Wedgwood, Josiah (1730–1795)

English pottery manufacturer. He set up business in Staffordshire in the early 1760s to produce his agateware as well as unglazed blue or green stoneware (jasper) decorated with white neo-classical designs, using pigments of his own invention.

Wedgwood was born in Burslem, Staffordshire, and worked in the family pottery. Eventually he set up in business on his own at the Ivy House Factory in Burslem, and there he perfected cream-colonial earthenware, which became known as queen's ware because of the interest and patronage of Queen Charlotte in 1765. In 1768 he expanded the company into the Brick House Bell Works Factory. He then built the Etruria Factory, using his engineering skills in the design of machinery and the high-temperature beehive-shaped kilns, which were more than 4 m/12 ft wide.