Cookworthy Road

One of the main arteries of the twentieth century North Prospect estate is named after one of Plymouth's most famous eighteenth century residents, William Cookworthy. Born into a Quaker family in Kingsbridge in 1705, Cookworthy's father died when he was twelve and when William was fifteen he was offered an apprenticeship, as a pharmacist, in London. He accepted, but being poor had to walk from Kingsbridge to London to begin his study.

In 1725 he was back in Devon where he opened a pharmacy here in Plymouth, in Nut (Notte) Street. In time this became a family business and was still operating almost 100 years later. However Cookworthy is best known not for that, but for being the first man to manufacture true hardware porcelain in Britain - and for discovering china clay in Cornwall along the way.

Cookworthy produced the first proper British porcelain from his Coxside pottery and although that business moved after a number of years, Cookworthy kept a fine house in Notte Street and there entertained many of the leading figures of his day, including Captain James Cook, Dr Samuel Johnson and John Smeaton.