Josiah
Wedgwood, the thirteenth and youngest
son of the potter, Thomas Wedgwood, was born in Burslem, Stoke,
in 1730. At the age of nine Josiah left school and joined the family
business at Churchyard Works. His father died in 1737 so Josiah was
apprenticed to his elder brother.
After an attack of smallpox at the age of eleven, his health deteriorated
and work as a potter became difficult. The disease affected his right
leg and later it had to be amputated. Unable for a while to work as
a potter, Josiah spent his time reading and researching about the
craft of pottery.
In 1754 Josiah Wedgwood went into partnership with Thomas Whieldon.
Later, Wedgwood ended the partnership and started his own business
at Burslem. Wedgwood loved experimenting and invented what became
known as green glaze. In 1763 he patented a beautiful cream-coloured
pottery. As this was very popular with Queen Charlotte, the wife of
George III, it became known as Queen's
Ware.
Wedgwood now turned his attention to developing what was known as
Egyptian Black objects. This included inkstands, salt-cellars, candlesticks,
life-sized busts and vases. These black basaltes were sometimes decorated
with encaustic colours, silvering, gilding or bronzing.
In 1762 Wedgwood met Thomas Bentley in Liverpool.
The two became close friends and in 1768 became partners in a company
producing ornamental vases. These were very popular and in 1771 Wedgwood
built a new factory called Etruria where he employed famous artists
such as John Flaxman to design his vases.
At Etruria
Wedgwood greatly increased the output of his workers by introducing
what later became known as "division of labour". This involved
subdividing all the skills of the potter (mixing, shaping, firing
and glazing) and allocating each job to a specialist worker.
Wedgwood was quick to realise the importance of canal transport. In
1766 he joined with the Duke of Bridgewater and James Brindley to
start building the Trent & Mersey Canal. When the canal was completed
in 1777 Wedgwood was able to bring Cornish clay to his Etruria factory.
Wedgwood also used the canal to transport the finished goods by barge
to Liverpool or Hull.
At this time Wedgwood became a Unitarian.
Like most Unitarians, Wedgwood was a political reformer. He supported
universal male suffrage and annual parliaments. He joined the Society
for Constitutional Information and became friendly with other reformers
such as Joseph Priestley, John
Cartwright and the Duke of Richmond.
Wedgwood was also concerned with social reform. In 1787 he helped
Thomas Clarkson and Granville
Sharp, to form the Society for the
Abolition of the Slave Trade. Wedgwood joined the committee and
also produced the Abolition Society's seal which
showed a black slave in chains, kneeling, his hands lifted up to heaven.
The motto read: "Am I Not a Man and a Brother?"
Wedgwood reproduced the design in a cameo with the black figure against
a white background and donated hundreds of these to the Society for
distribution. Thomas Clarkson wrote that
"ladies wore them in bracelets, and others had them fitted up
in an ornamental manner as pins for their hair. At length the taste
for wearing them became general, and thus fashion, which usually confines
itself to worthless things, was seen for once in the honourable office
of promoting the cause of justice, humanity and freedom." Josiah
Wedgwood did not see the end of the slave
trade as he died on 3rd January, 1795.
(1)
Josiah Wedgwood, letter to Thomas Bentley (25th May, 1780)
I
wish every success to the Society for Constitutional Information
and if I was upon the spot should gladly not confine myself to
wishes only. If at this distance I can in any way promote their
truly patriotic designs, either by my money or my services, they
are both open to you to command as you please. I rejoice to hear
that the Duke of Richmond and Lord Selbourne are friends of annual
parliaments. I agree with Major Cartwight "that every member
of the state must either have a vote or be a slave".
(2) Josiah Wedgwood, letter to Anna Seward (February, 1788)
We
are already possessed of a stock of negroes sufficient for every
purpose of the cultivation and trade of our plantations; and consequently
that our West India commerce could not be materially injured by
prohibiting further importation; which prohibition appears to
be the only probable means of withholding the heavy hand of cruelty
and oppression from those who now groan under it. And even if
our commerce was likely to suffer from the abolition, I persuade
myself that when this traffic comes to be discussed and fully
known, there will be few advocates for the continuance of it.
(3)
After Joseph Priestley's house in Birmingham was destroyed by a mob,
Josiah Wedgwood wrote a letter of sympathy (2nd September, 1781)
I persuade myself that you will rise still more splendid and more
respected from what was intended to sink you. Your calmness and magnanimity
on this trying occasion have put your enemies to shame. We esteem
you in every point of view; and we are employed at this moment in
drawing up a letter which is to be addressed to you by all the savants
of the capital.
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