Wirksworth.

Wirksworth is much more intimately mixed up with the history of the Ceramic Art than is usually imagined, and yet but little is known of the works which were there carried on, or of their productions. Dugdale, in 1799, says, “About forty years ago, a manufacture of porcelain was attempted, but it proved unsuccessful.... It was in the Holland Manor House that the unsuccessful manufacture of porcelain was attempted;” and Davis, in 1811, repeats the same thing: “In the Holland Manor House the manufacture of porcelain was attempted, about forty years ago, but proving unsuccessful, it was relinquished.” Holland House, where this manufacture was carried on, was the Manor House of the manor of Holland, otherwise Richmonds, which was given by Thomas, Earl of Lancaster, to Sir Robert Holland, in which family it remained until the attainder of Henry Holland, Duke of Exeter, in 1461; it afterwards belonged to Margaret, Countess of Richmond and Derby, and was subsequently granted by the Crown to Ralph Gell. In 1745, Philip Gell leased the manor to “Robert Atkinson and Francis Parry, of Lincoln’s Inn, gentlemen,” and to “Andrew Wilkinson, of Boroughbridge, com. York, Esq., and Thomas Wilkinson, Esq., brother of the said Andrew Wilkinson.” In 1777 it was “leased by Philip Gell, Esq., of Hopton, to Richard Arkwright, of Cromford, cotton merchant.”

In this latter lease (dated 6th November, 1777), the china works are thus named: “All those several messuages, tenements, or dwelling-houses, and all other buildings, warehouses, workshops, and appurtenances, situate, standing, and being in Wirksworth, in the said county of Derby, heretofore used for the making and manufacturing of China Ware, and now in the tenure or occupation of the said Philip Gell, his assignee or assigns, tenant or under-tenants.” So that at that time the first china works had probably ceased to be in operation. In 1793, by deed dated 1st November, Richard Arkwright, Esq., assigned the remainder of the lease to Charles Hurt, Esq., of Wirksworth, in the following words: “All those several messuages, tenements, or dwelling-houses, and all other the buildings, warehouses, workshops, and appurtenances, situate, standing, and being in Wirksworth, heretofore used for y^e making and manufacturing of china, but now for picking cotton.”

My late friend, Mr. T. N. Ince, to whom Wirksworth is indebted for much patient research into its early history, thus wrote to me regarding the china works, having at my request turned his attention to the matter:—“I much regret that I did not extract from the original deed of co-partnership, which I once had in my hands, at least its date, parties, and the like. My opinion is that it was begun about the middle of last century, and did not continue more than a few years. I know the Hurts of Alderwasley, Gells of the Gatehouse and Hopton, Sir Thomas Burdett of Foremark, and many others were partners—nearly the same who were partners in the English and Welsh Mineral Company, of whose concerns were many papers in a bundle in my grandfather and father’s office, labelled ‘Tissington v. Burdett and others;’ and amongst them, Mr. Julius Cæsar Robiglio, of Hopton, gentleman, who was said to have been present at a duel in Italy, in which the then Philip Gell of Hopton slew his antagonist and fled to England with Mr. Cæsar Robiglio, who, I have heard my mother say, was a most gentlemanlike man. He died at Hopton, and was buried at Wirksworth or Carsington. The premises called ‘China House Yard’ were afterwards the property of the late Charles Hurt, Esq., senr. His son, Charles Hurt, junr., died in 1834, on whose death it was sold to the late Mr. John Wilson, maltster; whose son, Mr. Daniel Wilson, wine merchant, is the present owner.” Mr. Wilson, who has examined his title deeds specially for me, tells me they contain no information as to the china works.

Some years ago, during excavations which were being made, portions of saggers and of china were found; some of these are in my own possession.

It is said that after leaving Pinxton and other places, Billingsley attempted to establish china works here; being probably led to do so by the fact of felspar being abundant in the neighbourhood. Of this, however, there is no proof. Earthenware is also said at one time to have been made here; but of this, also, there is no proof.