Our story began in 1759 when our founder, Josiah Wedgwood I, aged just 29, started as an independent potter in Burslem, England. Fast forward over 260 years later and Wedgwood is still producing many of the materials Josiah invented, such as Jasper, Queen's Ware and Black Basalt. Wedgwood, timeless eclecticism since 1759. Mr. Wedgwood. Wedgwood is an English fine china, porcelain and luxury accessories manufacturer that was founded on 1 May 1759 by the potter and entrepreneur Josiah Wedgwood and was first incorporated in 1895 as Josiah Wedgwood and Sons Ltd. It was rapidly successful and was soon one of the largest manufacturers of Staffordshire pottery, "a firm that has done more to spread the knowledge and enhance the. Wedgwood was born in 1730 into a family of struggling potters living in Burslem, the center of pottery making in North Staffordshire. In the early 20th century, Burslem merged with five nearby towns to become Stoke-on-Trent, a substantial city. During the mid-1700s, however, it was a hamlet of small potteries producing wares for English tables.