PART III.

THE WORCESTER FACTORIES.

The factory at Worcester was opened in 1750-51, contemporaneously with that of Derby, the old mansion of Warmstry House being the first seat of the works. The latter passed into various hands, but were instituted by Dr. Wall, a physician, and Dr. Davis, an apothecary. The excellence of the colouring was a feature of manufacture, and it reached its highest degree of perfection from 1760 to 1780. Imitations from Chinese and Japanese designs were chiefly in vogue, enamelled, painted, or pencilled on the glaze, or in blue under it. Amongst the early marks distinguishing the Worcester porcelain, there is a "W" standing both for Worcester and Wall, the sign of Esculapius, a "W" enclosed in a square, and one formed of two "V's" intersecting each other, besides outlined crescents in gold or blue, fretted squares, anchors, and names. It may here be observed that according to general opinion no figures have been produced at Worcester.

In the second period of the Worcester manufacture, under Messrs. Flight & Barr, 1783, the name "Flight," or that name with a crescent, distinguished the work, and likewise "Flight and Barr," surmounted by a crown; and then with initials. The Chinese, Chantilly, Dresden, and Sèvres marks were also borrowed, but the exact date of their adoption does not appear to be decided.

Robert Chamberlain, apprentice of the old Worcester factory, took up a separate business with his brother Humphrey, and Messrs. Kerr & Binns succeeded them, and employed the marks here following. One consisted of four "W's" enclosed within a circle; three initial letters, and a shield bearing initials and the name "Worcester."

A third factory has been instituted by Chamberlain's nephew, Mr. Grainger, in partnership with Messrs. Lee & Co., under whose names the present Worcester china is executed.

The original founder, Dr. John Wall, died at Bath in 1776. In 1783 Mr. Flight purchased them, and took Binns into partnership, Solomon Cole, and Baxter. Amongst other names connected with the Worcester works are Blaney, Davis, Holdship, whose name, "R. Holdship," appears on some examples, and "RH" united as a monogram, as also a "B" for Binns. There are some fifty-seven workmen's marks on this china, which are too numerous to give, mostly of a very insignificant character. A large "W" (capital letter) is rare. Sometimes a square Chinese seal may be found on a specimen by no means oriental, and this is accounted for by the painting of such a mark on the paste before the glazing or the decorative design was executed or perhaps decided upon by the artist.

A few more of the Worcester marks may be added. First, the date, as given in the Shreiber Collection in the South Kensington Museum. The second is on the small sprig pattern of small blue flowers (like the _Angoulême_). The third is a group painted in blue, on imitation Japanese porcelain, very fine and old. The fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh groups are all on Japanese china.

THE BRISTOL PORCELAIN.

Richard Champion, the founder of the Bristol Porcelain works, Castle Green, 1765, having applied for an extension of his patent (granted for fourteen years), was strongly opposed by Josiah Wedgwood, and other Staffordshire potters. The extension under certain conditions was obtained, but two years subsequently he sold it to some Staffordshire potters, and the work was carried on at Tunstall and Shelton. The designs on Champion's Porcelain were taken extensively from Dresden, for which his work is often mistaken, as he affixed the crossed swords of that manufactory to his own china. He also copied those of Sèvres and Vincennes. In one case the Bristol cross is united with that of Plymouth, _i.e._,

The plain cross is painted in blue. The Bristol marks next following are painted on the glaze in blue or slate-colour, _i.e._,

The marks of Champion, in designs taken more or less from the Dresden and French are as here given, all under the glaze in blue, excepting the last three which are over the glaze.

The letter "T" is embossed, standing in relief, and the plain cross is painted in blue. The Dresden crossed swords in a triangle, is impressed on the clay.

The painter's number is sometimes given over the glaze, as "7," and when in gold and added to the Dresden mark, in Bristol ware, it indicates the gilder and not the painter. Also we find the name "Bristoll" in double lined letters, and the following three, a cross, date, and figure 1 or T; a cross with a small "b" under it; and a capital "B" with the figure "7" beneath it on one side. The mark "T^o" is also distinctive of this factory.

To give an idea of the excellence to which the work attained in Bristol, I may observe that a tea-service presented by Richard Champion to his wife Judith in November, 1774, painted in figures, was sold at Sotheby's April, 1871, for £565. It consisted only of six pieces (counting a cup and saucer as one), _i.e._, the teapot, milk jug, sugar basin and three cups with their saucers. Of course, their value was greatly enhanced by their age.

PLYMOUTH PORCELAIN.

To William Cookworthy, of Kingsbridge, and Lord Camelford we owe the production of porcelain at Plymouth. They worked together, and took out a patent in 1768. For the manufacture, Cookworthy discovered kaolin and pentuse in Cornwall, both natural substances, requisite for the production of hard paste; the former to supply an opaque body, and the latter a perfectly transparent substance, commonly called "moonstone," or "chinastone," the two being blended together.

In the first patent taken out in this country in 1768, the porcelain was described as made of moonstone, or granite and china clay, the latter giving infusibility and whiteness, Henry Bone, the enameller, and M. Soqui, a painter from Sèvres, being the decorators of the Coxside manufactory at Plymouth. After a lapse of a few years, the interest of the latter was sold, and the patent rights transferred to Mr. Champion, of Bristol, in 1774. The mark of the original Plymouth porcelain was the alchemic symbol for tin, sometimes, but rarely, incised in the clay, in blue under the glaze, or in gold or red upon it; but many pieces have no mark at all. A great similarity appeared between the work executed at Plymouth and that in Bow, which may be accounted for by the fact that Cookworthy employed workmen procured from the last-named factory. Some £3,000 were expended in perfecting the discovery of how to bring the porcelain to perfection.

(_To be continued._)

NEIGHBOURS.

One of the penalties of the "civilisation" that drives so many people to live in cities, is that they must have neighbours, good, bad or indifferent, in close proximity.

There are still some houses in cities standing alone and surrounded by garden or shrubbery, but the majority of dwellers in towns must, by force of circumstances, have people next door. These cannot be altogether ignored (though it is wonderful how the habit grows of minding one's own business), and we have to bear with their faults and their failings. A great help in this direction is to remind ourselves that we are also somebody's neighbour, and, no doubt, they have faults to find with us.

Still, there is no denying that whatever are our faults, those of our neighbour are very aggravating. What can be more intolerable than the barking and yelping of our neighbour's dog, the crowing of our neighbour's cock, the creaking of his rusty gate, and the crying and even screaming of his children? Only one thing can be worse, and that is the strumming on our neighbour's piano. Next door noises are a source of much ill-temper and even of ill-health to those whose nerves are strained to tension-point, and in these days of high pressure, this is one of our most serious troubles. The minor annoyances of our neighbour's washing and our neighbour's cooking are as nothing compared to these, and we must consider ourselves fortunate if we have quiet people next door. Better still if they are godly people who recognise the divine duty of a neighbour.

I think there is no time when the disposition of a neighbour is more evident than in times of sickness, and our happiest recollection of neighbours was under those circumstances. Up to then our acquaintance was limited to pleasant exchange of courtesies over the weather, the new baby and the gardens; and friendly relations were established between us when, one morning we received a little note saying that they were having a new flagstone put down at their gate, and as ours was also worn, would we allow their workman to put one down for us--surely a most neighbourly and considerate proposition! This led to pleasant intercourse between the houses, exchange of household recipes, bouquets and visits. But the testing came when long and severe illness laid one of our family low; and then in truth we learnt to know what "to be neighbourly" meant. No distance was too great, no journey too irksome--if any special delicacy were needed for the invalid--every morning, afternoon, and evening brought some kind message for the patient or the nurse, and, when recovery happily came, it was our kind neighbour, the head of the house, who carried the convalescent downstairs for the first time.

And now, years after these events, when we have moved away--as well as they--the children are grown-up, and the families are scattered, there is a bond of happy recollections between us, which time does not efface, or change of circumstances alter. It is our old neighbours who send us Christmas and other greetings, when friends and relatives forget to send them, and some of our pleasantest conversations refer to the time when we lived "next door."

May this continue till we find ourselves with them again, neighbours, but in heavenly mansions!

ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS.

RULES.

I. No charge is made for answering questions.

II. All correspondents to give initials or pseudonym.

III. The Editor reserves the right of declining to reply to any of the questions.

IV. No direct answers can be sent by the Editor through the post.

V. No more than two questions may be asked in one letter, which must be addressed to the Editor of "The Girl's Own Paper," 56, Paternoster Row, London, E.C.

VI. No addresses of firms, tradesmen, or any other matter of the nature of an advertisement will be inserted.

MEDICAL.

EMILY DALTON.--We thank you for your letter, but we must remind you that the preparation that cured you is by no means likely to be of equal value to others. If the remedy that you used is one that is not commonly employed for that purpose, we may be almost certain that it would be totally useless in another case. Most unexpected things do happen in medicine, and it requires a long time to decide whether a drug has any good effect, even though it may have apparently cured one or two persons. You are hardly likely to have discovered any new drug, and most of the medicines used in England, whether in the pharmacopœia or not, have been exhaustively studied. Those drugs which are not official are not given a place in the pharmacopœia, either because they are of insufficient value or because they have not yet been sufficiently studied. The reason why patent medicines and advertised nostrums are not given a place in our official list of drugs is either, as is most commonly the case, they are useless or inferior to preparations already in the pharmacopœia, or because they are simply time-honoured prescriptions which have been stolen and patented for running a company with, and charging thirteenpence halfpenny for what can be got for a penny! You must also remember that using drugs, with the action of which you are not familiar, is indeed dealing with edged tools, which may do great good if properly handled, but which can work disaster if wrongly applied.

"NOT BAD."--You are suffering from the nervous and physical depression which is a constant symptom of anæmia. That you are anæmic is perfectly obvious from your account. If you pay attention to what we are going to tell you, we feel certain that you will soon get better. First read the three articles on diet and digestion which appeared in the GIRL'S OWN PAPER in February 1897, December 1897, and September 1898. Then turn to page 384 of last year's volume and read the answer which describes the treatment of anæmia. When you have read those papers, then read what follows here. Give up the cold bath in the morning and do not return to it till you are completely well again. In its place you may take a warm bath before going to bed. Pay great attention to your digestion by observing all the rules laid down in the articles above mentioned. Take a walk regularly every day. As regards drugs, you must guard carefully against constipation, which is the chief cause of anæmia. A teaspoonful of liquorice powder, or an aloes and nux vomica pill, may be taken occasionally for this purpose. Tonics are the greatest bane of modern medicine, and you will do well to fight shy of them altogether. Iron, taken as a blood-former, but not as a tonic, is invaluable for anæmia. You should begin with a small dose of a mild preparation. A five-grain "Bland's" pill taken three times a day after meals is a good way of taking iron. It is the rule for persons with anæmia to get stout and not to become thin, as one would, _a priori_, have expected.

"JESSIE."--Your deafness is, almost for certain, due to wax. That you are very subject to sore throats, and that you usually breathe through your mouth, are perhaps against this opinion, but everything else is in favour of it. Syringe out your ears, or get some careful friend to do it for you. Before syringing out your ears read the article "All about the ear" which appeared in this magazine October 1897. If the syringing is properly done you will recover your hearing immediately. It may take an hour to efficiently syringe out an ear.

"MINNIE STEWARD."--Your deafness is unquestionably due to wax. Read what we said to "JESSIE."

ANXIOUS ONE.--We think that you will find the cause of your symptoms in your spectacles. Did you have your eyes examined by a medical man, or did you go to an oculist and choose the pair that suited you best? We guess that you did the latter, and if our surmise is correct, your symptoms are very easily accounted for. Your eyes evidently have different refractive powers, that is, they need different glasses. The spectacles kept by oculists, or, rather, opticians, have both glasses of equal power, so that you could not get a pair of spectacles to suit your own case unless you had them made for you. You say your "other eye is defective." By this do you mean that you cannot use that eye for working, or that it squints? In either case it would be practically useless, so that your "bad eye" has to do all the work, and is consequently overworked, becomes sore, and gives you headaches. If it is not exactly suited by the lens in front of it, it is quite capable of incapacitating you altogether. Go to an ophthalmic surgeon and get a prescription for glasses for each eye separately. Take the card to the best optician you know and have the glasses made for you. We know that this will be rather expensive, but it is necessary if you wish to keep your sight.

AN OLD FRIEND OF THE "G.O.P."--We advise you not to use lemons for your hair, for though we do not think that they would do much harm, they are not likely to do any good. Try a hairwash of rosemary or quinine, or use a pomade containing cantharides.

SLIGHT DEAFNESS (An answer to "JESSIE," "DEFFEE," "AN UNHAPPY ONE," "MINNIE STEWARD," and "QUEEN").--We are much pleased that our answer to "A CONSTANT READER" has been the cause of so many of our readers laying their troubles before us. As the five correspondents whom we are now answering have understood the absolute necessity of supplying us with information about their ills before we can give them a definite answer, and as all have answered the thirteen points which it is necessary to know before discussing the treatment of deafness, we will be able to give them much more lucid replies than is possible in most cases of the kind when correspondents merely ask us for "a cure for deafness."

"DEFFEE" has given us "a poser," for her answers to our thirteen queries seem rather to indicate a combination of unhealthy conditions rather than a single complaint. There is a great amount of information in her report which suggests wax. As the treatment for this condition is perfectly simple, she should try this first. A person who "scarcely knows what a sore throat means" is hardly likely to have suffered much from it. There are certain passages in her letter which strongly suggest that the chief cause of her deafness is hardening and stiffening of the drums of her ears from catarrh of the nose and eustachian tube. We advise her to get an "atomiser" and thoroughly spray her nose and throat with a solution of menthol in paraleine (1 in 8) three times a day. We hardly like to give an opinion as to the ultimate result.

"AN UNHAPPY ONE" would do best to go to a hospital as she suggests. The cause of her deafness is probably catarrh.

"QUEEN."--Your letter was most interesting, but we fear that we can hold out no hope of your ever recovering your hearing. You are to be congratulated upon having recovered at all from so frightful an accident, which is nearly always fatal. Your left auditory nerve was torn through by the fracture of your skull. It is an exceedingly soft nerve, and we have never heard of its recovery from division. This is probably because the nerve is always more or less lacerated as well as torn across.

MISCELLANEOUS.

TRELA.--Miniature portrait painting on ivory has become very fashionable of late, and there are always many in the exhibition at the Royal Academy each year. Moist water-colours are used for the painting, sable brushes, and a piece of ivory. The work is very fine, and requires strong and good sight. We think you would require lessons and some study before you made it valuable to you. Meanwhile you should try to see a collection. Richard Cosway was a great miniature painter. You do not say where you write from, so we cannot tell you where to go. If near it, go to the South Kensington Museum.

MARGHERITA.--The population of the world is given in Meyer's _Konversations Lexikon_ at, Christians, 448,000,000; non-Christians, 1,004,000,000.

GREEN-EYED CAT.--For "madeira cake" take eight ounces of flour, five ounces of castor sugar, five ounces of butter, four eggs, citron as desired, and grated lemon-peel. Blend the butter and sugar together, add the grated lemon-peel, stir in the eggs one at a time, and sift in the flour by degrees. Then pour the mixture into a buttered cake-tin, placing the pieces of citron on the top, and bake during forty minutes in a moderately hot oven.

CONFECTIONER (New Zealand).--The following is the recipe for the cream: Take three cups of sugar, one and a half of water, half a teaspoonful of cream of tartar, and flavour with essence of vanilla. Boil the mixture till drops will nearly keep their shape in water, then pour into a bowl set in cold water. Stir steadily with a silver or wooden spoon till cold enough to bear the hand in it, and then place on a platter and knead till of an even texture. If too hard, a few drops of warm water may be stirred in; if too soft, it must be boiled again. This is the usual foundation of cream bon-bons. It may be flavoured with chocolate by adding a tablespoon of melted chocolate while the syrup is hot. To make "chocolate creams," set one-half of a cake of cooking chocolate on a flat dish in the oven until soft. Prepare cream as above. Roll into small balls, leave for a few minutes to dry, then roll in the melted chocolate and place on buttered paper. A two-pronged fork will be found convenient for so doing.

VIPERS BUGLOSS.--In the year 1620 Oliver Cromwell married Elizabeth, daughter of Sir James Bourchier, a gentleman of landed property in Essex. The name Bourchier is said by Burke to be Anglo-Norman. The first number of THE GIRL'S OWN PAPER is dated January 3rd, 1880.

C. T. J. (Harrogate).--The kings of England claimed the crown of France from Edward III., 1340, to the time of George III., 1802--462 years--and the title "King of France" was used till the treaty of Amiens in 1802. At the time of the Union, however, we find the royal style and title was appointed to run thus:--"Georgius Tertius, Dei Gratia Britanniarum Rex, Fidei Defensor," France having been omitted already in 1801. This title was assumed by Edward III. in right of his mother, Isabella, daughter of Philip IV. of France, A.D. 1290. As France was under the Salic Law, which excludes women from the throne, this claim was obviously untenable, but is said to have been made to win over the Flemish allegiance. Edward, however, was originally forced into a defensive war with France, because Philip of Valois desired to seize Edward's duchy of Aquitaine, which had never belonged to the kings of France.

H. R. H.--There are loan funds for helping women to train for professional or technical careers at the Ladies' College, Cheltenham, at Bedford College, and at Queen Margaret's College, Glasgow. For the latter, address Mrs. E. J. Mills, 5, Hillhead Street, Glasgow. In London there is the "Caroline Ashurst Bigg Memorial Loan Fund," Hon. Secretary, Mrs. Alfred Pollard, 13, Cheniston Gardens, Kensington, W. We believe that the paper is still in being. Write and inquire about it, however.

SWEET BRIAR.--You should learn the Roman numerals. MDCCCXXVII. means 1827. M means a thousand, D five hundred, and C one hundred; X ten, V five, and I one. There are many nice books for girls, from Sir Walter Scott's downwards. Mrs. Craik, Miss Beale, Miss Rosa N. Carey, Miss Sarah Doudney, are all writers for girls.

NELL.--There are twenty-one colleges at Oxford, and about 3000 members of the university in residence. At Cambridge there are seventeen colleges, and the members on the boards amounted to 13,079 in 1897, while 887 students matriculated. The earliest university was at Bologna, and that at Paris was the most important. These both rose into notice in the twelfth century, and Oxford and Cambridge in the thirteenth. The system of degrees and the names of the chief officers were introduced into England, as well as into other countries, from Paris. The distinguishing characteristic of Oxford or Cambridge is the existence of a number of separate corporations or colleges within the universities themselves. The origin of the colleges was due to benevolent persons who desired to relieve a certain number of poor scholars from the hardship of their lives at the mediæval universities, and so provided a building where they could have a common life, and an endowment for their maintenance.

DOLLY.--The first steamer that crossed the Atlantic was the _Rising Sun_, built in 1818 by Lord Cochran. We do not know how long her voyage was, but the following year an American ship left New York and arrived at Liverpool after a run of twenty-six days. Her engines propelled her during eighteen days, but the rest of the voyage was accomplished with the assistance of her sails. She was called the _Savannah_, of 300 tons. Now the transit may be made in about five days.

LIZZIE.--We remember seeing an account of the so-called language of stamps, but we hope no one will adopt it, as it would give extra trouble to the Post Office employés, who ask us to put them always in the right-hand upper corner. Besides, we do not see the use of it when, by opening the letter itself, you would acquire the knowledge you want; and it is a vulgar idea, and "bad form."

HIGH CHURCH.--Your bookseller would inform you. The Church of England does not hold the first two dogmas you mention.

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Transcriber's note--the following changes have been made to this text:

Page 147: Shorncliff to Shorncliffe.

Page 151: disburbed to disturbed.

Page 154: acepted to accepted.