Crockery & glass journal . thesecret of their arduous and risky migration to theancient home of pottery in England. It is certain that the Elers must have been notonly provided with substantial capital, but also with employees were searched each day on coming andleaving, and on the slightest suspicion of dawning in-telligence they were promptly dismissed. All outside work was done under cover of theadjacent trees, so as to conceal it from the enquiringeye. No persons were allowed to approach theworks without being questioned as to their business,and were at once turned back if their replies we
Crockery & glass journal . thesecret of their arduous and risky migration to theancient home of pottery in England. It is certain that the Elers must have been notonly provided with substantial capital, but also with employees were searched each day on coming andleaving, and on the slightest suspicion of dawning in-telligence they were promptly dismissed. All outside work was done under cover of theadjacent trees, so as to conceal it from the enquiringeye. No persons were allowed to approach theworks without being questioned as to their business,and were at once turned back if their replies wereconsidered unsatisfactory. In later years when theirbusiness had increased they occupied another farm,or cottage, some distance away, which was used as adepot for finished goods, and it is said that betweenthe factory and this depot they constructed a conduitof earthenware pipes through which they held con-versations, and warning was given of the approach ofstrangers. The articles they manufactured were chiefly tea- I 39. u u -ow oo I31 pots, sugar bowls, trays, and other small articles, andwere made both in red and black porcelain, and of asingularly fine and delicate construction. No finerarticles either in material or manipulation are madeto-day. The goods being made, the problem of gettingthem away without attracting the attention of thecurious natives presented itself. The continual per-secution to which they were subjected would preventthem from availing themselves of the ordinary chan-nels of distribution. They were reduced to the neces- twenty-four shillings for a single teapot is spoken ofas being paid—a remarkable price at that period. It is not to be supposed that the potters remainedlong unaware of the remarkable success of the des-pised Dutchmen. Many were the attempts made tounravel the secrets of the Bradwell Hill Pottery, butthe stringent regulations of the Elers circumventedall their efforts. It may be gathered that although the master pot-ters of that day
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1870, booksubjectpottery, bookyear1875
