Handwritten 200-year-old dismissal letter found on Rugeley roof tile

What appears to be a 200-year-old letter of dismissal, written on a roof slate, has been found at a salvage yard.

The tile, informing what is thought to be a 19th-century pottery worker that he was no longer needed, was found at Cawarden Reclaim in Rugeley, Staffordshire,

The message had been written into soft clay before the Staffordshire Blue tile was fired, and reads: “I do hereby discharge you, John Lewis, from my employment, Thomas Austin.”

Research had found a firm called Thomas Austin Brick & Tile Makers, based at Clay Hills, Stoke-on-Trent in 1820, which could be the business referenced on the tile, the firm said.

“We were looking around and we just happened to come across this tile,” said general manager Adam Giles.

He said he brought it back to his yard, cleaned it up a bit, and immediately felt it had a historic significance.