In 1815, on the 15th of January, Mrs. Wedgwood, widow of the great Josiah, died at Parkfield, in the eighty-first year of her age; she was buried at Stoke-upon-Trent, near her husband, where a Gothic memorial tablet bears the following inscription:

Sacred to the memory of
SARAH
Widow of Josiah Wedgwood,
of Etruria.
Born August the 18th, 1734.
Died January the 15th, 1815.

The productions of the firm at this time—and indeed through each successive change in the proprietary down to the present time—were, as they had been in the time of the first Josiah, divided between the “useful” and the “ornamented.” The “useful” consisting of services of every kind in fine earthenware, and in all the varieties of bodies hitherto introduced, to which additional patterns were constantly added; and the “ornamented” comprising all the immense variety of exquisite articles which had been made by the great founder of the works, with additional vases, medallions, and other pieces.

In 1843, on the 23rd of August, Mr. John Boyle became a partner in the firm; but his connection was only of short duration, and sixteen months afterwards, on the 4th of January, 1845, he died.

On the 2nd of March, 1846, Mr. Robert Brown, of Cliff Ville, became a partner with the Messrs. Wedgwood; but, dying on the 26th of May, 1859, Mr. Francis Wedgwood was again left sole proprietor of the works. In November of the same year he was joined in partnership by his son, Mr. Godfrey Wedgwood, in 1863 by his second son, Mr. Clement Wedgwood, and in 1868 by his third son, Mr. Lawrence Wedgwood, and (Mr. Francis Wedgwood having retired in 1870) the works are still carried on by them under the old style of “Josiah Wedgwood & Sons.”

Figs. 583 to 588.—Perseus and Andromeda Vase by Lessore; Vase by Lessore; Jasper Beads; and three Vases.

The Marks used by the Wedgwoods have been in all cases, except during the partnership of Thomas Bentley, on that particular branch of the manufacture in which he had an interest, the simple name of WEDGWOOD. In some instances the name is impressed in large capitals—

WEDGWOOD.

In others, it appears in small capital letters—