This was the last pottery of the old established locality carried on in Liverpool, of which that part of the premises, occupied as the showroom and warehouse, are still standing.

The Herculaneum pottery was situated on the south shore of the Mersey, near Liverpool. A pottery was first started on this site by Richard Abbey, in conjunction with a Scotchman named Graham, about the year 1794, where they carried on the business with good success for some time, but Mr. Abbey's love of rural life induced him to abandon the concern; and they sold it to a company.

Mr. Abbey had served his time as an engraver to Mr. Sadler, in Harringtonstreet, where he engraved, besides many other works, a copperplate for a large quart jug, having upon it the farmers' arms, and was considered very skilful in his art. He afterwards went to a pottery at Glasgow, to teach the art of engraving, and afterwards to a manufactory in France, for the same purpose. He was born at Aintree, and after selling his bank retired to his native place, and there died in 1801, at the age of 81, after breaking a blood vessel whilst singing in Melling Church, where, being a good musician, he used to lead the choir on a Sunday. He was buried at Walton.

After the retirement of Mr. Abbey, the works were taken by Messrs.

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Worthington, Humble, and Holland, and they engaged Mr. Arch. Mansfield,* who was a thrower at Burslem, in Staffordshire, as their foreman, along with about 40 operatives, men, women, and children, to be employed in the various branches belonging to the art. After enlarging and remodelling the works, and the little group of emigrants, who were chiefly from Staffordshire, being ready to start, their employers gave them a dinner at the Legs of Man public house, at Burslem, to which a few of their friends were invited. There they spent the parting night in jollity and mirth; and at a late hour, in conformity with an old Mercian custom, still prevalent in some parts of Staffordshire, the parting cup, was called for, and each pledged the other to a loving remembrance when absent, and a safe journey, with a hearty goodwill. Next morning, at an early hour, they started on their journey, headed by a band of music and flags bearing appropriate inscriptions, amongst which was one, Success to the Jolly Potters," a motto still met with on the signs of the public houses in the Staffordshire pot-districts. When reaching the Grand Trunk canal, which runs near to the town of Burslem, after bidding farewell to all their relatives and friends, they got into the boats prepared for them, and were towed away amid the shouts of hundreds of spectators. Now, however, came the time for thought: they had left their old homes, the hearths of their forefathers, the joys of acquainted neighbours, and were going to a strange place. Still the hopes of bettering themselves were uppermost in their thoughts, and they arrived at Runcorn in good spirits, having amused themselves in various ways during their canal passage, by singing their peculiar local songs, which, as "craft" songs, perhaps stand unrivalled in any employment; for richness of material, elegance of thought, and expression of passion and sentiment, and it is to be regretted that many of them are daily becoming lost. Amongst other amusements was one that created much merriment-drawing cuts for the houses they were to live in, which had been built for them by their employers; and as they had not seen them nor knew anything about them, the only preference to be striven for, was whether it should be No. 1, 2, 3, &c.

* Archibald Mansfield after having left the "Herculaneum " had erected pottery works at the north end of Liverpool, in a street out of Bevington Bush, on a moderate scale-having a grinding mill, with a twenty-horse power engine, three glost and one biscuit oven. The articles made were of an ordinary description, such as were suitable for hawkers in the country trade, and for export. This manufacture ceased at his death.

At Runcorn they stayed all night, as the weather was bad and the river very rough, after one of those storm-days frequent in the Mersey, when the waters are lashed by the wind into such fury that few boats dare venture out, and many who had never seen salt water before, were afraid to trust themselves upon it in a flat. Next morning, November 11, 1796, the wind had subsided. They embarked on board the flat, and at once, with a fair wind, got into the middle of the Mersey where it becomes more like an inland sea surrounded with lofty mountain ranges. This much surprised the voyagers, alike by its highly picturesque beauty and the vast extent of water. They had a pleasant voyage down the river, and arriving at their destination were met on their landing by a band of music, and marched into the works amidst the cheers of a large crowd of people who had assembled to greet them. Thus commenced the peopling of the little colony called Herculaneum,* where, a few years ago, on visiting the old nurse of my father, who had accompanied her son there, I heard the same peculiar dialect of language as is spoken in their mother district, in Staffordshire, which to those not brought up in that locality is nearly unintelligible.

The site of the Herculaneum Pottery was formerly occupied by Copperworks; and for some time after the bank was in full play, the ware which they made had a slight tinge of green, given to it by the remains of small particles of the debris of the copper still adhering to the floor and walls of the workshops. It will be seen from the lease, † that the first proprietorship was composed of

* (From the Liverpool Guide, by W. Moss, Liverpool, 1799, p. 107.) A manufacture of Queen's ware, upon the plan of the Staffordshire potteries, has lately been established on the south shore of the river, about a mile above the town. (From Gore's General Advertiser, Vol. 31, No. 1616, dated Thursday, Dec. 13th, 1796.) On Saturday last, the new pottery (formerly the copper works) near this town was opened, and a plentiful entertainment given by Mr. Worthington, the proprietor, to upwards of 60 persons employed in the manufactory, who were preceded by a military band from the works along the docks and through Castle-street. Two colours were displayed on the occasion-one representing a distant view of the manufactory. We have the pleasure to say these works are very likely to succeed, from their extent and situation, and will be of infinite advantage to the merchants of Liverpool.

+ Extract from Schedule of the Deed establishing the Herculaneum Pottery, 12th Nov., 1806. "Indenture between Daniel Howard of Nether Knutsford, surgeon, of the 1st part, John Pownal of High Leigh, gentn., of the 2nd part, Elizh. Mathews of Neston, widow, of the 3rd part, Wm. Hutchinson of Neston, gentn., of the 4th part, Saml. Holland of Sandle Bridge, gentn., Wm. Boult of the City of Chester, gentn., Peter Holland of Nether Knutsford, surgeon, John Boult of Liverpool, mercht., executors named and approved by the will of Peter Swinton late of Nether Knutsford, tanner, deceased, of the 5th part, Saml. Worthington of Llwynan, near Bangor, mercht., of the 6th part, Michael Humble of Shooters Hill, near Bawtry, mercht., of the 7th part, Saml. Holland of Liverpool, merchant, of the 8th part, Archibald Keightley of Liverpool, gentn., of the 9th part, Saml. Berey of Edge Lane, near