21 Dec 1766	Cookworthy, working only with his brother (Philip), had been able to fire some pieces in a miniature Essaying kiln.  The kiln would only take up to 14 small pieces.  This kiln may have been in Cookworthy's house or garden.
3 Jan 1767	Cookworthy intended to call at Bovey and speak to a potter who was good at turning vessels and understood the application of the glaze.  It was planned to employ this person.
30 Jan 1767	It was intended to build a larger kiln, about one foot square (25.4 cm), which would burn either Newcastle coal or wood.
27 Feb 1767	It was proposed to pay Thomas Pitt 10 shillings (0.50 pounds) for every ton of washed china clay and 2/6d (0.125 pounds) for every ton of china stone.  Experiments had been conducted with saggars.  Cookworthy intended to employ an experienced potter from Bovey Tracy.
30 Mar 1767	The Bovey potter had been engaged, but had still not arrived on 12th May.
Undated	It was suggested that total capital of 420 pounds should be raised, consisting of 14 shares of 30 pounds each, plus one free share for William Cookworthy and on for Thomas Pitt.  This was not followed.  They had 14 shares of 15 or 20 pounds each, three to William Cookworthy, one to Philip Cookworthy and the remainder to relatives and Bristol businessmen (including Richard Champion).  There were also some, possibly four, to Thomas Pitt. It appeared that Pitt did not intend to keep his shares.
21 Mar 1767	One eighth of the profits to be taken out for the land owner's and discover's share.  Of the remainder one half to go to Thomas Pitt, and one half to William and Philip Cookworthy. What about the other investors?  The mill, on Pitts land was finished, the pit and shed were almost ready.
3 May 1767	Preparations were complete at St Stephens for washing the clay, although a mill was to be set-up.  The mill was required to grind the china stone.  The kiln was not yet ready.  Part of the Coxside stores were to be leased, from Thomas Veal, for the experiment, at 6 guineas (6.30 pounds) per annum.
27 Sep 1767	The new kiln was obviously built (fired by coal), but its arch had collapsed and there were problems with the saggars and the blue color.  Some pieces had been fired at Bovey Tracy.
6 Oct 1767	One of the hands at Bovey had worked in all the China factories, except Worcester.  Materials had been sent to Bovey for experiments.  The Bovey workmen had fired a figure about a foot high and had made moulds for the seasons, which were 20 inches high.
23 Oct 1767	The potter was a poor kiln fireman and had ruined two burnings.  He has used a composite fuel of coal and wood, which would not do.  Nicholas Crisp was preparing for another firing at Bovey Tracy.
31 Oct 1767	Bovey had fired some pieces, which were quite clean.
29 Nov 1767	Cookworthy had witnessed a firing at Bovey.  Plymouth fired with coal or coke, Bovey with wood.  Neither appeared to have any advantage.  It was planned that Crisp, who had a wife and three daughters, would superintend Plymouth.  Cookworthy had taken half a ton of zaffire (cobalt) from crisp for 20 pounds.  The five Plymouth workmen are listed.  Crisp would never work at Plymouth.
20 Dec 1767	Cookworthy urged Pitt to expedite the patent.  He had a view to taking a mill near the town.  Cookworthy had taken three workmen from Bovey Tracy.  They were a modeler, a very good painter, plus a burner and good hand.
19 Jan 1768	Cookworthy thanked Pitt for attending to the patent, and urged him to sell a share, if he had any left, to John Mudge.  He still considered taking the mill.  Cookworthy was now satisfied with the composition of the body and the glaze, but he could not make suitable large saggars (one foot wide).  He still required a mill and planned to build a kiln with five mouths.
28 Jan 1768	The kiln was now fired by coal.  Bovey Tracy used wood and Cookworthy had no preference for either.  Color, transparency and glaze were now excellent, but the grain was coarse, due to the china stone not being properly ground.
6 Mar 1768	Good results from the little kiln with no smoking of the pieces.  However, the blue was unsatisfactory and some of the pieces were warped.  The wheelwright was at work on the mill.
8 Mar 1768	John Mudge informed Pitt that he had seen some very good figures of lions, which were about 10 inches long,  and a couple of spynx's that would make very good moulds.
13 Mar 1768	Crisp had been arrested.  A ton of stone had been sent to the Bovey mill for grinding.
30 Mar 1768	Pitt had been able to obtain plaster of Paris figures for the above.
5 Jun 1768	Bolton, who was involved with Crisp, had paid some of Cookworthy's workmen to tell him the source of the raw materials.  They had directed him to an estate bordering Thomas Pitt's.  Cookworthy's patent gave him exclusive use of the materials. Bolton provides an early example of industrial espionage!
17 Jun 1768	Bolton was no longer a problem.  The new kiln had burnt well, but the saggars were still cracking.  It was planned to add Stourbridge clay to their composition.  The mill had been in use for three weeks.
2 Jul 1768	Thomas Pitt had been to Worcester to see how they avoided warping.  Cookworthy had been there previously, the method had not changed, and it was not suitable.  Cookworthy stated that his ware was affected by Phlogiston, which did not affect theirs.  At that time people thought that Phlogiston was a substance created by burning.  It does not exist.  The real difference was that Worcester made soft-paste porcelain that requires a lower temperature than hard-paste.
19 Jul 1768	Saggars of a new composition (a temporary expedient without Stourbridge clay) had performed well.  Products from the kiln, and earlier experiments, had sold for upwards of 22 pounds.  It would appear that the mill was now working.
23 Aug 1768	Coal firing was now abandoned in favour of wood, although it would be difficult to get wood of suitable quality.  The Stourbridge clay had now arrived.  Wood made firing more expensive than coal.
6 Sep 1768	Wood, obtained from a dockyard sale, still retained too much moisture for satisfactory use.  It was proposed to return to coal.  They had made some figures and apothecarys' mortars.  The potters had prepared work for 30 or 40 kilns.  Production was to be stopped, except for figures and mortars.  Two of the painters were to be discharged.  It was hoped that the turner and the thrower would make saggars, attend the kiln and act as laborers, otherwise they would be discharged.  Their wages would be 12 shillings (0.60 pounds) per week.  The total wages had been cut by half, to 3 pounds 13 shillings per week (3.65 pounds).  I assume that the turner's and thrower's wages had been cut.  Cookworthy's quaker principles did not extend to the welfare of his workforce!  Pieces had been sent to Truro to be fired by a crucible maker (probably Jacob Lieberich of Calenick).
9 Sep 1768	Building the mill and rebuilding the kiln had cost twice the expected amount.  An additional subscription would be required.  No more wares had been sold, but there were more imperfect wares in stock.  There were upwards 30 kilns of raw and biscuited ware awaiting firing.  On the last, but one, firing sample pieces taken out were perfect.  But of the remaining, several hundred, not one was free from smoke.  Opening the kiln had caused oxidation of the remaining pieces.
21 Sep 1768	Pitt had visited William Littler, at West Pans, in Scotland.  Cookworthy was of the opinion that their coal fired kilns were similar to those of Derby and Worcester.  Cookworthy stated that coal would not do for him, the last coal firing had produced damage to the kiln, as the fire-bricks could not withstand the great heat.  (Littler was making soft-paste porcelain, fired at a lower temperature).  The wood had been cut up small and had produced a suitable firing.  Some fine lions and lionesses had been made.  The remaining object was the production of a softer glaze.
11 Oct 1768	The Bovey kiln was of a traditional English type, but all except two pieces were smoked.
25 Oct 1768	Further consideration to the design of the kiln.  A little kiln was built for experimentation.  There was still staining of the glaze.  Cookworthy planned to enrich the blue color by the addition of cobalt.
10 Jan 1769	The kiln had been altered to nearly round.  This would give much better heat distribution than a square one.
19 Jan 1769	The kiln was still causing concern, the body of the ware was sound, but the glaze was defective.  The top of the kiln was to be altered.  Saquent was going to arrive (I assume that this was Soquoi).  He would require a room, which would not be available until they had taken over the whole building.  This required dealing with two landlords, one of whom (Vail) was a very artful man.  Were Veal and Vail the same person?  If so it would place the factory at the Coxside storehouse.  Note that there is no mention, in any of the above, of the construction of an enamel (muffle) kiln, although this would not have been required for under-glaze blue decoration, but Saquet would require one.  Crisp had informed Cookworthy that precipitation of tin was not necessary for gilding.