The 1775 Patent Extension

Cookworthy's patent was due to expire in 1782, and no profit had yet been made from the porcelain venture.  Champion therefore petitioned parliament, in February 1775, for a 14 year extension.  Despite a paper, distributed by Josiah Wedgwood, which attacked the idea, the bill passed the House of Commons by a majority of 49.  This was due to to the support of Edmund Burke and other Whig members.  Incidentally Wedgwood was a manufacturer of earthenware, which did not compete with Champion's wares. Lord Gower led the opposition in the House of Lords.  He was acting as a mouth-piece for Wedgwood, who had now been joined by Turner and other Staffordshire potters.  Their concern was that the patent gave monopoly rights to Champion for use of the raw materials.  The patent extension was finally granted on 15th September 1775.  Champion had to rewrite the specification, and allow other potters to use the raw materials, provided that they were for use in earthenware and not porcelain.  The use of Cornish clay benefited the Staffordshire potters, and led to the creation of the Cornish china clay industry.  It has been said that the cost of the application was damaging to Champion, but there is no evidence to support this. The Bristol foreman John Britain gave evidence on 28th April 1775.  This may be summarized as follows: Britain had great experience in several china manufacturers; they had not been able to bring the Bristol china to a marketable commodity until the last six months; they were endeavoring to perfect the blue (under-glaze blue transfer-printed), at which they not entirely succeeded; the manufacture is capable of further improvements; the Bristol china will stand hot water without splitting (some porcelain will not); it was as cheap as foriegn ware; the gilding does not wear off; and they can now make plates, but had great difficulties.  On 14th May 1775 the Speaker summoned John Bolton from the Fleet debtors' prison, but it seemed he did not give evidence. Britain's statement about marketable porcelain only being produced in the last six months is probably incorrect, as newspaper adverts do not support this.  The under-glaze was not a success and appears to have been abandoned (European makers could not produce it either). In a letter to Bentley on 24th August 1778 Wedgwood said "Poor Champion, as you may have heard, is quite demolished.  It was never likely to be otherwise, as he had neither professional knowledge, sufficient capital, nor any real aquaintance with the materials he was working upon.  I suppose we might buy some Growan stone and Growan clay now upon easy trems, for they prepared a large quantity last year".  There is some truth in this criticism.  Despite this Wedgwood would still help Champion in 1781.