He travelled extensively on the continent throughout his working life, partly to add to his magpie collections of jewellery, partly to study alternative techniques and designs. His work was shown at international exhibitions to general acclaim: Paris 1855, Manchester 1857, London 1862, Paris 1867, London 1871 and 1872. In 1864 he founded the Frome Art School, using his own home for the first classes, visiting the South Kensington Art Schools in London for guidance on syllabus and exams. He wanted to apprentice pupils from the Frome Blue Coat School, needing artist craftsmen, skilled in creative design and not just in mechanical production. The project ultimately failed under economic pressures; he was innovating well in advance of the Arts &amp; Crafts Movement under the leadership of Morris and Ruskin. In 1902 his educational foresight led to the School of Art and Science, built in Park Road, which ultimately formed the core of the later Technical College.