WEDGWOOD POTTERY

Josiah Wedgwood’s famous pottery
Was one early beneficiary
Of the canal network. His factory,
Built at Etruria (between Hanley
And Newcastle-under-Lyme), was handy
For the new canal connecting the Trent
And the Mersey. Its fragile wares were sent
By barge – better than carts, no argument,
Bumping along old, rough, pitted roadways.

Josiah’s practice was beyond all praise.
At Etruria (a first for those days),
He designed a village for the workers.
Wedgwood, we’re told, had no time for shirkers,
But he offered a good deal. Tough, but fair,
He set great store by employee welfare.
A rudimentary insurance scheme
He launched for sick benefit. No daydream:
Wedgwood achieved the best from his workplace.
Hard graft and strong profit – where’s the disgrace?
Capitalism with a human face.

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