Josiah Wedgwood's Brickhouse (or Bell) works
The Brick House - attached to the
works
The
success of Josiah Wedgwood's experiments with cream-coloured ware soon brought
an increase in demand for his products and in the autumn of 1762 he moved from
the Ivy House Works to the larger Brickhouse works in Lower Street (now Queen
St.) which he rented from the Adams family.
On
25th January 1764 he married his 3rd cousin, Sarah, daughter and heiress of
Richard Wedgwood of Spen Green. Their first three children, Susannah, John and
Richard, were born at the Brickhouse before the family moved to Etruria Hall
in 1769.
Josiah carried on his
experiments at the works in Burslem and this is where he perfected Black
Etruscan ware between 1766 and 1769. The experiments were not confined to the
production of new ware. Equally important was his introduction of a bell to
summon his workforce to labour with the result that the works also came to be
known as the Bell Works.
He opened his new
factory at Etruria in 1769 but carried on production at Burslem until
1773.
The two
illustrations showing the Brickhouse above and the works below were drawn
from memory by Aaron Wedgwood in 1860. Part of the works can be found on the
1851 ordnance survey map behind the Independent Chapel. (this is
currently on the corner of the present Brickhouse Lane and Queen St.)
The Brickhouse
or Bell works
on Queen Street
(1714-1837)