Major Cecil Wedgwood, DSO (28 March 1863 – 3 July 1916) was a British soldier and partner in the

Wedgwood Wedgwood is an English China (material), 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 L ...

pottery firm. He was the first Mayor of Stoke-on-Trent.

Life

Wedgwood was the only son of Godfrey Wedgwood and his first wife Mary Jane Jackson Hawkshaw, (daughter of the great civil engineer Sir John Hawkshaw, and the poet Ann Hawkshaw) who died shortly after he was born. He was the great-great-grandson of the potter

Josiah Wedgwood Josiah Wedgwood (12 July 1730 – 3 January 1795) was an English potter, entrepreneur and abolitionist. Founding the Wedgwood company in 1759, he developed improved pottery bodies by systematic experimentation, and was the leader in the indu ...

. Wedgwood became a partner in the firm in 1884 with his uncle Laurence Wedgwood and later his cousin Francis Hamilton Wedgwood. He married Lucie Gibson in 1888, and they had two daughters, one of whom married a brother of the Wedgwood pottery designer

Daisy Makeig-Jones Susannah Margaretta "Daisy" Makeig-Jones (1881–1945) was a pottery designer for Wedgwood. She is best known for her Fairyland Lustre series. Makeig-Jones was born in Wath-upon-Dearne near Rotherham, Yorkshire, the eldest of seven children. H ...

; * Phoebe Sylvia Wedgwood (1893–1972) remained unmarried. * Doris Audrey Wedgwood (1894–1968) married Thomas Geoffrey Rowland Makeig-Jones in 1928. Wedgwood was commissioned a

lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a Junior officer, junior commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations, as well as fire services, emergency medical services, Security agency, security services ...

in the part-time 4th (3rd King's Own Staffordshire Militia) Battalion, North Staffordshire Regiment in 1883. He was promoted to

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

on 9 May 1887. The battalion was embodied after the outbreak of the

Second Boer War The Second Boer War (, , 11 October 189931 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, Transvaal War, Anglo–Boer War, or South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer republics (the South African Republic and ...

in late 1899, and he left Queenstown for South Africa on the with other men of the battalion in March 1900. Promoted to

major Major most commonly refers to: * Major (rank), a military rank * Academic major, an academic discipline to which an undergraduate student formally commits * People named Major, including given names, surnames, nicknames * Major and minor in musi ...

on 12 September 1900, he served as Station Commandant in

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...

. After the end of hostilities he returned home in June 1902, and resigned from his commission the following month. He was awarded the

Distinguished Service Order The Distinguished Service Order (DSO) is a Military awards and decorations, military award of the United Kingdom, as well as formerly throughout the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth, awarded for operational gallantry for highly successful ...

(DSO) in the October 1902 South African Honours list for his services during the war. He was the first Mayor of the Federated County Borough of

Stoke-on-Trent Stoke-on-Trent (often abbreviated to Stoke) is a city and Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area in Staffordshire, England. It has an estimated population of 259,965 as of 2022, making it the largest settlement in Staffordshire ...

in 1910 and 1911. On the outbreak of

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

in 1914 he raised the 7th (Service) Battalion,Wedgwood made peace medal stating 7th battalion.

North Staffordshire Regiment The North Staffordshire Regiment (Prince of Wales's) was a line infantry regiment of the British Army, which was in existence between 1881 and 1959. The 64th (2nd Staffordshire) Regiment of Foot was created on 21 April 1758 from the 2nd Battali ...

. He was killed at the La Boiselle during the

Battle of the Somme The Battle of the Somme (; ), also known as the Somme offensive, was a battle of the First World War fought by the armies of the British Empire and the French Third Republic against the German Empire. It took place between 1 July and 18 Nove ...

in July 1916. His body was found and identified by James Leather, a 21-year-old bandsman and stretcher bearer. He is buried at the Bapaume Post Military Cemetery in

Albert, Somme Albert () is a Communes of France, commune in the Somme (department), Somme Department in France, department in Hauts-de-France in northern France. It is located about halfway between Amiens and Bapaume. History Albert was founded as a Roman ...

. He was succeeded as chairman and managing director of Wedgwood by his cousin Francis Hamilton Wedgwood.

References

External links

* https://web.archive.org/web/20070928162340/http://www.wedgwoodmuseum.org.uk/biogresults.asp?BiographySelection=39 * https://englishlocalhistory.wordpress.com/staffordshire-people/cecil-wedgwood/ * http://www.cwgc.org/cwgcinternet/casualty_details.aspx?casualty=524016 {{DEFAULTSORT:Wedgwood, Cecil 1863 births 1916 deaths English potters People educated at Clifton College Darwin–Wedgwood family Staffordshire Militia officers North Staffordshire Regiment officers British Army personnel of the Second Boer War British Army personnel of World War I British military personnel killed in the Battle of the Somme Companions of the Distinguished Service Order Wedgwood pottery Military personnel from Stoke-on-Trent