Josiah Wedgwood & Thomas Bentley

Place: Burslem

Born: 1730

Death: 1795

Biography:

Wedgwood & Bentley was a partnership between Josiah Wedgwood and Thomas Bentley, founded in 1769 in Etruria, Staffordshire, England. Josiah Wedgwood was an English potter, entrepreneur and abolitionist, while Thomas Bentley was a merchant from Liverpool. Together, they created one of the most successful pottery companies of the 18th century, producing fine earthenwares and stonewares that were equivalent in quality to porcelain but considerably cheaper. Wedgwood & Bentley is especially associated with the 'dry-bodied' (unglazed) stoneware Jasperware in contrasting colours, and in particular that in 'Wedgwood blue' and white. The partnership lasted until 1780, when Bentley retired and returned to Liverpool. Wedgwood continued the business under the name Josiah Wedgwood & Sons, which became one of the largest manufacturers of Staffordshire pottery and a leader in design and technical innovation in the later 19th century.