A Darwin Family Tradition

Back in March I wrote a piece congratulating Dr Emma Darwin, best-selling and award-winning authoress on the achievement of her Doctorate – following in a grand family tradition. Soon after, Emma, who has just written a short story for broadcast on BBC Radio 4, e-mailed to alert me to the fact that, in her own generation, she was just but the latest. Her sister Carola achieved her Ph.D. in Musicology last Autumn whilst their eldest sister Sophia was awarded her Ph.D. in Mathematics some time ago.

Dr Sophia Darwin is a member of the Department of Mathematical Sciences at my alma mater Durham University.

Dr Carola Darwin is a celebrated English soprano singer, more details here and here.

I hereby suggest that a collective noun for Doctors could be "A Darwin of Doctors."

FW: The Burke's Peerage & Gentry Collection

The Burke's Peerage & Gentry Collection
Price: £195.00 plus postage and packing: £20 (UK) and £50 (RoW)
Burke's Peerage will cease to offer the current Burke's Peerage & Gentry
Collection in July, 2010.
If you would like to take advantage of this offer before it ends please
visit ... <http://www.burkespeerage.com/store/store-collection.aspx>
http://www.burkespeerage.com/store/store-collection.aspx
The Collection features the following reference works published by Burke's
Peerage & Gentry:
Burke's Peerage, Baronetage & Knightage (2003, 4,556 pages) Burke's Landed
Gentry, The Ridings of York (2005, 958 pages) Burke's Landed Gentry, The
Principality of Wales and the North West (2006, 1,009 pages)
The combined published price of these books is £697 plus postage and
packaging. The Collection is priced at £195 plus postage and packaging
(£20 UK and £34 World). This offer is open to individuals and libraries and
is available only direct via the Burke's Peerage & Gentry website.
Burke's Peerage, Baronetage & Knightage
Edition: 107th
Editor in Chief: Charles Mosely
ISBN: 0-9711966-2-1
No of Pages: 4,556
Year of Publication: 2003
Burke's Landed Gentry, The Ridings of York
Edition: 19th Volume II
Editor in Chief: Charles Mosley
ISBN: 0-9711966-4-8
No of Pages: 958
Year of Publication: 2005
Burke's Landed Gentry, The Principality of Wales and The North West
Edition: 19th Volume III & IV
ISBN: 0-9711966-6-4
No of Pages: 1,009
Year of Publication: 2006
For further details please see ...
<http://www.burkespeerage.com/store/store-collection.aspx>
http://www.burkespeerage.com/store/store-collection.aspx
Burke's Peerage, Marriotts, Castle Street, Buckingham, Buckinghamshire, MK18
1BP, UK Fax - 01280 730 241 Email - <mailto:admin@burkespeerage.com>
admin@burkespeerage.com Web - <http://www.burkespeerage.com>
http://www.burkespeerage.com

Alibris Book Fetch Results for "Wedgwood"

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ALIBRIS BOOK FETCH RESULTS
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The Selected Letters of Josiah Wedgwood by Josiah Wedgwood Unknown Binding
Cory, Adams & Mackay. (1965) With Dustjacket Very Good. $6.36 Buy now at
http://www.alibris.com/booksearch.detail?invid=9726376729&cm_mmc=B-_-1-_-A-_
-A

The Personal Life of Josiah Wedgwood, the Potter by Wedgwood, Julia And
Herford, C. H.
Hardback BIBLIOBAZAAR. (2009)
9781116687903.
New. $34.56
Buy now at
http://www.alibris.com/booksearch.detail?invid=10175579779&cm_mmc=B-_-1-_-A-
_-A

The Personal Life of Josiah Wedgwood, the Potter by Wedgwood, Julia And
Herford, C. H.
Hardback BIBLIOBAZAAR. (2009)
9781116687897.
New. $36.65
Buy now at
http://www.alibris.com/booksearch.detail?invid=10175593523&cm_mmc=B-_-1-_-A-
_-A

Wedgwood's Catalogue of Cameos, Intaglios, Medals, Bas-Reliefs, Busts, and
Small Statues: Repr. From the Ed. of 1787. Ed. By E. Meteyard by Josiah
Wedgwood Paperback Nabu Press. (2010) 9781147434682.
New. $28.30
Buy now at
http://www.alibris.com/booksearch.detail?invid=10299508427&cm_mmc=B-_-1-_-A-
_-A

Wedgwood Blue by Wedgwood, Pam (Cop)/ Wedgwood, Oliver (Cop)/ Wedgwood, Sam
(Cop) PAP/COM. Paperback Alfred Pub Co. (2005) 9780571523597.
New. $8.03
Buy now at
http://www.alibris.com/booksearch.detail?invid=10299689644&cm_mmc=B-_-1-_-A-
_-A

New “Save the Wedgwood Museum” Website

New site set up: http://www.savewedgwood.org

Campaign E-mail address

The campaign to Save the Wedgwood Museum has set up an e-mail address for supporters to get in touch and pledge their support:

SaveWedgwood@gmail.com

 

Campaign Resources

How to help the Wedgwood Museum:

1. Use the E-mail Template or Word Document template to write to your Local MP and the responsible Ministers
   

1. Spread the word, ask others to do the same – MPs are influenced by the strength of feeling as demonstrated through their constituency mail. If you live overseas, then just write directly to the Ministers.
   

E-mail Message Template – Click and send.

Cover letter & Background information – MS Word Template [please let me know if you need a different format].

Thanks to Alison Wedgwood for this material.

Save the Wedgwood Museum - Urgent Call for Action

An appeal from Dr Alan Wedgwood, Thomas D Wedgwood and Alison Wedgwood

The origins of the modern Wedgwood Museum can be traced to Josiah himself. On 3rd September 1774, he wrote:

‘I have often wish'd I had saved a single specimen of all the new articles I have made, & would now give twenty times the original value for such a collection. For ten years past I have omitted doing this, because I did not begin it ten years sooner. I am now, from thinking, and talking a little more upon this subject ... resolv'd to make a beginning.'

That beginning saw the gradual formation of a large informal collection of wares and other historic items which was finally organised into an official museum in 1906. Wedgwood managers of the 20th century kept remarkably few of the wares they produced or inherited, preferring prestige pieces to be held by the museum so that they could be shared with the public.

The Museum was made into a trust in 1962, specifically to prevent it being used as a realisable asset by any future predator. Josiah Wedgwood and Sons became a listed company four years later.

In 1986 when Waterford took over Wedgwood the enthusiasts around the world were reassured that the Museum was protected by the force of law and could not be lost. With this reassurance, many people continued to donate generously with both cash and collectors' items. When the Museum gained Charitable Trust status in 1998, its long term future seemed absolutely guaranteed. And it was on this basis that an ambitious plan to create a new building to house the collection received financial support from all sides. The Millennium Lottery Fund contributed £5m, and a further £4m came from other granting bodies, businesses and individuals. This resulted in a magnificent new museum which opened to the public in 2008 and in 2009 won the Art Fund Prize for Best Museum.

However, what the Museum Trustees were not aware of was that in 2005 a new pension law was slipped in, with little fanfare, resulting in the Museum being held responsible for the £134m deficit of the Wedgwood Pension Plan simply because five of the museum's staff are among the 7000 members of the original Wedgwood pension fund. This law had the laudable objective of preventing companies from concealing assets. It was not intended for charities – but charities are suffering the unintended consequences.

The Wedgwood Museum is now under administration. It cannot be emphasised strongly enough that this is simply the result of the 2005 legislation and for no other reason. In October, there is to be a court case to decide whether or not the assets of the Museum Trust can be appropriated by the Pension Protection Fund. If the ruling goes against the Wedgwood Museum the unthinkable would happen. The Wedgwood collection would be auctioned off and scattered around the globe – this would be a national tragedy.

The museum collection houses evidence of a significant part of England’s great social history. It is not just about ceramics, but science, engineering, craftsmanship, social and political evolution - the birth of the industrial revolution. A story of canal building and inventions, of the Lunar Society, of grand artists such as Reynolds and Stubbs, of Catherine of Russia, Coleridge and Ralph Vaughan Williams. Intimate letters from Charles Darwin to his Wedgwood wife, Aunties and Uncles; between Erasmus Darwin and his friend Josiah. A story of liberal traditions, of the anti-slavery movement; of supporting Thomas Clarkson; dining with Wilberforce, of political crusades, the Reform Bill, of MPs and Lord Mayors and of hard working folk in the Potteries.

Selling off this collection would not help the Pension Protection Fund. Pensioners will receive a statutory amount and will receive no more if the museum is sold off. The managers of the PPF are only following the letter of the law by placing the museum in administration but they know, as we do, that it is all simply bad legislation.

We urge the new Government to amend the shoddy legislation immediately and thus protect the museum and other charities which have suffered from its enforcement. It is not reasonable to use the Wedgwood Museum as a test case in law – this approach risks the whole Wedgwood collection if the Judge is forced to rule against the Museum because of a poorly written law. Supporters of the museum from all around the world, and members of the family who have invested so much in it, appeal to the Government to take action.

What you can do:

Write to your MP:

Search for your MP here: http://www.theyworkforyou.com/mp/

Write to the Ministers:

Ed Vaizey Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.

E-mail: vaizeye@parliament.uk

Post:

House of Commons
London
SW1A 0AA

Steve Webb, Minister for Pensions

E-mail: steve@stevewebb.org.uk

House of Commons
London
SW1A 0AA

Support the Wedgwood Museum by visiting or becoming a friend:

http://www.wedgwoodmuseum.org.uk/

Dan Wedgwood and "Pedal Walla"

From: Dan Wedgwood
Hi Everyone,
I'm writing to ask for a quick favour - we've entered our new company into a
Barclays business competition and a bunch of clicks on our entry page online
could help us win a sack of start up funding.
If you have a minute to 'back this idea
<https://www.takeonesmallstep.co.uk/Entry/View/6588> ' on the website it
will help our chances of getting shortlisted and then potentially winning
£50k of funding over the first year.
It's called Pedal Walla - Bristol's first pedicab company! You can watch the
intro video and back us here
<https://www.takeonesmallstep.co.uk/Entry/View/6588> or click this image.
<https://www.takeonesmallstep.co.uk/Entry/View/6588> Back Pedal Walla to
win £50k
Time is short so to make an impression on the judges before they decide on
the shortlist it would be great if you can do some clicking, and commenting
if you like it, to help us out. Much appreciated.
We reckon Pedal Walla will go down a storm in Bristol and we intend to run
it in a way that creates jobs and gets loads of people involved. We'll carry
passengers around Bristol, at festivals and events, run local advertising
and a bunch of other stuff like tourist sightseeing and private hire for
parties.
We're going to offer community groups and charities reduced rates and
subsidised advertising and we're also going to make it possible for small
groups of people to hire out a bike and run their own micro-pedicab-business
which could be good for busy people that have always wanted to start their
own project on the side, students, or just a bunch of mates who like the
idea.
I'm working as part of the same team behind The Adventurists which is all
about running extreme adventures that raise money for charity. While the
adventures and the teams raise money for the official charities, in this
case Pedal Walla is going to donate a percentage of profits to initiatives
and charity projects in India supporting Rickshaw drivers - the pulling,
cycling and driving kind. A relevant and massively worthy cause which will
have knock on benefits for the families of the drivers and their own
communities too.
Cheers for your help. Grovelling apologies to anyone I haven't been in touch
with for many moons, I hope you're well and would be great to hear from you.

If you're on Facebook, you can join up to Pedal Walla's page here.
<http://www.facebook.com/pages/Pedal-Walla/124144347612160>
Dan
ps. here's a picture of the cycle rickshaw beasts we're bringing to the good
folk of Bristol:
Pedal Walla
http://www.pedalwalla.com

--
Dan Wedgwood
@danwedgwood <http://twitter.com/danwedgwood> | @pedalwalla
<http://twitter.com/pedalwalla>
facebook.com/danwedgwood <http://www.facebook.com/danwedgwood>
0117 3290884 |
Communications Director
Pedal Walla | pedalwalla.com <http://www.pedalwalla.com>
The Adventurists | theadventurists.com <http://www.theadventurists.com>
Spirit of Genghis | spiritofgenghis.com

Dr Tristram Hunt MP

The Hon. Dr Tristram Hunt, eminent historian and new MP for Stoke-upon-Trent Central has confirmed to me via e-mail that he supports our fight to Save the Wedgwood Museum. The Museum is not directly in his constituency, but he clearly recognises the importance of the Museum as an important attraction and national asset. I hope that other North Staffordshire MPs will follow suite. Thank you Dr Hunt!

• Tristram Hunt on Twitter

In Praise of the Wedgwood Museum – “The Guardian”

In praise of … the Wedgwood Museum

Josiah Wedgwood was one of the of the late 18th century, his life a model of industrial, political and intellectual progress Josiah Wedgwood was one of the remarkable men of the late 18th century, his life a model of industrial, political and intellectual progress. An anti-slavery campaigner, a member of the Lunar Society and founder of the factories that still produce fine ceramics in Stoke-on-Trent, his work is celebrated in a thriving museum that now faces the most unjust of threats to its future. The Wedgwood Museum in Stoke, which reopened in 2008 after a lottery-funded transformation, risks being dragged down by a legal quirk. 
When the ceramics firm went bankrupt last year – and transferred to new owners – five members of the museum's staff remained in the pension fund. As an accidental result of a new law intended to protect pensioners, the museum has found itself liable for funding the pensions of 7,000 ex-Wedgwood factory employees and a £134m deficit, an impossible task. The museum trust was forced into administration last month as a result – though the museum remains open and as busy as ever.

Its administrators are waiting for a court ruling which may compel them to break up and auction off its extraordinary collection. Such vandalism is barely imaginable: the museum's contents trace 250 years of cultural and manufacturing history, including many pieces of global importance and immense value. The court could rule that the museum is not liable, but if the sale begins, no donor could ever be generous enough to rescue its contents from a forced sale to private collectors abroad.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/may/17/in-praise-of-wedgwood-museum


 

Wedgwood Museum forced into Administration

Press Release from The Wedgwood Museum.

"The Wedgwood Museum Trust Ltd can confirm that is has been placed into Administration, although the prize winning Wedgwood Museum will remain fully operational and open to the general public as usual.

The Administration is a necessary step to enable the Wedgwood Group Pension Plan to seek the support of the Pension Protection Fund, the body established to provide a guaranteed minimum level of pension payments to members of eligible pension funds. Five of the Wedgwood Group Pension Plan's 7000-member scheme were employees of the Museum Trust when the Wedgwood companies became insolvent last year, leaving a large deficit in the Pension Plan. As a result, the Museum Trust is now deemed to be liable for the shortfall.

The Museum's Trustees are in discussions with a wide range of stakeholders as to how the Trust's internationally renowned Designated Collections can be preserved, and are determined to ensure the survival of the Wedgwood Museum.

The Trust's Chairman, George Stonier, said: "Bob Young and Steve Currie of the Stoke-on-Trent office of Begbies Traynor, the UK's leading independent professional services firm, have been appointed Joint Administrators of the Trust.  The Museum's Trustees and their advisors are now working hard to find a solution to this extremely unfortunate situation. The Trustees are extremely grateful for the continued support of the Museum's staff and its many friends, and remain optimistic that the Collections will continue to be available to the public in our museum in Barlaston, Stoke-on-Trent."

It is open daily from 9.00am to 5.00pm (from 10.00am on Saturday and Sunday).  Admission is £6.00 for adults, £5.00 for concessions or £4.50 for children (under fives go free).  For more information, please call 01782 371900 or visitwww.wedgwoodmuseum.org.uk"

Supporters may also consider becoming a member of the museum. The Wedgwood Museum Trust is a registered charity (number 1072442) and relies on the support of everyone - especially those who belong to our membership scheme. Your support really counts.

Membership Individual membership (UK)  - £20 European Individual membership - £25 Rest of the World membership - £28 Joint membership (UK) - £35 European Joint membership - £40 Rest of the World Joint membership - £43 Family membership (up to 2 adults and up to 4 children) - £45 Overseas Family membership - £50 Corporate membership - £200 Overseas corporate membership - £300 Schools membership (Local Authority schools in Stoke and Staffordshire only)  - £150 Membership Application Form Gift Membership

Donations Another way to help the museum is through a donation. Donations are publicly acknowledged. Donations can be made in the following ways In person at the museum By post By standing order If you'd like to make a donation by post please download the donations form. All donations should be sent to: The Museum Director The Wedgwood Museum Wedgwood Drive, Barlaston, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire. ST12 9ER. Cheques should be made payable to The Wedgwood Museum Trust Limited.