use became the
residence of his widow until her death in 1643. It then was held by the
Alstons, from whom it took its secondary name, and was finally in the
possession of the Tates, and was the seat of a celebrated wall-paper
manufactory. "The manufacture of porcelain acquired great celebrity. It
was established near the water-side.... Upon the same premises was
afterwards established a manufactory of stained paper." This seems to
point to Shrewsbury House as the original home of the celebrated Chelsea
china. But, on the other hand, all later writers point authoritatively to
Lawrence Street, at the corner of Justice Walk, as the seat of the china
manufacture. There seems to be some confusion as to the exact site of the
original works, for in "Nollekens and his Times" it is indicated as being
at Cremorne House, further westward. One Martin Lister mentions a china
manufactory in Chelsea as early as 1698, but the renowned manufactory
seems to have been started about fifty years later. The great Dr. Johnson
was fired with ambition to try his hand at this delicate art, and he went
again and again to the place to master the secret; but he failed, and one
can hardly imagine anyone less likely to have succeeded. The china
service in the possession of Lord Holland, known as Johnson's service,
was not made by him, but presented to him by the proprietors as a
testimony to his painstaking effort. The first proprietor was a Mr.
Nicholas Sprimont, and a jug in the British Museum, bearing date "1745
Chelsea," is supposed to be one of the earliest productions.

The first sale by auction took place in the Haymarket in 1754, when table
sets and services, dishes, plates, tureens, and epergnes were sold. These
annual sales continued for many years. In 1763 Sprimont attempted to
dispose of the business and retire owing to lameness, but it was not
until 1769 that he sold out to one Duesbury, who already owned the Derby
China Works, and eventually acquired those at Bow also.

The Chelsea china was very beautiful and costly. An old tradition is
mentioned in the "Life of Nollekens" that the clay was at first brought
as ballast in ships from China, and when the Orientals discovered what
use was being made of it, they forbade its exportation, and the
Englishmen had to be content with their own native clay. Nollekens says
that his father worked at the pottery, and that Sir James Thornhill had
furnished designs. The distinctive mark on the china wa