The expenses attendant on this unwarrantable opposition in Parliament drained Champion’s exchequer, and despite the energy of himself, the skill of his workmen, and the beauty of the ware produced at his manufactory, Richard Champion’s hopes of permanently establishing an art in Bristol, which should not only be an honourable and useful, but a remunerative one, proved fallacious, and in little more than five years from his obtaining of the Act of Parliament, the works which he had laboured so hard to establish, and on which he had expended so much time, money, and skill, were lost to the city of Bristol, and removed for ever from its walls, but not, fortunately, until he had proved incontestably his ability to produce a genuine porcelain of the finest texture, and of the most artistic and finished style.

In 1775 Champion advertised his works as “Patent China, at the Manufactory in Castle Green.” In 1776 he advertised it thus:—

In 1778, Josiah Wedgwood, in a letter, dated August 24th in that year, says, “Poor Champion, you may have heard is quite demolished; it was never likely to be otherwise, as he had neither professional knowledge, sufficient capital, nor scarcely any real acquaintance with the materials he was working upon. I suppose we might buy some growan stone and growan clay now upon easy terms, for they have prepared a large quantity this last year.” This curious letter, whose sympathy was certainly left-handed, did but little credit to Wedgwood—the man who of all others had worked hard to crush him, and had succeeded in so doing. His hope now that Champion was “quite demolished” was that he might be able to gain his point and get the growan stone and clay on easy terms! It is lamentable to feel that a great name could sink so low. It does not appear, however, that Champion ever became bankrupt, or even appealed to his creditors.

In his Bristol works, although only his own name appears in the various documents to which I have alluded, Champion had friends who assisted pecuniarily in his undertaking. One of these friends was Joseph Fry, the grandfather of the present Mr. Francis Fry, F.S.A., of Bristol, whose name is as well known among biblists and connoisseurs in china for his fine collection of old bibles and choice porcelain as the firm to which he belongs is to the general public for the “Fry’s Chocolate” which they manufacture to so large an extent. Mr. Joseph Fry, the friend of Champion, died in 1786, about nine years after the works had been closed on their removal into Staffordshire; and it appears that the only return he got for the capital he had sunk in the concern, was the beautiful set of vases now in the possession of his grandson.

The patent right was sold by Champion, in 1781—not 1777, as stated by Shaw—to a company of Staffordshire potters, who continued the manufacture at New Hall (which see for a continuation of this narrative) for some time, when the ordinary soft-paste china was allowed to supersede it. Thus the works at Bristol were brought to a close, and the manufacture of porcelain was lost to the locality. Champion himself with his family removed for a time into Staffordshire, fixing themselves at Newcastle-under-Lyne, in November, 1781, and there remained until April, 1782, when, having been appointed a Deputy Paymaster-General of the Forces, by Edmund Burke, he left Staffordshire “at a day’s notice,” and removed to London, having apartments at Chelsea Hospital. This appointment he only held till 1784. In October of that year he sailed for Charleston, in South Carolina, and there he died, in 1791.

Bristol china (marked), every description of which, owing to the short time the works were in operation, and other causes, is scarce, is particularly rare in the finer and more highly finished varieties. Fortunately, however, examples of these different varieties, of the very finest kind, are still preserved, and attest most strongly to the extreme perfection to which Champion succeeded in bringing his works. Much discrimination is, nevertheless, required in appropriating examples, and it is well to caution collectors against placing too much reliance on the sweeping way in which, by some writers, all examples are hauled into the Bristol net; and by others into those of Lowestoft and other places.

One of the choicest examples of the highest class of art in Bristol porcelain existing at the present day, is the tea-service of which the cup and saucer engraved on Fig. 749 forms a part. This splendid service, of which, through the courtesy of Miss Smith, this cup and saucer passed into my hands, possesses a double interest, first from its being made “the best that the manufactory could produce;” and, second, from the historical associations which are connected with it. This example is also highly important as showing the perfection to which the manufacture of porcelain had been brought by Champion in 1774–5. It seems that in 1774 Edmund Burke, while the contested election for Bristol was going on, remained in that city, and for a month was the guest of Mr. and Mrs. Smith, who were his warm friends and zealous supporters, and he presented this splendid set of china, made expressly, by his own order, by Mr. Champion, to Mrs. Smith, and the remains of the set are now the property of that lady’s daughter, Miss Smith, of Berkeley Crescent. This set, it is fair to presume, was ordered by Burke while remaining in Bristol, or at all events about that time, which would be the very year in which the transfer of the Plymouth works to Champion of Bristol was completed. As a service of such exquisite beauty and such minute detail in painting would necessarily be a work of time, the absolute date of its completion may be set down to the beginning of the year 1775. The decorations of Burke’s service are of chaste and elaborate design and delicate workmanship. It is profusely and massively gilt in both dead and burnished gold, the wreaths of laurel, &c., being in green, which was Burke’s electioneering colour. Each piece bears the monogram of Mrs. Smith, S S conjoined, formed of wreaths of roses in pink and gold, and also the arms of Smith, sable, a fesse between three saltiers or; on an escutcheon of pretence the arms of Pope, or, two chevronels and a canton gules, the latter charged with a mullet of the first; and the crest of Smith, a saltier or. The pieces of this service are marked with the usual cross. In the Museum of Practical Geology is a cup and saucer of the same form, presented by the Duchess of Northumberland, in which the festoons and borders are of similar character, but of very inferior workmanship to those just described. Another remarkably fine and, of course, unique service was brought under the hammer in 1871, and deserves more than a passing notice. This service had been made by Champion and presented by him and his wife to Mrs. Burke. On the larger pieces were the arms of Burke impaling Nugent on a pedestal, supported, dexter, by a figure of Liberty; and, sinister, by a figure of Plenty. On the top of the pedestal is Cupid with a flaming torch, and at the base the inscription, “I. BVRKE, OPT. B. M. R. ET. I. CHAMPION. D. D.D. PIGNVS. AMICITÆ. III. NON. NOV. MDCCLXXIV.” Other decorations also are introduced. Portions of this service (which it is a pity was ever dispersed) are in possession of Mr. Callender, of Mr. Edkins, of Mr. Fry, and others. I am indebted to Mr. Owen for permission to reproduce from his admirable volume the engraving of a portion of this service (Fig. 750), and for the use of several other woodcuts.

Amongst the finest known productions of the Bristol works are the series of splendid vases in the possession of Mr. Francis Fry, F.S.A., to which I alluded in my account of Plymouth china. One of these is engraved on Fig. 754; it is 12¼ inches in height, and of hexangular form. The landscapes are exquisitely painted, and it has well modelled female busts on two of its sides, from which hang festoons of raised coloured flowers. The other vases in Mr. Fry’s possession, one of which has a perforated neck, though differing in form, style, and ornamentation, exhibit the same excellence and skill in workmanship and in decoration which are so remarkable on this specimen. That these vases were painted by the same artists as the highest class of Plymouth china is very apparent to those who are conversant with their works. The birds are clearly “of the same family,” and the general style of decoration bears evident mark of coming from the same hands. They are not marked, and therefore a doubt very naturally arises as to whether they were made before the works were removed from Plymouth, and so brought as part of the “stock” to Bristol, or whether they were really made after their establishment in that city. They are, however, of a finer and higher quality than the marked Plymouth example, and therefore there can be no reasonable doubt that they are Champion’s production. Vases are distinctly spoken of in the evidence of John Britain before the House of Commons in 1774. He said “that he has great experience in several China manufactories, and has made several Trials upon all those which had been manufactured in England, and finds that all of them, except that of Bristol, were destroyed in the same Fire that brings the Bristol to Perfection. And he produced to your Committee several Samples of the said kinds of China, which shewed the effects upon china severally; and said, that they have not been able to bring the Bristol China to a marketable commodity, so as to furnish an Order, until within the last Six Months, but that sometimes they succeeded, and at other Times not, but that now they can execute any order. That they have lately made considerable improvements in the said Manufacture, and particularly are endeavouring to perfect the Blue, in which they have not as yet entirely succeeded, though they have now a Gentleman who has succeeded in a small Way, in which they have been at a considerable Expense; that the witness thinks the Manufacture is capable of further improvements; that they can afford it at a price equal to Foreign China of equal Goodness, and that they have made some Specimens equal to good Dresden; that he has not seen any Dresden ornamental China equal to the Vases produced to your Committee, nor any Thing in Biscuit equal to the Biscuit in those Vases, and other Ornaments; that the Gilding stands well; that the Seve China differs from this; the Ornamental is more of a Cream colour, but the Glaze is so soft that it will not bear using; that he believed the enamel of the Bristol China is as hard as the Dresden, and harder than the Chinese,” &c. Mr. Champion also spoke very markedly upon this improvement when he wrote these words; “Mr. Champion can assert, with truth, that his hazard and expense were many times greater than those of the original inventor. Mr. Champion mentions this without the least disparagement to the worthy gentleman, Mr. Cookworthy, who is his particular friend; he gives him all the merit which is due to so great a discovery; he deserves it for finding out the means of a manufacture, which will, in all probability, be a very great advantage to this country; but yet Mr. Champion claims the merit of supporting the work, and, when the inventor declined the undertaking himself, with his time, his labour, and his fortune, improved it from a very imperfect to an almost perfect manufacture; and he hopes, soon, with proper encouragement, to one altogether perfect.”

The vases under notice fell to the lot of Mr. Fry’s grandfather at the time of the close of the works, and have never been out of the possession of the family. They are therefore attested as coming from Champion’s establishment. In Mr. Fry’s possession is also a remarkably interesting “waster” vase of the same general form and character, which has apparently been spoiled by smoke in the kiln. This vase, I believe, was purchased by its present possessor from a family in Bristol, in whose possession it was stated to have been for seventy years. Other vases of equal merit, all said to be Bristol, are in the possession of Mr. Edkins, Mr. Nightingale, and Mr. Walker. Of services, and portions of services, many fine examples exist in various private as well as in the national collections. Many of these are of extreme beauty in design and of remarkably good workmanship.

Of these marvels of ceramic beauty Mr. Owen thus speaks:—

Another notable and beautiful feature of the Bristol works was the production of plaques, bouquets of flowers, wreaths, and armorial bearings, in biscuit. Of these examples are given in Figs. 755 to 758. One of these (Fig. 757), lately in the possession of Mr. Baller, but now of Mr. Nightingale, bears the arms and crest of the Eltons (who were connected with Bristol for the last two centuries as bankers, members of parliament, and mayors, and of which the present representative is Sir Arthur Hallam Elton, Bart.) impaling Tierney. The arms are paly of six, or and gules, on a bend sable, three mullets of the first, for Elton; impaling azure, between two lions combatant a sword argent, for Tierney. The shield is surrounded by a wreath of exquisitely and delicately modelled leaves and flowers. The plaque is oval, 5¼ inches in height by 4¼ inches in breadth. Another heraldic plaque is in the possession of Miss Smith, of Bristol. It is of about the same size as the one just described, and bears the arms of Smith, with escutcheon of Pope, as described as appearing on the tea-service engraved (Fig. 749). It is surrounded with a wreath of raised flowers of surpassing beauty.

This interesting and valuable piece was some years ago stolen from the late Mr. Smith, but, after about thirty years, was purchased by its former owner at a sale along with some other examples of Bristol make. In the possession of the late Mr. Edwin James, of Bristol, and in other hands, are circular and oval plaques with wreaths or bouquets of raised flowers, modelled in the same delicate and masterly manner, and undoubtedly by the same artist. Another (Fig. 755), in Mr. Fry’s collection, has the arms of France beautifully surrounded by a crowned wreath of elaborately modelled flowers—the crown, wreath, and border of which are of dead and burnished gold. Fig. 756, also in Mr. Fry’s possession, is an exquisite heraldic plaque, having the arms of Harford impaling Lloyd, surrounded by a finely modelled wreath of flowers. In the Edkins collection was also a plaque with a delicate border of flowers enclosing a medallion profile of Franklin; and another, a simple group of flowers, and other examples, belong to Mr. Owen, Mr. Rawlins, Mr. Gwyn, and others. In her Majesty’s possession are two remarkably fine examples with medallion profiles of George III. and Queen Charlotte, presented to that queen by Champion himself in 1775, together with a pair of smaller flower plaques of exquisite finish and delicacy.

Figures were, to some extent, as is shown by the advertisements already quoted, made at Bristol, and in Mr. James’s possession were a pair—a man with a bird, and a woman with a barrel and a pig—bearing an incised cross on the bottom. Other figures are in the possession of Mr. Fry, Mr. Edkins, Lady Charlotte Schreiber, Mr. Castle, and others. (See Figs. 759 to 770).

Mr. Owen gives in his admirable work a fac-simile of a letter, in Champion’s own handwriting, addressed to the same modeller (whose name unfortunately does not appear) who produced the “Four Elements” for the Derby works, ordering from him a set of the same subjects, and also the “Four Seasons,” treated in a way which he fully describes. The letter is so interesting, and bears so strongly on the point of figure producing at Bristol, that I here reprint it.

These series were accordingly executed, and all bear, in the examples now remaining, the mark T o[sideways ‘o’ symbol];. It would thus appear to be the modeller’s own mark, or contraction of his name.

The most authentic and interesting figure is a memorial to Richard Champion’s daughter Eliza, who died Oct. 13, 1779, aged fourteen. The figure is a monumental statuette of a mourning female figure, leaning on an urn, holding in her right hand a votive wreath and her left closed on the drapery. The urn and pedestal bear a long and very touching inscription. This interesting relic stands thirteen inches in height; it is in the possession of Mr. J. M. Desaussure, of Camden, South Carolina, who married a granddaughter of Champion. It is engraved on Fig. 759, through the courtesy of Mr. Owen. Two admirable figures (Figs. 768 and 769) of a shepherd and milkmaid, marked with the T^o marks, are in the possession of Mr. Francis Fry, and a set of the four seasons in rustic juvenile figures, bearing the same mark, were in the Edkins collection (Figs. 760 to 763). Another fine group is “Love subdued by Time,” in the Edkins collection (Fig. 770). Busts were also made; but as these and the examples made at Plymouth are not marked, and are made of the same body, and by the same workmen, it is manifestly impossible to correctly appropriate them.

A cup, part of the Harford service, bears in the bottom in the inside the +, the initials J H (of Joseph Harford), and the date 1774, and is the earliest known dated example of Bristol china. Another excellent dated example, bearing the repeated monogram W C on the inside, has on the bottom the +, 1776, and figure 1. The pounce-box (Fig. 772) bears the × and figure 3.

The mark which usually denotes Bristol porcelain is a plain saltire, or cross, in blue, neutral tint, or red, sometimes with the addition of figures or other marks, but more commonly by itself. The figures probably denoted the workman, not the pattern, as on the same sets different numbers appear, which would not be the case if the design was denoted. The following are varieties of the mark, the cross being sometimes in one colour, and the figure or character in another. One, it will be seen, bears, besides the saltire, the sign for a drachm (or perhaps figure 3), and another the Greek character epsilon (ε). These marks occur the one on a teapot, the other on a saucer lately in the possession of Mr. Norman. The letter B also sometimes occurs painted in the same manner as the cross, and also in combination with figures, &c. (Figs. 783 to 786.) Other marks have been ascribed to Bristol, but many of them, I believe, wrongly. In Mr. James’s collection was a small fluted cream-boat, blue and white, with an unusual mark, the blue cross, above which is an embossed letter T, as shown on Fig. 789. The same mark occurs on a specimen in the Nightingale collection. Another mark variously ascribed to Bristol and Bow is To (Fig. 790), and one very early trial piece in the Edkins collection bears the unique mark of the word B r i s t o l l in relief. The Dresden mark of crossed daggers occasionally occurs in connection with the cross or the letter B; the latter marks being in some instance painted over the former, and in others close by (Figs. 791 to 796). Other marks said to be Bristol are shown on Figs. 799 and 800.

The ꝝ mark of Plymouth and the + of Bristol are on one or two known pieces, found in combination thus (Fig. 798), from the Schreiber collection.

Mr. Owen, to whom I have had occasion many times to refer in the course of this chapter on Bristol china, and to whom I must offer my congratulations on the successful issue of his labours and on the boon he has conferred on the literature of ceramics by his researches and by the elegant volume in which those researches are recorded, gives many interesting particulars regarding Champion’s workmen and apprentices. The following notes upon workmen may be useful for reference:—

Bristol Earthenware.

Temple Backs.—In 1786 the pottery for fine earthenware was established at No. 9, Water Lane, Temple Street, called “Temple Back,” by Joseph Ring, as I have shown in my notice of that potter and his delft-ware productions on page 354. In January, 1787, the following highly interesting advertisement appeared in the Bristol Gazette and Public Advertiser:—

In December of the same year, as is shown by an invoice of goods, the following goodly variety of articles was made: “oval dishes,” 10, 11, 12, 13, and 14 inches respectively; “table plates;” “soups;” “suppers;” “twifflers;” “tureens;” “quart jugs;” “pint jugs;” “sallad dishes;” “coffee-pots;” “sugar dishes with covers;” “coffee cups;” “bowles;” “coffee cups and saucers, paynted;” “table plates, paynted;” “twifflers paynted;” “quart mugs variagated;” and “pint mugs variagated.” Mr. Ring’s friend and assistant, John Bettington, commemorated the establishment of this new manufacture by writing some songs for the Martinmas hiring festivities of the workmen. Two of these are printed by Mr. Owen. The first is entitled “The Bristol Pottery, by J. Bettington,” and is as follows:—

The second song, called “Bristol Pottery Martinmas Ditty” concludes thus:—

On the 5th of April, 1788, “Mr. Joseph Ring, potter, in Temple Street was unfortunately killed by the falling in of a warehouse. He has left a widow and nine children to lament his loss.”[98] He was superintending some alterations at the time, when the roof fell in, and he was killed in the presence of his wife. The business was carried on as usual “by the widow of the late Joseph Ring, and late partners, under the firm of Ring, Taylor, and Carter.” The commemorative song of this year is curious. It is as follows:—

In 1797 these works are described as “a large pottery,” so they must at that time have been very extensive. In that year a curious reference to “two gentlemen of the name of Ring,” sons, no doubt, to Joseph Ring, occurs in the account of the death of James Doe, a potter who worked there under them, which I have given under the head of Lambeth (see page 137, ante). A mug bearing his name, “J. Doe, Sept. 1797,” is engraved in Mr. Owen’s book. In 1813 a deed of partnership between Joseph Ring (son of the late owner), Henry Carter, and John D. Pountney was drawn up, but through the death of the first-named was not executed. The business was therefore carried on by Pountney and Carter, under the style of Elizabeth Ring & Co., until 1816, when Carter retired and was succeeded by Edward Allies, the style being Pountney and Allies. In 1825–6 it was, according to Chilcott’s and Matthews’ Guides, worked by the firm of Pountney and Allies, and at that time gave employment to about two hundred persons. Mr. Allies retired in 1835, and in the following year Mr. Pountney took into partnership Mr. Gabriel Goldney, who retired in 1850. Mr. Pountney died in 1852, and the works were then carried on by his widow under the style of “Pountney & Co.,” under the management of Mr. Clowes. In 1872, in which year Mrs. Pountney died, the works were purchased by Mr. Halsted Sayer Cobden, who also owns the Victoria Pottery, in Bristol, and by whom they have been much extended, and give employment to about four hundred hands. The goods produced are the ordinary classes of white and printed earthenware, principally for exportation. During Mr. Pountney’s lifetime, some parian figures, &c., were made at these works; and some exquisite examples, made by one of the workmen named Raby, who removed into Staffordshire, were in the possession of the late Mrs. Pountney, as were also some excellent imitations of the Etruscan and other styles. Examples of the early productions of these works are scarce, and it is interesting to state that the good old Bristol mark of the cross was used on some of the pieces of earthenware here made. The mark is sometimes in blue, and sometimes impressed. A name well known in connection with these works is that of William Fifield (and his son John), who was a painter of some merit. One of his plaques—a sportsman with dog, gun, and glass—is, with other examples, in my own possession. It bears on the back his initials, “W. F.,” and the words, “Here’s to my Dog and my Gun, 1855.” The view of the works, painted on four large tiles, and dated May 15th, 1820, now on the wall of the office of the Water Lane Pottery (Fig. 802), was also painted by him.