man’s patience or pocket more sorely or severely tried. Occasionally a few orders were satisfactorily executed, but they were on a comparatively small scale. In April, 1836, Mr. Minton sent to Mr. Josiah Booker, of Liverpool, a plan for tiling his hall, and this gentleman adopted Mr. Minton’s suggestions; and it would seem gave the order with the view of forming an opinion of the tiles for the purpose of exportation; little imagining the difficulties that had to be got over before they could be successfully introduced at home. The prices quoted to Mr. Booker were 15s. per square yard, and 6_d._ per tile of 6 inches square for the border, being about one-half the prices Mr. Wright had charged them. In 1837, a hall pavement was laid in the mansion of Sir John P. Orde, Bart., at Kilmoray, Loch-Gilp-Head, N.B. It should be remarked that, at this time, the only colours made use of were buff, red, and chocolate. In November, 1836, after the death of his father, Mr. John Boyle joined Mr. Minton as partner, and so continued until December, 1841. This gentleman had a keen eye to the profitable working of the manufactures, and often cast uneasy glances at the corner near the throwing-house, and at length began to urge that that department ought to be abandoned. It was on one of these occasions that Mr.