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RICHARD WILLIAM BINNS, F. S. A., OF THE
ROYAL WORCESTER POTTERIES. BY A FEL-
LOW WORKER
HEN the subject of this sketch published, in the year
1899, the final record of his life-work the dedication
consisted of a single sentence: "To my fellow-work-
ers," and one of these affectionately inscribes the fol-
lowing story to his memory.
    R;rha-r," W;11;wm P;nne ,,no hbrn ;n "l'.,ln n
October 26th, 18i9. His parents were in comfortable circumstances
and the usual period of schooling was spent, partly in Ireland and
partly in England.  In later life he would tell of those journeys
across the Irish Sea and on the first railroad, which had lately been
laid between Liverpool and Manchester.
   On leaving school he was bound apprentice to a large store in
Dublin, where hardware and crockery of every description were sold.
Those were hardworking days.   Business opened at seven in the
morning with the necessary preliminaries of dusting and rearranging,
and it was not until nine o'clock at night that the shutters were put
up by the tired boys.
   Mr. Binns used often to refer to this period of his business career
and he attributed much of the facility with which he dealt and identi-
fied obscure makes and patterns to the training of the Dublin store.
His was a most observant mind. Relatively few boys would have
taken the trouble to remember the hundreds of designs which were
handled week by week. Perhaps the trouble was not taken con-
sciously, but at least the knowledge was secured. But there was not
even the interest of enjoyment, for more than once he besought his
father to take him away from the store. He lived to bless the wisdom
and firmness of that father, who had kept him to that walk of life
which was to make his name famous.
   Before leaving Dublin he met and was attracted toward Miss
Elizabeth Frances Ferrar, the youngest daughter of Dr. Edward Fer-
rar, a well-known physician of Dublin. The father, it appears, ob-
jected to the connection, and Mr. Binns left Dublin without a bride.
He was called to London. There was opened about the year 1845
that forerunner of the modern department stores, called the "Baker
Street Bazaar." The proprietor of the Bazaar offered Mr. Binns
the management of the china department and the offer was accepted.
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