Sessional papers online

to Sir Benjamin Bloomfield, the then private secretary
to the Prince, Hence the following reply : —

compliments to Mr. Thomason, and informs him, that
the Prince Regents return to London heing hastened,
it will not be in his Royal Highness's power to inspect
the various manufactories of Birmingham upon the pre-
sent occasion ; but his Royal Highness, feeling a deep
interest in the establishments of that place, proposes to
avail himself of the earliest practicable opportunity of
visiting that great and important dep6t of ingenuity.
"Warwick Castle, Sept. 12th, 1819."

" Pin Manufactory, Monday morning,
"Oct. 11th, 1819.
" S. Thorpe will feel much gratification in conducting
the Prince de Coburg through the pin manufactory,
should his Serene Highness be disposed to honour it
with a visit.
" Mr. Thomason, Manufactory, Church-street."

At this period the bed of one of the iron furnaces at
the extensive works of Messrs. Batfield, at the Old
Park Iron Works, Shropshire, was being renewed, when
a mass of columnar structure, in crystallized deposit, was
found under the bed, in bundles of four and five sided
columns. It was supposed that the whinstone, partially
attendant on the iron stone, had insinuated itself into a



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174

1819. hollow receptacle under the becL I happened to be
there at the period, and obtained some specimens of it,
perceiving it to be an excellent proof of the Plutonean
system ; and knowing the anxiety of the Duke of North-
umberland to be informed of any new discovery relating
to science, I presented the Duke with the best marked
specimen.



*« Alnwick Castle, 10th Nov., 1819.
**Sir,

^* I have shewn the specimen of the artificial
columnar structure, which you sent me from Birming-
ham, to Dr. Mac Culloch, who is particularly anxious
to know every thing that can throw any light on its
formation. I will, therefore, thank you to inform me
out of what furnace it was taken ; for what purposes the
furnace had been used j in what situation it was found j
of what the mass is probably composed, as it seems prin-
cipally to consist of sand and with but a small portion of
slag J also how long the mass had remained undisturbed
to produce this singular columnar structure.

" It might be worth while, if you have an opportunity,
of examining some other large furnaces, when they are
cleaned out, to see whether the same phenomenon is to
be observed.

** If you are able to send me any further information
on this subject, it will oblige,

"Sir,
" Your obedient servant.




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I^esenteU to the Author by the Hessian Minister cf Commerce,
with many oihers^rom^ the frus9i€tn Hint.



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175

" London, 25th November, 1819. 1819.
" Dear Sir,

"I have received your letter of 17th inst.
You know, no doubt, that Lord Strangford is appointed
British Ambassador at Constantinople; still, as I am in-
formed that his Lordship intends remaining in Sweden
for some months to come, I will dispatch your letter for
him by a messenger, who goes to Stockholm Uh
morrow.

** Accept, dear sir, the assurance of sincere regard
with which I have the honour to be,

" Your most obedient servant.




" Edward Thomason, Esq., Birmingham."

" My dear Sir, 1820.

" I write to thank you for the letters of
introduction to Messrs. Brunton, and 1 beg you wiU do
me the honour of permitting this treatise, forwarded
herewith,* a place in the comer of your library.
" I am, with respect,

" Yours, most truly.



tf^e -



"Birmingham, 3d Feb., 1820."



At this period I commenced a series of 48 medals, to
consist of copies of the celebrated Elgin marbles. These
extraordinary relics of antiquity adorned the temple of

♦ « Death in the Pot"



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1820. the Parthenon at Athens, and were said to be the work
of Phidias, a statuary of Athens, who flourished about
420 years before Christ They occupied the east and
west tympan of the temple ; and some of them the
metopes and friezes of the building ; and it was found
that when the statues were taken down they were
perfect figures, finished before and behind. There
was so much conversation about the beauty of this collec-
tion, that the report induced Canova to make a journey
from Italy to view them ; and in his letter to Lord Elgin
he says, " The figures are real flesh in its native
beauty. I esteem myself happy in having been able to
see these master pieces with my own eyes ; and I should
be perfectly contented with having come to London on
this account only!^

It appeared to me that to copy the principal part of
them on large size medals would materially improve my
die engravers in anatomical precision. I selected 48
which were at the British Museum, and I petitioned His
Majesty George IV. to permit me to dedicate the same
to him, and to be allowed to have the honour, when they
were completed, to petition his Majesty to condescend to
accept of the first series.

** To His Most Excellent Majesty George the Fourth,

&c., &c., &c.
"Sire,

"Your Majesty having, by the wisdom of

your councils and the vigour of your fleets and armies,

restored peace to Europe, have again leisure to extend

' your Royal care to the improvement and advancement of

knowledge, your Majesty being loved and revered as the

father of your people, and the enlightened patron of the

arts and sciences.



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THE CLOIN MEDALS OCOICATEO BY PERMISSION T
HIS MAJESTY OEOROE IV.
THE SERIES CONSIST OF 48.



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177

** Among your Majesty's loyal and faithful subjects I 1820.
cherish the hope to merit a name as one who has studi-
ously endeavoured to improve the arts and manufactures
of your Majesty's dominions ; and being at this period
engaged in the execution and completion of a series of
forty-eight medals, illustrative of the choicest specimens
of the Elgin marbles, I humbly beg your Majesty's
gracious permission to be allowed to dedicate the same
to your Majesty, and to lay the work, when finished^ at
the feet of your Majesty.

" That your Majesty may reign long, over a free, a
happy, and a loyal people, is the earnest prayer of your
Majesty's

" Most dutiful subject,

" And devoted servant,

"Edward Thomason.

"Bumingham, March 20th, 1820."

" Royal Porcelain Works, Worcester,
"May 15th, 1820.
" Dear Sir,

" Will you allow me to introduce to you
the Marquis Ginori, who is arrived lately in this coun-
try from Florence. He is anxious to view the process
of your interesting manufactories, and I shall feel per-
sonally obliged if you will do me the favour to permit
him to inspect it on his arrival in Birmingham. I am
very sure the Marquis will derive much gratification in
witnessing the great display of ingenuity and talent you
will be able to exhibit to him*

" You will still further oblige me if you will have the
kindness to procure the Marquis an admission to see the
process of the japan manufacture j and if you could favour



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178

1820. him with a letter of introduction to any friend of yours
in Manchester, I am confident the Marquis would derive
great entertainment in viewing the manufactories in that
extensive place. Entreating you to excuse the trouble
I am now giving you, I am, in haste, dear sir,

"Yours, very truly,

" Martin Barr."

" Hatfield, 14th April, 1820.
"Sir,

" In looking over some papers this morning,
I found an application for the appointment of George
White, jun., for a mail guard, which was numerously
signed, and among these I perceive a recommendation
from you in the young man's favour. There is no pos-
sibility of putting him upon the list at present, but
should an opportunity offer by and by, I will forward
the recommendation.

" I presume, in such a rich and populous town as Bir-
mingham, you have established a Savings Bank, which is
now pretty largely adopted through the country. I take
the liberty of sending you two copies of those which
have been established in this county for four years, the
produce of which has exceeded the most sanguine ex-
pectations.

"I am highly pleased with the invention you have
made of the brush I ordered.

•* I am. Sir,

** Your obedient servant.




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"London, 4th May, 1820. 1820.
" My dear Sir,

"I have very great pleasure in intro-
ducing to your acquaintance my particular friend, Mar-
quis Ginori, of Florence, who visited this country in
1815, when, I believe, he paid his respects to you; as,
however, the circumstance may have escaped your recol-
lection, I have now to request the favour of your showing
him your extensive manufactory, and pointing out any-
thing else deserving the attention of a stranger in your
populous and busy town. Be assured, my dear Sir,
that it will afford me infinite satisfaction to reciprocate
similar attentions to any friends of yours visiting the
metropolis; as I shall gladly avail myself of any op-
portunity of proving how grateful I shall feel for any
you may be pleased to show to my excellent friend,
the bearer of these lines.

" With kind remembrance to Mrs. Thomason, I beg
to subscribe myself,

" Your obliged humble servant.



• Edward Thomason, Esq., Birmingham."



fe



"Sir,

"Having upon several occasions experienced
from you very particular attention, I fear you will think
I am presuming upon it in requesting you to allow Mrs.
Scott, a friend of mine, to view your manufactory, &c.
k2



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1820. « I hope you will forgive the trouble I am giving, and
believe me to be,

"Sir,
" Your obliged and obedient servant,




" 12, Wimpole Street, May 8th, 1820/'

" Carlton House Palace, June IS, 1820.
"Sir,

" I have the honour to reply, in answer to your
letter to Sir B. Bloomfield, of May 13, that the King
has been graciously pleased to approve of your dedi-
eating your work of the Elgin Marbles, by permission,
to his Majesty. Wishing every success to your under-
taking,

" I remain. Sir,

" Your obedient humble servant.




" Librarian.
" P.S. You will be careful not to insert any other
words than those sent, as the terms of patronage and
especial protection are sometimes incorrectly inserted/*

" Paris, le 24me Juin, 1820.
" Monsieur,

"J'ai Pavantage de vous 6crire pour
vous faire part de mon arriv^e k Paris depuis mon rapide
voyage dans votre beau pays. Je choisis le premier
moment de tranquillite que j*ai pour vous adresser mes
complimens et mes remercimens pour toutes les bontes



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et les politesses que yous avez eng€ pour moi. Je desire 1820.
bien sinc^rement trouver ^occasion de pouvoir vous en
temoigner ma sincere reconnoisance.

" D'^pres V08 offires obligeantes, je prendrai la liberie
de YOUS adresser Monsieur le Marquis Bidolfi et Monsieur
le Comte Sannazaro, mes amis intimes, qui desirent con-
noitre voire pays ; j'espere que vous agirez de m6me k
mon 6gard en m'addressant aussi vos amis qui viendront
en Italie.

" Je vous en prie de recevoir cette Romaine que j'ai
ordonn^e, avec la note du prix courant, et de I'envoyer k
Londres k I'adresse de Mr. Bell. Vous me firez plaisir
d*en payer le montant, et de prendre votre rembourse-
ment sur Mr. Bell, ou sur Mons. le Marquis Pucci. Je
vous prie encore de m'envoyer, par le m^me moyen, la
note du prix des fabrications du joli moulin que j'ai vu,
et duquel nous avons parl6.

^^ Je suis, avec les sentimens de la plus parfaite amiti^,
et de la plus haute consideration,

** Monsieur,
" Votre tr^s humble et tres d6vou6 serviteur,




" A Mons. Thomason, Birmingham, Angleterre.*'

" Arlington Street, 29th June, 1820.
" Sir,

'^ I am very anxious to make an alteration in
the beautiful or-molu ornament you sent to Hatfield last
summer ; we very frequently use the bottom part with-
out the top, which, however, deprives us of the flags.

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182

1820. Could they not be made to fix in the lower circle instead
of the top ?

" I also want to substitute for the Duke of Welling-
ton's figure an oval medallion of his Grace, surmounted
by warlike trophies, and the Waterloo flag in the centre.
I wish much that you would send up a very beautiful
drawing, that I may see the nature of it before it is exe-
cuted ; and, as the lion claws are rather low, it would add
much to the splendour of the whole if they were raised
upon a sort of plinth.

" I am. Sir,

" Your obedient servant.




" London, 24th Aug., 1820.
" My dear Sir,

" I received your letter of the 27th of
July, enclosing the medal of your beautiful model of the
Warwick Vase, and am very grateful for that attention
of yours.

" The Ambassador requests that I shoidd return you
his thanks for the offer of services that you have had the
goodness to make him, and that I should say that he
will accept them with very great pleasure when an op-
portunity offers. He thinks of visiting Scotland this
autumn, and on his way he will stop at Birmingham,
where he will be very glad to visit your interesting esta-
blishment.



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183

" I have the honour to be, my dear Sir, your most 1820.
obedient humble servant.



"Firenze, 19 Settembre, 1820.

" Signore,

" Sono arrivato in Firenze felicimente sino dal 4
Luglio decorso, e dopo pochi giomi di permanenza dovei
di nuovo assentarmi per Affari, e ritomato, il 10-del
corrente ho ricevuto la nota Stadera, La Macchina per
sigillare le lettere, ed il piccolo Gioco dei Dadi. Ho
avuto Ponore altresi di ricevere la sua Lettera del 4
Luglio, unitamente alia nota delle spese del consaputo
Mulino.

" Sento che Ella gradirebbe una Copia del Laoconte ;
credo che sia a sua notizia, che in Firenze abbianco un
tal Gruppo, opera del Bandinelli, e che a Roma esiste
detto Gruppo antico. lo posseggo nella mia Collezione
una copia del primo, alta circa un piede ; se questa le
f^ piacere ; mi fard un pregio di mardargliela immedia-
tamente.

" H Marchese Ridolfi non verr^ altrimenti per ora in
Inghilterra, e differira la Sua Gita all* anno future ; il
Sig. Conte Sanazzaro, so che gi^ e in Inghilterra, e
credo forse, che si sara presentato a V. S.

" La prego di presentare i miei ossequi alia Sua Sig-
nora Consorte, ed al Figlio, che spero di rivedere presto
in Italia.

** Sento che Ella vuole incomodarsi a mardarmi le
Cinquanta Medaglie dei Marini d'Elgens, cid che sar^
da me graditissimo.



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1820. *' Ricevo nel momento avviso, che sta per concluderis
a Roma per me mi' acquisto di diversi Gessi ; subito,
che mi perverranno, ghe ne mandero la nota, unitamente
a quella della mia GaUeria, accio scelga quello, che piii
le far^ piacere.

^* Sono intanto con la piu distinta sturia, ed ossequis
Di V. S. lUma-

** Dev. off/servitore,




" A Mons. Edward Thomason, Consul de France,
Birmingham,"

" Carlton House, Tuesday, 19th Dec., 1820.

" My dear Sir,

*^ Sir Benjamin Bloomfield has desired me to
have the gratification of acquainting you, that it is His
Majesty's pleasure to receive you this day about half-past
two. It is therefore necessary that you should be here
by two o'clock.

" Perhaps you will expect me to add (or, at least,
excuse if I do add) that what is commonly called even-
ing dress, in shoes, will be proper.

" With great respect, and in all sincerity, yours.




" Edward Thomason, Esq."

1821. January, 1821, I began a work of art which, I sug-
gested would be honourable to the Noble Duke, the



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1






4^



TH£ WELLINGTON SHIELD.



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185

Army, and the Country, and become an indestructible 1821.
record of British valour. It was a shield in copper gilt,
nearly four feet in diameter. The border consisted of
twenty-one stellated compartments, in the centres of
which were, in alto relievo, the most celebrated battles,
beginning with those in the Peninsula, and ending with
the surrender of Napoleon.

The subject of the centre of the shield was the Duke
and his Staff witnessing the passing of the Bidasoa. In
fact, the following will set forth the names of the staff
which were embossed in alto relievo. It was completed
in May, and placed in a mahogany case with a glass
front, and placed in the Gallery of Bronzes, one of the
show-rooms at the manufactory.

Centre. The Duke of Wellington and his Staff pass-
ing the Bidasoa, a river which rises in the Pyren-
nees, and common to both France and Spain. The
subject is composed of Lord Dalhousie, Lord Beresford,
Lord Hill, Duke of Wellington, Lord Niddrie, Lord
Lynedoch, Sir Charles Doyle, General Archibald Camp-
bell, Earl of March, Marquis of Worcester, Prince of
Orange.

No.

1. Landing of the British Army in Portugal.

2. Battle of Vimiera.

3. Capture of Lisbon.

4. Passage of the Douro.

5. Battle of Talavera.

6. Lines of Torres Vedras.

7. Battle of Albuera.

8. Capture of Badajoz.

9. Passage of the Bridge of Almarez.
10. Battle of Salamanca.



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1821. 11. Capture of Madrid.

12. Battle of Vittoria.

13. Battle of the Pyrennees.

14. Capture of St Sebastian.

15. Capture of Pampeluna.

16. Capture of Toulouse.

17. British Army in the Netherlands.

18. Battle of Waterioo.

19* British Army enter Paris.

20. Peace with Europe.

21. Surrender of Napoleon to Captain Maitland, and

from that ship on board the Northumberland,
Captain Sir George Cockbum, and sailed off to
St Helena.

In 181 9) Belzoni returned to England from his
laborious researches in Egypt, for the discovery of
ancient sculptures ; particularly in opening the Pyra-
mids of the Kings of Egypt, in which he foimd the
beautiful yenerable relic of primseyal art, the marble sar-
cophagus, a tomb that has outlived dynasties and em-
pires, and which adorns the Sloane Museum, in Lincoln
Fields.

The variety of these primaeval works of art he exhi-
bited in London to the public. The newspapers teemed
with compliments paid to him for his taste, and particu-
larly for his unceasing assiduity, perseverance, and depri-
vation of comfort, essential to the exploring these tombs
of the Egyptians. It appeared to me that his fame was
worth recording upon a medal. I, therefore, wrote to
my friend Mr. J. Brockedon, the celebrated artist, to
try to obtain for me a likeness of G. Belzoni, when I
would, at my own expense, execute a large medal of the



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first class ; which application brought me the following 1B2L
letter : —

" 8, Buckingham Place, Fitzroy Square,
May 8th, 1821.
" My dear Sir,

" 1 regret that circumstances have pre-
vented my sending the model earlier; 'tis my first
attempt, but it has the merit of being a very strong
resemblance. All his friends are much pleased with it.
If it can be preserved, I wish to have it again when you
have done with it.

" The name round the head — Giovanni Belzoni.
" And round the Pyramid — Opened by G. Belzoni,
March 2d, 1818.

" I shall be glad to see the likeness well preserved j
His probable that I shall be in Birmingham again before
I leave England, in July, for Rome.

" With respectful compliments to Mrs. Thomason
and your son,

" I am, dear Sir,

" Yours, very sincerely.



^^'^^H:..r.^C^^r~. .



I had a long conversation with Mr. Nash, the King's
architect, respecting the manufacturing of metallic capitals
and bases adapted for scaglioli shafts, or even metallic
columns for interior decoration ; that the durability and
even the beauty, as respects the capitals, would be highly
desirable ; and when Mr. Nash informed me that a large-
size white marble capital, sculptured in the highest style,
for inside decoration, might cost from one hundred and

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1821. fifty to two hundred guineas, and which might he broken
even in putting it up, this induced me to make one of the
Corinthian order, that order being the most charac-
terized for splendour and delicacy, the mouldings of the
entablature being covered with sculpture, the volute
being enriched with elegant scrolls, and the principal
feature in the capital being a beautiful group of acan-
thus leaves, from which stalks rise, forming small volutes
— ^in fact, a copy of that at Rome, from the temple of
Jupiter Stator. I conceived these might be made in
brass, of a beautiful gold colour, or bronzed, and in the
highest style of sculpture, and screwed in separate pieces
upon the bell of the bright burnished capital, and fast-
ened on the inside with burrs.

I made one of about eighteen inches high, after that
of Jupiter Stator, and I was so much pleased with its
beauty, that I put it into my carriage, and went up with it
to Carlton House, and obtained permission to show it to
his Majesty. On the day on which I arrived in town I
was informed that the King was that evening going to
give a grand juvenile fSte. I obtained leave to place
the capital upon a velvet cushion, upon one of the tables,
presuming it might be likely in that situation to at-
tract the attention of his Majesty, and also favour-
able for the company to see the novelty ; and hearing
that Lord and Lady Forester and family were going to
the^te, I drove up to Sackville Street, where I informed
the noble lord what I had done, exactly where the
capital was placed in Carlton House, and how thankful
I should be if he could call the attention of his Majesty
to it. Lord Forester very kindly replied, "Depend
upon it I will this evening be your showman.'* And
being desirous to return home the following day, I wrote



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to Sir Benjamin Bloomfield, the King's Secretary, in the 1821.
morning, to allow my servant to hring it away. See his
reply : —

presents his compliments to Mr. Thomason, and has the
honour to acquaint him that the King approves entirely
of the Corinthian capital, and is much gratified by Mr.
Thomason's attention.

Carlton House, 22d June, 1821.

In June I received a letter from his Royal Highness
the Duke d'Orleans, to say that his son, his Royal High-
ness the Duke de Chartres, would visit England, to see
its establishments, and he requested that I would give
him every assistance. After two or three days' attention
in Birmingham, in shewing the Duke the principal esta-
blishments in the town and neighbourhood, I gave him
letters to the Potteries ; and as the Duke de Chartres
was very desirous to see the Earl of Grosvenor's splendid
Gothic mansion, Eaton Hall, near Chester, and as it was
known, from the Earl and his family being from home
at the time, that some difficulty might arise in obtaining
leave for his Royal Highness to inspect it, I gave his Royal
Highness a letter of introduction to my friend, W. H.
FoUiott, Esq., formerly a banker of that city, and by
another letter by the post prepared him to re^ve the
Duke. He had made every arrangement at Eaton with
his Lordship's Steward, who, in this particular case,
took upon himself to prepare a proper limcheon, and
appointed twelve o'clock the following morning that
Eaton Hall should be ready for the Duke's inspection.



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1821. As it was known from one end of the city to the other
that his Royal Highness would start from his Hotel at
eleven in the morning, the principal streets through
which he had to pass towards Eaton Hall were thronged
with the multitude, and the Duke, with Mr. FoUiott, pro-
ceeded in Mr. FoUiott's carriage j and several other car-
riages, containing some of the principal inhabitants,
accompanied the cavalcade. After their return, his
Royal Highness expressed himself highly delighted with
the visit.



**Firenze, 16 Luglio, 18121.

" Pregiatissimo Signore,

" Mi pervenue sino di jeri la CoUezione da
V. S. graziosamente inviatami, ed annunziata con la
favorita sua de' 18 Genuajo passato non sd comprendere
qual sia stata la causa di si lungo ritardo.

" Fino da quel tempo la prevenni, che io non pos-
sedevo il Laoconte Greco, e mi si rendeva difficile otte-
neme da Roma un Getto. Ne posseggo un Gruppo ni
biscuit fatto alia mia fabbrica, e modellato su quello
esistente in questa galleria ; Opera insigne del nostro
Bandinelli. Non avendo avuta fin qui replica aluma
su tal proposito, ne conoscendo la sua intenzione, atten-
derd prima, che Ella mi scriva qualche coso, e per sua
maggior regola la prevengo, che alia fine del prossimo
Settembre mi portero a Parigi insieme can la Signora
Marchesa Maria Anna Garzoni Venturi alia quale in
Creve st6 per conguingermi in matrimonio, e percid