Edward Heylyn (1695 – April 10, 1765) was a merchant and entrepreneur who was one of the founders of the

Bow porcelain factory The Bow porcelain factory (active c. 1747–64 and closed in 1776) was an emulative rival of the Chelsea porcelain factory in the manufacture of early soft-paste porcelain in Great Britain. The two London factories were the first in England. It ...

. The Heylyn family originally came from

North Wales North Wales ( cy, Gogledd Cymru) is a region of Wales, encompassing its northernmost areas. It borders Mid Wales to the south, England to the east, and the Irish Sea to the north and west. The area is highly mountainous and rural, with Snowdonia N ...

. Heylyn was the third son of John Heylyn, a saddler of London who is said to have made a fortune supplying saddles for the

Duke of Marlborough General John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough, 1st Prince of Mindelheim, 1st Count of Nellenburg, Prince of the Holy Roman Empire, (26 May 1650 – 16 June 1722 O.S.) was an English soldier and statesman whose career spanned the reign ...

’s army, and his wife Susanna Sherman. His brother Dr

John Heylyn John Heylyn (1685 – 11 August 1759) was an Anglican divine, who had a major influence on religious thought in eighteenth century England. Because of his interest in mysticism he was known as the Mystic Doctor. Early life Heylyn was the son of Jo ...

, known as The Mystic Doctor, was a powerful preacher and prebend of

Westminster Abbey Westminster Abbey, formally titled the Collegiate Church of Saint Peter at Westminster, is an historic, mainly Gothic church in the City of Westminster, London, England, just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is one of the Unite ...

. Edward was born in Westminster and took an entrepreneurial role in various businesses in London and

Bristol Bristol () is a city, ceremonial county and unitary authority in England. Situated on the River Avon, it is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Gloucestershire to the north and Somerset to the south. Bristol is the most populous city in ...

. In October 1718, he became a freeman of the Worshipful Company of Saddlers in London and in 1731 became a freeman of the city of Bristol where he was described as a clothier.Adam Elizabeth and David Rodstone ''Bow Porcelain'' – Faber Faber London His brother's son John was also in business in Bristol. Extracts of the diary of John Heylyn Bristol Record Office 33290/16
/ref> His fortunes fluctuated, rendering him repeatedly bankrupt and avoiding creditors. By 1741 he is said to have become a glass-maker with a glass-house in Bromley, Middlesex. He was one of the nominees on a patent for

Bow porcelain The Bow porcelain factory (active c. 1747–64 and closed in 1776) was an emulative rival of the Chelsea porcelain factory in the manufacture of early soft-paste porcelain in Great Britain. The two London factories were the first in England. It ...

manufactory there on 6 December 1744 in partnership with

Thomas Frye Thomas Frye (c. 1710 – 3 April 1762) was an Anglo-Irish artist, best known for his portraits in oil and pastel, including some miniatures and his early mezzotint engravings. He was also the patentee of the Bow porcelain factory, London, ...

.'Industries: Pottery: Bow porcelain', A History of the County of Middlesex: Volume 2: General; Ashford, East Bedfont with Hatton, Feltham, Hampton with Hampton Wick, Hanworth, Laleham, Littleton (1911), pp. 146-150.Date accessed: 15 January 2012
/ref> Edward could have met Frye through his uncle Thomas Sherman, master of the Saddlers Company, who had obtained commissions for Frye. He may have become involved as a result of his experiments with glass making. A clay known as Unaker was used to begin with at Bow; this is known to have been shipped from

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and ...

, where another brother Henry Heylyn had interests Although his name did not appear on subsequent patents he remained involved with the Bow works as his name appears in the insurance papers. He also had a business at Cornhill and a porcelain warehouse at St. James's. It is not clear if he was an agent for Bow or in competition, but these businesses appear to have failed in 1757.Isaac Kimber, Edward Kimber The London magazine, or, Gentleman's monthly intelligencer, Volume 26 1757
/ref> Heylyn died at the age of 70 on the

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, then a haven for people escaping creditors. Heylyn married Jane Slaughter, daughter of Charles Slaughter, a Blackwell Hall factor and had four sons and two daughters. There exists today a Heylyn Square and Wrexham Road nearby in London E3.

References

* Frank Hurlbutt ''Bow Porcelain'' (1926) G Bell & Sons Ltd * Geoffrey Wills "The Bow China Factory and Edward Heylyn", ''Connoisseur'' 132 (1954), pp. 100–102. {{DEFAULTSORT:Heylyn, Edward 1695 births 1765 deaths 18th-century English businesspeople People from Westminster