After
the death of Josiah Wedgwood II in 1843 the whole of the Etruria Estate was
put up for sale in the following year.
The
site of the former racecourse was divided into separate lots for the
construction of villa residences. The auction map with additional notes by
Francis Wedgwood is reproduced below. The front piece of the auction
particulars is reproduced here.
Unfortunately
no one was prepared to bid an amount acceptable to the Wedgwood family and the
next generation had to continue running the works in the second half of the 19th
century.
It
was not very inspired management and in a survey of 1873 the factory was
described as “a moribund concern”. A revival took place in 1878 when bone
china was added to the list of products but the major renaissance of the firm
did not take place until the removal to Barlaston in the twentieth century.
(1760 onwards)
Auction of
Etruria Estate 1844. 