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Lund's Bristol Soft Paste Porcelain |
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On November 2nd 1750 Dr Richard Pococke, bishop of Meath, wrote to his mother : "I went to see a manufacture lately established here, by one one of the principal manufacturers at Limehouse which failed. It is at a glasshouse, and is called Lound's China house. They have two sorts of ware, one called stone china, which has a yellow cast, both in the ware and in the glazing, that I suppose is made of pipe clay and calcined flint. The other they call old china; this is whiter, and I suppose this is made of calcined flint and the soapy rock at Lizard Point which is 'tis known they use. This is painted blue and some is white, like the old china of a yellowish cast; another kind is white with a bluish cast, and both are called fine ornamental white china. They make very beautiful white sauce boats, adorned with reliefs of festoons, which sell for sixteen shillings a pair". The version published by the Camden Society, in 1888, shows "Lound's China house" as "Lowris Glass house". The correct version was publised by Toppin in 1954. In the corrected version the word Glass is crossed out and replaced by China, which is in a different hand. On October 13th 1750 Pococke wrote from Tavistock: "We went nine miles to the South near as far as the Lizard Point, to see the Soapy Rock, which is a little opening in the cliff, where a rivulet runs over a vein of Soapy-rock into the sea, the lode or vein running along the bottom of the valley: it is about four feet wide, most of it mixed with red, like terra lemnia, and the stone or walls on each side are of the same colour, and they find some of it hard and unfit for use even in the vein; there are white patches of it, which is mostly valued for making porcelain, and they get five pounds a ton for it, for the manufacture of porcelain, now carrying on at Bristol, there being much trouble in separating the white from the red; but they have received instructions lately not to be so exact in separating it, probably on their not being able to afford it at that price. There is a narrow vein of green earth near it, and about twenty yards west a small vein of white, which seems to me not to be so soapy a nature. It feels like soap, and being so dear it must be much better that pipe clay; there is a vein of something of the like nature at the Lizard Point." The proprietors of the factory were Benjamin Lund, a brass founder, and William Miller. Lund had been granted a licence to mine Cornish soaprock on 7th March 1749, at Gewcrease in the parish of Mullion. The site of the the factory is unknown, since J D Pountney's research has been shown to be incorrect (see Redcliff Backs). It is quite likely that the factory was in St Philip's parish, Lund had a residence in St Philips Plain and a brass works which was on land rented from the Hooper's glasshouse (both these properties were in Gloucestershire not Bristol - hence no rate book evidence). It has been suggested that this latter property is the site of the porcelain works, although there is no comclusive evidence. The identity of the person from Limehouse is not known either (although a painter seems to have gone to Bristol). It should also be pointed out that Lund was probably in St Philip's during the time that Limehouse was in operation. The factory made tea wares, sauceboats, and some white figures. Decoration is in under-glaze blue painting of Chinese scenes, often by the "three dot painter". A few of the pieces are marked either Bristoll or Bristol, in relief. There is a clear link between Bristol and Limehouse (also Limehouse and Newcastle-under-Lyme). The "three dot" style (copied from Chinese porcelain) was used at Limehouse, and the shape of a Limehouse butter boat and a pickle dish is very similar to some of those made at Bristol. The Worcester factory, founded in 1751, was struggling, so Richard Holdship (a Worcester investor) purchased the Bristol concern. Bristol closed by 1st February 1752, the workmen moving to Worcester. Lund also went to Worcester and transferred the soaprock licence to Richard Holdship. One of the workmen who moved may have been Robert Podmore. Sale of the remaining stock was advertised on 25th July 1752. The take-over of Bristol meant that Worcester benefitted from Lund's experiments, and indirectly from Limehouse. Worcester developed the soaprock formula into the finest English 18th century porcelain, and the business continues to this day. Benjamin Lund is described at a brass founder and stay maker at St Phillips Plain (poll books show thet there were others similarly employed in St Philips parish). The "Bristol Weekly Intelligencer" of 24th November, 1st December and 8th December 1749 carried advertisements for apprentices "they shall learn the Art of Pottery, as practiced in Staffordshire". There are no records of any such apprentices being taken on. The "stone china" refered to by Pococke is probably salt glazed stoneware, white decorated stoneware was already being produced at Staffordshire at this time. The short-lived Limehouse venture was operated by Joseph Wilson and Company, at 20 Fore Street (later 108-116 Narrow Street), between 1745 to 1748. It may have been preceded by Richard Heath and Company in 1744. As well as Bristol at least one person from Limehouse went to Newcastle, Staffordshire (the Pomona pot-house). In July 1750 Pococke wrote: "There are some few potters here, and one I visited whom I saw in Limehouse, who seemed to promise to make the best China Ware, but disagreed with his employers... but he cannot bake it with coal which turns it yellow, wood being the Fewel which is proper for it". The Newcastle pottery was in Lower Street and was operated by Samuel Bell from 1724-45, producing glazed earthenware. From 1745 to 1748 William Steers, from Hoxton in London, tried a small scale experiment to make soft-paste porcelain at the pottery. Apart from shards there are no known pieces of Newcastle porcelain. Joseph Wilson, from Limehouse, was probably employed from 1748 to c1754 (he had a son born in Newcastle on 29th November 1751 and is described as a potter). He may well be the person mentioned by Pococke. He is also mentioned by R R Angerstein as having been in Staffordshire. Benjamin Lund paid rates on a warehouse in Castle Green for 1752-55, which by 1755 was occupied by Robert Carpenter who was an agent for Worcester Porcelain. Carpenter had premises on the Quay 1756-7, before returning to a different property in Castle Green for 1759-78. On 2nd January 1768 Felix Farley's Bristol Journal printed the following news item: "Thursday died at his lodgings at Mr Carpenter's, in Castle Green, Mr Lunn", note that this is a day different to the Quaker Registers. Lund was buried at the nearby Fryars burial ground (the area is now known as Quaker's Friars). The barton Regis Court Leet records (BRO) record Benjamin as being in St Philip's Plain in 1736, 1740 (twice), 1741, 1745, 1750 and 1751.
William Miller is probably the person who was a banker and grocer, although there are other William Miller's in Bristol at this time. Incidentally in this context the word "grocer" means merchant, not a dealer in provisions (Oxford English Dictionary). The banker was a partner in Bristol's first bank, founded in 1750, and a probable native of Gloucestershire (born c1698). He is likely to be the person recorded as a member of the Gloucestershire Society in 1745 and 1759 (it was only open to natives of Gloucesterhsire - recors held in BRO). His brother George, who out-lived him, resided at Ozleworth Park in Gloucestershire (see William Dyer's diary). However, there are are no references to any Miller's in the Ozlleworth parish registers or Bishop's transcripts, for the period of William's life. He had premises in St Peter's parish 1723-31 and St John's parish (Tailor's Court) 1732-81. In both parishes he had been a church warden and his signature is the same as that of the banker. He voted from St John's parish in 1734, 1739, 1754 and 1774. Another William Miller was commander of the privateers Black Prince in 1762 and Ceasar in 1777. Either may have been part owner of the Southwell in 1744 and the Invincible in 1757. The banker died in 1781, another William Miller died in 1767, and yet another had a will proved in 1802. William Miller, the banker, advertised two shares in the Hooper's glasshouse for sale in 1752. He may have owned the shares himself, or have been acting as an agent for some other person. A William Miller, described as a glassmaker, took an apprentice in 1764. The apprentice was turned over to Richard Reynolds (of the Temple Street glasshouse) in the following year. There are many other references to William Millers, including one as a creditor of Richard Champion! Research is ongoing. For more information please see the excellent article by Ray Jones in the Northern Ceramic Society Journal 23 (2006-7). |
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