Mr. Davenport, Sen. was elected one of the first Representatives of this Borough, in Parliament; and still retains that honour, as we have already mentioned.* He has, latterly, retired from any active share in the business of his house, and resides at Westwood Hall, near Leek, a property which he has greatly improved and ornamented. The principal management of the above extensive concern now devolves on Mr. Davenport's youngest son, Mr. William Davenport, but previously to the year 1835, was under the direction of Mr. Henry Davenport, (the second son) who unfortunately met with his death by a fall from his horse, on the 13th of November in that year.

John Davenport, Jun., Esq., Mr. Davenport's eldest son, is one of the magistrates of the county. He married, in 1827, Charlotte, daughter of George Coltman, Esq.; Mr. William Davenport married Marianne, daughter of John Wood, Esq.;† and Elizabeth, the only surviving daughter of Mr. Davenport, is married to John Bent, Esq., of Liverpool; all of whom have families.

We have before adverted to the Volunteer Corps, which, in the year 1803, were formed in various parts of this district, and have mentioned the Longport battalion, commanded by Major Davenport, as consisting of three companies. We have since discovered that we underrated their strength, and that there were four companies, of eighty rank and file each. Mr. Davenport, supported by his neighbours at Longport, was most prompt in offering to raise, clothe, and equip, free of expence to Government, except arms, a corps of five hundred men; and this offer, we are informed, was the first made in the county of Stafford, and was accepted; but such was the then prevailing ardour of patriotism, that the Government was obliged to refuse many offers, and to reduce others, so that the Longport corps was fixed at the number just

*

Pp. 62, 65.

+ See p. 153.

P. 59.

MANUFACTORIES AND WHARFS.

159

mentioned. This gallant corps Mr. Davenport brought into a high state of discipline, and he continued to command it for some time, until ill-health obliged him to resign; when he was succeeded by Robert Williamson, Esq. as Major-Commandant, to whom the corps was also greatly indebted for its efficiency. Major Williamson retained the command until the corps was united with the Local Militia force; and afterwards until that force was disbanded, at the conclusion of the war, in 1814.

The other Potters besides Messrs. Davenport, carrying on business at Longport, are Mr. George Phillips, Mr. Thomas Mayer, and Mr. Spencer Rogers, under the firm of John Rogers and Son, this being the oldest existing establishment at Longport. The present Mr. Rogers succeeded his father and uncle (Messrs. John and George Rogers), who long carried on an extensive business here in partnership, and were noted for the excellence of their table-ware. Mr. George Rogers died in 1815, without a family; and his brother in 1816. The latter gentleman, by his Will, left £1000 in support of the North Staffordshire Infirmary, and £200 to raise the tower of Burslem Parish Church, if claimed within two years, (which it was not). A short time before his death, he erected a handsome house near the village of Wolstanton, on an estate called the Watlands, which his son now occupies, and has, by planting and landscape gardening, rendered a delightful residence, (of which we expect to be enabled to present a view.) There are at Longport three Tileries, similar to those we have described at Tunstall; but not so extensively prosecuted.

There are four Public Wharfs, besides several private ones, at Longport; viz. that of Henshall and Co., (under which firm the Canal Company have, from the first opening of their navigation, carried on the business of Carriers); the Anderton Carrying Company, (Port Vale); George Applebly and Co. (Smallbridge), and Mr. Samuel Bache, (Middleport).

A chapel belonging to the Wesleyan Methodists was erected here, in 1809, and will accommodate about four hundred persons. Of the dwelling-houses, the principal one, which was erected many years ago by Mr. Robert Williamson, (Senior), was purchased by Mr. Henry Davenport, (not long before he met with his untimely death), who greatly enlarged it; and his brother, Mr. William Davenport, whose property it now is, has completed it in an elegant manner.

A good house, erected by Mr. John Brindley, who, as we have said, built some of the earliest Potworks here, has been purchased for the Parsonage-house of the new Church of St. Paul, Burslem; from which it is not two hundred yards distant. Another Another equally good house, nearly opposite, now occupied by Mr. Mayer, with the manufactory adjacent, belongs to Mrs. Stubbs, the widow of Mr. Joseph Stubbs, a successful manufacturer, who lately died there; and, near to Mr. Rogers's manufactory, his spacious house, now tenanted by Mr. Enoch Wood, Jun., stands conspicuous. To the right of the road leading to Newport-house, (the handsome occasional residence of Mr. William Davenport), is the Rectoryhouse of Burslem, a recent erection, so that both the Parsonages are in Longport; and we are disposed, for this and other reasons, to concede to that division a joint title to St. Paul's Church, considering the church-yard as neutral ground, and dividing Longport from Burslem Proper, by a line drawn due North-West, from the churchtower, so as to include Smallbridge and the mill and wharfs there situate, and proceeding to the extremity of Burslem parish, in the meadows. On the South-West side, the division must be traced along the centre of a new street, already set out, called Lyndhurst-street, until it reaches the rivulet at Dale Hall. The population of Longport, according to the limits we have assigned to it, amounts to about 2,500 persons.

This part of the Township was originally excepted out