Fig. 52.

Before Mr. Bloor’s time it had been the constant plan of the Duesburys—so worthily tenacious were they of their reputation, and of keeping up the high and unblemished character of their works—to allow none but perfect goods to leave their premises, and no matter how costly the article, or how trivial the fault (frequently so trivial as to be only perceptible to the most practised eye), all goods which were not perfect were stowed away in rooms in the factory, and had accumulated to an enormous extent. When Mr. Bloor took the concern, this stock of seconds goods became an almost exhaustless mine of wealth to him. Having to pay the purchase money by instalments, he found the easiest method of doing so was to finish up these goods, take them to different large towns, and there sell them by auction, and also to have sales at the manufactory; one of these sales, in 1822, continued twenty-five days. By this means Mr. Bloor amassed large sums of money, as the “Derby china” found ready and liberal purchasers wherever it was thus offered. This system, however, though it had a temporary good, produced a lasting evil. The temptation to produce large quantities of goods specially for auction sale was so great as not to be withstood, and as by this means they were disposed of “with all their imperfections thick upon them,” less care was devoted to their manufacture, and the decline of the works, principally from this cause, commenced.

Mr. Robert Bloor was assisted in his works by his brother Joseph, by whom the “mixing” was mainly done, and from 1828, when Mr. Robert Bloor’s health began to fail, they were carried on for him by a manager named Thomason. The two brothers died within a short time of each other. Robert, who had lost his mind for many years before his decease, died in 1845, and Joseph the year following. The works then passed into the hands of Mr. Thomas Clarke, who had married a grand-daughter of Robert Bloor’s, who discontinued them, and sold most of the models, &c., to the Staffordshire manufacturers—the greater bulk going into the hands of Mr. Boyle, a manufacturer, of Fenton, who was son of Mr. John Boyle, and for a short time before his death a partner with the Wedgwoods. The final dissolution of the old works took place in 1848, when a number of the workmen naturally migrated into Staffordshire and Worcestershire.

At this time, however, several of the old hands—actuated by the laudable desire of securing the continuance of a business which for a century had been so successfully carried on, and of continuing it as one of the trades of their native town—clubbed together (to use a characteristic expression), and commenced business on their own account. They each and all threw into the common stock what knowledge, experience, money, and tools, &c, they possessed, took premises in King Street (on the site of old St. Helen’s Nunnery), and under the name of “Locker and Co.” commenced making “Derby china,” and adopted, very properly, a distinctive mark, which shows this epoch in the works. It is a somewhat curious circumstance, that on the site of the old china works the modern Roman Catholic nunnery of S. Marie was erected; while on the site of the old nunnery of St. Helen, the present china works are now carried on. Great difficulties were encountered by this band of workmen, but their zeal and determination overcame them.

Mr. Locker (who was a native of Blackfordby, and had been clerk and warehouseman at the old works in the latter part of their existence) died in 1859, and the works were next conducted under the style of “Stevenson and Co.,” and “Stevenson, Sharp, and Co.,” till the death of Mr. Stevenson, when the style was changed to that of “Hancock and Co.,” and the works are now continued by Mr. Sampson Hancock, and bid fair, if not to rival the early glory and success of the works, at least to do credit to the town of Derby, in which they are situated. Some of the productions are highly creditable to the taste and skill of the men, and show that “ye art of making English china,” imparted to William Duesbury in 1756, is not forgotten, but remains with his successors to the present day.

One of the last large services made by Bloor was a magnificent dessert made for her present Majesty, and some large additions to that set, and pieces for replacing, have been from time to time made by the present owners of the works, which are still therefore as fully entitled to the name of “Royal” works as any of their predecessors. The marks used by these later firms will be found engraved on page 93; I give them to complete the chronological series. The name of Courtney, which appears on one of these marks, was Bloor’s agent.

Having now gone through the History of the works, it only remains to speak of the artists employed, and of one branch of the manufacture, that of “Biscuit,” which requires more than a passing notice. This material was a discovery of, and quite peculiar to, the Derby Works, and the secret of its composition is still preserved. To it the beautiful material Parian thus owes its origin. One of the Derby workmen having engaged himself to Mr. Copeland, was trying experiments to recover the secret of the biscuit composition, when instead of it he produced accidentally that which has been named “Parian,” and in which all the exquisitely beautiful figures and groups that characterise their, and other equally admirable, productions have since, with modifications and improvements, been worked. It is pleasant thus to know, that although the art of making Derby biscuit figures has been discontinued, the Parian has sprung from it, and was first produced by a Derby man. Nothing could exceed the sharpness and beauty of the biscuit figures as produced in the best days of the Derby Works, and some examples, for delicacy and fineness of modelling, and for sharpness of touch, have never, in any ceramic material, been surpassed, or scarcely equalled.

Transfer printing on china appears to have been introduced at Derby in 1764—some years before even Wedgwood printed his own ware, but while he was in the habit of sending it off to Liverpool to be printed by Messrs. Sadler and Green. The process, however, did not obtain much favour at Derby, and Mr. Duesbury evidently found it better, and more satisfactory, to adhere to hand-work in all his goods. The person who introduced the process, and whom he engaged to carry it on, was Richard Holdship, of Worcester, who, by deed, covenanted for the sum of £100 paid down, and a yearly sum of £30 so long as the works continued on his process, to impart in writing to Messrs. Duesbury and Heath his secret process for making china according to proofs already made by him at the Derby Works; to supply them with all sufficient quantities of soapy rock at fair prices; and to print all the china or porcelain ware which might have occasion to be printed. The engagement with Holdship lasted, at all events, many years, but during that time the printing evidently was not much followed, as in his letters to his employers he is constantly complaining of having no work for his presses, and in having no goods made according to his process. He had an assistant named William Underwood, and in one of his letters he values his press at ten guineas in cash, and his copper-plates at a large amount, while he says “for his process for Printing Enamell and Blew, he hath been offered several Hundred Pounds.” His stock of enamel colours, 151 lbs. in weight, he offers to sell for £35. It is needless to write more in this place of Holdship’s connection with Derby, as I have already given more full particulars in the first volume, page 232. At one time John Lodge, the eminent engraver, engraved some plates for printing at Derby. The following is his bill for some engraving done in 1771:—

Mr. Deusberry Dr. to John Lodge,

£s.d.
Engraving a Plate of Chinese Figures0106
Copper to do.026
To Engraving Eight Borders0160
Copper to do.0111
To Engraving two Plates for Cups and Saucer110
Copper045
To Engraving two Plates for Cup and Saucer110
Copper to do.024
To Engraving two Plates for Small China140
Copper to do.0510
£596