Description:Joseph Machin, Chairman of the Committee of Potters, addressed this notice to fellow manufacturers in the Potteries.
Ruin
A ruinous war with France had brought Britain's business to its knees - a situation not helped by a serious dispute with the United States.
A series of Orders in Council in 1807 helped to bring about a situation in which France and Britain attempted to stop the United States trading with one another.
When American ships became caught in this cross-fire, US President Thomas Jefferson ordered a stop to trading relations with Britain.
Losing the American market meant serious damage to the pottery industry, as well as many others.
A meeting of manufacturers was therefore called for midday on 2 April 1812 at the Swan Inn, Hanley.
About this Document
This document was collected by local industrialist Enoch Wood and is now part of the collections at Stoke-on-Trent Museums.