William Duesbury.

I next find William Duesbury, the enameller, of Longton, entering into partnership with Heath and Planché on the first January in the year following his executing this deed for the maintenance of his father; and entries in the family Bible prove that at this time he removed to Derby, to carry on his newly-acquired business “in ye art of making English china, as also in buying and selling of all sorts of wares belonging to ye art of making china.” The partnership deed bearing date the first of January, 1756, shows that the negotiations must have been made in the previous year, 1755, and as the deed of gift from his father is dated September 27th of that year, it is evident that the one was consequent on the other, and that the arrangement with his father was the result of his determination to come to Derby. The father lived until 1768, and died and was buried in Derby. In the parish register is the entry, “1768. Buried, Mr. Duesbrie, March 17.”

William Duesbury was born on the 7th of September, 1725, and married Sarah James, of Shrewsbury (who was born on the 12th of August, 1724). In 1755 he was residing at Longton, as an enameller on china ware, &c., and in 1756 removed to Derby to carry on the porcelain works there. By his wife Sarah, who died on the 14th of September, 1780, and was buried at St. Alkmund’s Church, Derby, he had several children. These were, so far as I have been able to ascertain, William, born in London in 1752, and died there in infancy; Anne, born at Longton, Oct. 3, 1754, who became the wife of Richard Egan, linendraper, of London, and afterwards china, earthenware, and glass dealer, of Bath; Mary, born in London, in 1753, but baptised at St. Alkmund’s, Derby, who died in infancy; another Mary, born at Derby, Nov., 1756, and died in 1783; Sarah, born in 1758, and died an infant; another Sarah, born in 1759, and buried in 1767; Dorothea, born in 1761, who married the Rev. John Chawner, of Church Broughton, in 1786; William, born in 1763, who succeeded his father; and James, born in 1765, who, after an erratic and evidently misunderstood and unfortunate life, died in obscurity. Mr. Duesbury himself, after a long and useful life, in the course of which he not only established the Derby China Works, but became the purchaser of those of Chelsea, Bow, Vauxhall, and Kentish Town, died at Derby, and was buried at St. Alkmund’s Church, in that town, on the 2nd of November, 1786.

William Duesbury, son and successor of the last named, was born at Derby, and baptised at St. Alkmund’s Church there, March 1, 1763. On the 4th of January, 1787, he married Elizabeth, daughter of William Edwards, Esq., solicitor, of Derby, the lady having three days before completed her twentieth year. By her he had issue three sons—William, who succeeded him; Nathaniel, who died in 1809, aged 19; and Frederick, who became an eminent physician in London—and two daughters, viz., Sarah, who remained unmarried, and died in 1875; and Anne Elizabeth, who became the wife of Francis Jessop, Esq., solicitor, of Derby. So far it has been necessary to summarise this bit of family genealogy, but the remainder will form a part of the thread of the history of the works.

The manufacture of china under the first William Duesbury must have rapidly risen into eminence, for in 1763, in an account of “goods sent to London,” no less than forty-two large boxes appear at one time to have been despatched to the metropolis, and the proceeds, I presume, of the sale of a part of them, on the 2nd of May, in that year, amounted to no less a sum than £666 17s. 6d. It is very interesting, at this early period of the art, to be enabled to say of what varieties of goods the consignment to London consisted, and I therefore give the list of contents of some of the boxes entire, and also a few items from others. I do this the more readily because it has been recently said by the writer to whom I have already alluded, “We doubt very much whether the higher sorts of fine porcelain (figures, vases, &c.) were made upon the Nottingham Road until the purchase of the Chelsea Works in 1769 and the commencement of what is called the Chelsea-Derby period, which lasted until 1785 or 1786.”

Box No. 41 contained—

Box No. 31—