Thomas Rotch Letters Concerning Tableware Business

              [page 1]

[corresponds to page one of letter from Thomas Rotch to Thomas Morris, April 19, 1817]

	  		Kendal Stark Co Ohio 4mo  19th 1817

Thomas Morris Esqr

				The perusal of the interesting ad=

-dress from the American Society, for the encouragement of Do=

=mestick Manufactures has lad me to believe that by an ap=

=plication to the corresponding committee of your respectable soci

=eity I should be successful, in Obtaining some correct informa=

=tion of the process of Manufacturing the common Ware import=

=ed from Liverpool,  the necessity, of attempting to improve from

the common Ordinary Ware usually made to that suitable for

table use, is strongly enforced from the increased expense of trans

=porting it across the Mountains,  Finding myself destitute of

the means from my own Library to assertain the modern im

=provements of Europe in this Art.  I have with some diffi=

=culty reconciled the liberty that I have taken, with a hope

that the importance and public utility of the object will

apologize therefor.   We have a white clay from which I have had

made divers utensils that have proved the Clay to be white after Baking

free from calcarious particles and may only want a small addition of

white flint to give it solidity equal to the Staffordshire ware.  I shall

annex a few questions the answering of which either by a direction to

such publications extant, as comprehend them, or by the information

of practical persons, may put me in possession of the rudiments of

the theory,

Question  1st  What is the construction of a Mill for dissolving the Clay in wa-

		ter to prepare it for settleing, the grosser parts.

	2d  Will an Iron Morter & Pestle answer to pound the calcined flint,

		or, will the dislodged particles of Iron,colour the white ware,red.	 
	  
		as the Chinees use stone for pounding porcelein.

3d  of what materials are the Moulds made for forming ware that

	            cannot be turned upon the wheel, & what the process in making them

	4th  What is the composition of the white glaz in now used for

	            Queens ware in the potteries in England

	5th  of what are the stamps made, with which the blue figures are

	            impressed upon the ware- and at what period of drying is it coloured

	6th  Is the most common Liverpool ware baked Twice

	7th  It is enameled before Glazing & if so with what composition

	           It is said, that to the enameling, the ware owes its luster, with

                      Out which the glazing would sink in spot(illegible) on  the