Johnny Cotton and Tom BATTEN took over the running of the Newlyn COPPERWORKS from John Drew MacKENZIE upon his death and restarted production in 1920. The Industrial Class ceased production in 1939 with the outbreak of World War II.

Tom Batten died in 1949, while Johnny restarted production in the 1950s with John Curnow LAITY at Morrab Studio, Penzance. The painting by Stanhope FORBES of The Young Apprentice, Newlyn Copperworks depicts a young Johnny Payne Cotton being instructed by J D MacKenzie. The exhibits made by Cotton loaned for the 1986 NAG exhibition were a mirror with a plain hammered frame, a rose bowl embossed with fish, and a rectangular tray with embossed fishes, shells, and seaweed.