Josiah Wedgwood (1730-1795), English potter. Wedgwood opened his first factory in Staffordshire, England, in 1759. There he developed the first mass production techniques for high-quality ceramics. He perfected creamware, which was universally adopted by English pottery manufacturers from around 1760, and also developed the transfer printing technique and the production of unglazed stoneware. Wedgwood's leading designers and artists produced some of the finest porcelain and ceramic works of the time, popularising the neoclassical style. He also took a keen interest in social welfare, building a village for his workers.