WOMAN'S HOME OLD 5S4 .RISTOL PORCELAIN By Mrs. WILLOUGHBY HODGSON AittJior of ^^ How to Identify Old China^ and ^'- Hoit to Identify Old Chinese Porcelain^ The Maker of Priceless Porcelain — How He Di d in Poverty— Famous Examples of His Work — A Cup and Saucer Worth £90— How to Distinguish Real Old Bristol Porcelain — The Marks In the year 1773, Richard Champion, of
- Bristol, purchased the patent rights
to make porcelain, from William Cockworthy, of Plymouth. It will be remembered by those who read a previous article upon Plymouth china that William Cookworthy migrated in 1770 from Plymouth to Bristol, and for three years manufactured porcelain there. Early Troubles There is no doubt that for many years pottery had been made there, and the glass "industry had flourished for over a century. In a diary written by Dr. Pocock, we learn that as early as 1750 porcelain was being made in Bristol at a glass house called " Lowris Glass House," and that " soapy rock from Lizard Point " was one of the components of this ware. He mentions " very beautiful white sauce-boats adorned with reliefs of festoons, which sell for sixteen shillings a pair." One of these sauce-boats may be seen in the British Museum, and a few speci- mens are known to exist in other collections. The mark upon these pieces is interest- ing, being the word Bristoll, in raised letters. In 1765. Richard Champion essayed to manufacture porcelain in Bristol, but this proved a failure. The third attempt was the famous Bristol factory — a continua- tion of that established by William Cook- worthy. Although Richard Champion's porcelain was of excellent quahty, the undertaking was a disastrous one from a financial point of view. " In these da3's. when hundreds of pounds are given for a Bristol vase, and when a cup and saucer may command as much as
- ^9o, it seems a cruel irony of fate that their
maker should have died in poverty. Champion, having expended a large sum on the patent, petitioned Parliament for an beautiful. Bristol teapot, blue marbled ground, richly gilt, enamelled with flowers. From the Schreiber collection. This piece originally belonged to the Cookworthy family and is marked with the Plymouth sign for tin in gold, but was no doubt made at Bristol. extension of the same. In this he was materially assisted by his friend Edmund Burke, but the petition was vigorously opposed by Wedgwood, and although he won his case, the expenses were very heavy. Meanwhile, the American War was ruining his trade as a merchant in the West Indies, and in 1781 it was found necessary to close the Bristol works, which had made very little porcelain since 1777. The plant and patent were bought by a firm of Staffordshire potters, and the manu- facture was carried on from this time in Staffordshire, at New Hall. Bristol porcelain is hard paste, it is milk-white in colour, and is very vitreous. The spiral ridges described on Ply- mouth porcelain are also character- istic of this factory. The glaze is bright and thin, and is not discoloured b y smoke, but it lacks purity, and is disfigured by black specks. Under the base of large pieces, such as dessert and other dishes, an extra support is given. This takes the form of a pot- hook moulded in the paste, and reaching from side to side of the ring, a device not found upon any other English china. Early pieces were decorated in Chinese style in blue under the glaze, but the best-known form of decoration is that of wreaths of laurel green or looped-up festoons of flowers in colours. Cottage china was painted with detached sprigs and spravs of flowers, the edges being lined with dull red or a chocolate brown, in place of gold. It is upon this commoner ware that the spiral ridges are most in evidence. Champion became famous for his tea-services, and these being more carefully potted, and very frequently fluted, the ridges are not so pronounced. Two very famous tea-services were made at Bristol— the first, designed by Champion and presented by him to Edmund Burke, and the second made by Champion for Edmund
