British goods on the same terms into that country. A Committee of the Chamber was formed, of which it would appear Josiah Wedgwood was chairman. At all events, the minutes, now lying before me, of the special committee, are signed by him on its behalf. In this year, 1785, Wedgwood, ever inventing and ever improving, introduced a "jasper dip," in which the clay vessels were "dipped," and so received a coating of jasper instead of being formed of that body throughout. This improvement, being made, was adopted for the whole, with but occasional exceptions, of the jasper goods, and has continued to be used to the present time. Its adoption rendered an increase in the price of the finished goods necessary, and the amount of that increase is seen by the following extract from correspondence of 1785 :-" The new jasper, white within, will be the only sort made in future; but as the workmanship is nearly double, the price must be raised. I think it must be about 20 per cent. Nov. 21, 1785." Collectors will, from this fact, be able to know that, as a general rule, vases made of jasper body throughout were made before 1785, while those white inside were of subsequent production, down to the year 1858, when "solid jasper" body again began to be used, and is still made. Having now brought down my history to an important period-the introduction of the "jasper dip "-I close my chapter, to resume the narrative in my next with the circumstances attending the food riots at Etruria. U CHAPTER XVI. FOOD RIOTS AT ETRURIA.-BOAT-LOAD OF PROVISIONS SEIZED. -MILITARY CALLED OUT.-RINGLEADERS SEIZED AND COLOURED BISQUÉ PORCELAIN," AND 66 MORTAR WARE INTRODUCED. — DEATH OF THOMAS WEDGWOOD. - CLAY FROM NEW SOUTH WALES.-COMMEMORATIVE MEDALLION. -DARWIN'S BOTANIC GARDEN.—WEDGWOOD TAKES HIS SONS INTO PARTNERSHIP.-THOMAS BYERLEY BECOMES A PARTNER.-MEMOIR OF BYERLEY AND HIS FAMILY.TREATY WITH SAXONY.-ESTABLISHMENT OF A NATIONAL GALLERY OF SCULPTURE. IN the year 1783, an unfortunate occurrence took place at Etruria, which caused intense anxiety to Josiah Wedgwood. It will be remembered that, consequent on the disastrous American war, trade became stagnant, there was a dearth of provisions, and "food riots" of a fearful character took place in various districts. Etruria, the newly formed, well conducted, and usually peaceable colony of potters, unfortunately became the scene of one of the wildest and most daring of these risings of a starving people. The proceedings are thus well described by Ward:-"A boat laden with flour and cheese had stopped at the wharf near the manufactory, and the cargo was intended to have been there delivered for consumption in the Potteries; but by a sudden determination of the owners, the boat was directed to proceed forward to Manchester. Information was given by some parties to the provision dealers in Hanley and Shelton, and by them to their anxious customers; the people were led to believe that a design was formed further to enhance the scarcity and price. A large number of them collected together, and hastened down to Etruria, determined to arrest the progress of the boat; but before they got there she had proceeded onward towards her destination. They followed and overtook her at Longport, where they seized her, and brought her back to Etruria. They then took out the flour and cheese, and sold it at a reduced price, paying over the proceeds, however, to the master of the boat. A second boat laden with provisions, which had come up to the locks, was also seized by them, and the cargo disposed of in like manner. There was then stationed at Newcastle a company of the Welsh Fusileers, which, with a detachment of Staffordshire militia, under the command of Major Sneyd, who happened to be at Keel at the time, were marched to Etruria during these riotous proceedings in order to quell them. The Major, with much humanity, harangued the mob on the wickedness and danger of their conduct; but they had become daring and insolent. Two magistrates were on the spot; the riot act was read; and, at the end of an hour's grace, the Major was under the necessity of proceeding to disperse them by force. On the order being given to the military to charge, the rioters fled in all directions; two of them, who had been noticed as their leaders or most daring abettors, were immediately afterwards arrested, and committed to Stafford gaol for trial. Their names were Stephen Barlow and Joseph Boulton, and they were charged with the capital Wedgwood's works at Etruria, the wharf being on the canal already at some length spoken of, and which had not long previously been opened. offence at the assizes, which were held within a few days afterwards. Barlow was convicted and left for execution; and notwithstanding great exertions were made to save his life, he suffered the extreme penalty of the law. The Government were alarmed at the popular disposition to tumult; and poor Barlow became a victim rather to the public safety than to the heinousness of his crime." From a contemporary account-a letter from Newcastleunder-Lyme, published in the Derby Mercury of March 20, 1783, which I for the first time here reprint the following interesting particulars are gleaned : "The people in the pottery and neighbourhood of this town are in a state of absolute anarchy. On Friday last a boat-load of flour and cheese, going up the navigation to Manchester, was seized by a mob of about 400 persons. They opened the hatches, kept possession of it all night, and on Saturday proceeded to sell the flour, &c., at their own prices. An express had been sent to Lichfield to obtain some of the Militia who were stationed there to come to our relief. Two companies were accordingly dispatched; and Mr. Inge, Dr. Faulkner, and Major Sneyd, with the utmost politeness and alacrity, came here. On Saturday afternoon, there happening to be a company of the Carnarvonshire Militia in town, on their route homewards, the commanding-officer, in the most obliging manner, complied with the request of the magistrates to assist them in case of need. The magistrates, military, and many of the most respectable inhabitants of this town, immediately went down to Etruria, near Mr. Wedgwood's manufactory (where the mob still kept the boat), determined to quell and disperse them. The military were kept at some distance from the spot, in order that an opportunity might be given to reason with the persons assembled; and the magistrates and others had the satisfaction of seeing that in a short time they yielded to reason; and, being promised all the assistance that the law could give against the forestallers and others that kept up the markets, and that a subscription would be entered into to obviate the present scarcity as far as they could, they agreed to disperse, provided the boat was not removed. "But on Monday they assembled again in greater numbers, and sent deputies to the magistrates with a written requisition of what they would have done; in fine, they grew so ill-behaved, that, though there was a very liberal subscription entered into, they had all the assurances of redress and other assistance that the magistrates, the gentlemen present, and their masters could give them, they would not disperse without the boat was fully delivered to them on the instant, that the flour might be sold there. The magistrates not choosing, out of humanity, to go to extremities, by which there would have been much bloodshed, thought it best to comply; and so the mob are now selling the flour at their own prices; but, at the same time, the gentlemen are determined to prosecute the ringleaders to the utmost rigour of the law. Two of the ringleaders are taken and committed to Stafford Gaol.” The following paragraphs relating to the fate of one of the ringleaders, Barlow, are from the same paper : "On Saturday the assizes ended at Stafford, when the following persons received sentence of death-viz., Mary Baker, for stealing from the shop of Thos. Heveningham eight yards of printed linen cloth; John Crutchley, for stealing two cows, the property of Sarah Biddulph; James Bagley, for stealing thirteen sheep, the property of E. Cartwright; Wm. Faulkner, for stealing two sheep, the property of C. Adams; John Shepherd, for assaulting and wounding John Holmes, and robbing him of a watch and six shillings; also Stephen Barlow, for assembling with a number of other persons in a riotous manner at Etruria (Barlow was hanged on Monday); Thomas Smith and William Smith, for stealing a fork and a quantity of oats; and James Poole, for assaulting Um. Watson, to be transported to Africa for seven years; likewise Ralph Udale, for breaking into the shop of Henry Kniveton and stealing fustians, &c., was sent to the Thames for four years. "On Monday last, agreeable to the above sentence, Stephen Barlow was executed at Stafford for rioting, &c. He was attended to the tree by a body of militia. The fate of this unhappy man (who is cut off almost instantly), it is hoped, will be a warning to those deluded people who thus daringly assemble in defiance of the law against rioting, which is a capital offence." To the peaceable, kindly, gentle, and liberal disposition of Wedgwood, nothing could be more painful than this disorder, happening in his own locality, and by people of his own calling, among whom he had lived throughout his whole life. He immediately wrote and published, in form of a pamphlet, which he distributed through the district, |