A Caution! Notice from the Enoch Wood Scrapbook

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Date:29th of November 1796

Description:Dispute over ideas

Printed notice from James Keeling regarding an infringment of patent on his oven for firing pottery.

It is well known OUR PATENT

It seems that someone has copied his oven design but made small modifications in an attempt to claim originality.

Keeling disputes this.

We ask for nothing 'till you have gained

He then goes on to explain that he does not mind other local firms using the idea for his oven but he does expect some kind of renumeration.

This he only expects if the firms see any financial benefits from using his design.

He confidently claims that they will use less fuel, get a more even firing and lose less ware in the firing process when using his oven design.

The culprit

There is a printed notice in the collection from Ralph Wedgwood. It was printed just weeks (Nov 7th) before this warning.

In the notice Wedgwood states that he will be calling on various manufacturers to sell them a patented glaze (made from waste ware) and to take orders for the building of a particular type of oven.

Wedgwood confirms that there is a dispute over the oven design.

For these reasons, it is likely that Keeling is refering to Wedgwood in this document.

About this document

Burslem pottery manufacturer Enoch Wood collected this document, and it is now among the collections at Stoke-on-Trent Museums.

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