Champion was briefly the owner/proprietor of a china manufactory at 15 Castle Green, in Bristol. He was related to William Cookworthy, the pharmacist/chemist who had discovered that "growan clay" or "moorstone" in Cornwall was of a porcelaineous nature. Cookworthy developed a formula for porcelain. In 1774 Champion acquired William Cookworthy's patents for the manufacture of porcelain. His effort to renew the patent in 1777 was blindsided by Wedgwood and other pottery owners, and he was forced to make the material available. He sold the patents in 1781, and emigrated to join family members in South Carolina. An example of the Franklin plaque is known to have been given by Champion to Washington in 1791, along with one of the President. Another example is in the collections of the British Museum. The portrait medallion featured in each is identical, but the floral surrounds differ greatly.