John Alld of 19th Century Biddeford and Hollis, Maine

Alld and Kendrick Report 1
(All Photos Not to be Reused Without Permission from EarlyAmericanCeramics.com)

A small collection of glazed redware shards uncovered at the home of where the nineteenth century Hollis, Maine potter, John Alld used to live - have provided much information into possible production techniques not previously known. There are really only four known publicly documented forms attributed to Alld's workshop. All are pictured in M. Lelyn Branin's book, "The Early Potters and Potteries of Maine." Each descended through families which had ties to Alld. Pictured below are a lidded stew pot, a lidded herb pot, a bottle and a jug. They all have similar glazes. The shards demonstrate Alld's more artistic side, which reveals more vibrant glazes than those that are documented in Branin's book. The glazes in Branin's book show grey and tan glazes that are freckled in brown and green. I am sure there are plenty more styles still in need of discovery. These shards are all shown in the first report - which a link has been provided to above.

 John Alld Redware Herb Pot and Stew Pot

Early 19th Century

 John Alld Redware Bottle and Jug

Early 19th Century

 
There is a fifth example that was found within the walls of the Alld house which should probably be included in this list of documented Alld forms. The form and use is very uncommon for the early potters of New England. It is a form that is more-often seen in Pennsylvania, but by no means is it common today. It happens to be a butter mold that was probably formed in a carved wooden mold. There is a chance it was also taken from a pottery mold. Similar redware molds were used elsewhere in Maine for products of unrelated industries. It can be assumed these types of utilitarian wares made by the southern Maine potters are extremely rare and almost non-existent today. I have only seen a few others. It is anyone's guess as to how many of these were really made.

 Redware Butter Mold

Probably Made by John Alld - Hollis, Maine

Found in a Wall at the Old John Alld House in Hollis, Maine

Back of Mold

A characteristic that really stood out to me with the Alld shards is the fact that most of the shards appear like Alld wiped the raw clay with some type of rag when removing it from the potters wheel. It is clearly seen in all the shards I have access to.

John Alld Redware Shard Which Shows Wipe Marks

A known jug, which has been the topic of debate recently into its possible origin - shows a similar wipe technique applied by its maker. Many have felt it was made in Maine, while others have suggested New Hampshire. The reason some say it was made in new Hampshire is because of its form and handle attachment - neither are really seen by any of the known Maine potters; however, I personally have never seen this type of glaze from a New Hampshire maker before. I would tend to lean towards a Maine maker without knowing any more information.

If you look closely at the photos below, you will see the jug's base has been wiped with some type of cloth. The clay color and the manner the exposed clay was wiped by the potter is exactly the same as is the shard found at the home of John Alld. Its glaze color is also similar to the herb pot above with a tan glaze and brown freckles.

I looked over a bunch of New England redware recently and none of it showed a bottom that had been wiped clean by the potter. I think this is a unique approach that was less often used by potters. It is very encouraging on this jug to see a very similar glaze color to a known John Alld stew pot, a clay color that matches a known Alld shard and an area which was wiped clean by a potter in a nearly exact manner also seen on the Alld shards. Based on this, I believe the jug is related to the businesses that worked in Hollis. There were two main businesses run in Hollis - a shop by John Alld and another by Thomas Truxton Kendrick, both of whom were related.

 Bottom of Jug

Shows the Wipe Technique

Comparison of Bottom of Jug and John Alld Shard

Clay Color and Wipe Technique Appear Very Similar

A few notes about this jug: It has a similar rounded foot to that seen on the documented John Alld jug. It's glaze is similar to the documented stew pot which shows a tan glaze with dispersed brown particles. The Alld shards also sometimes show a streaking glaze which is seen in the jug. It is my belief the jug is related to the Hollis industry. It isn't necessarily a product made by Alld, but it was possibly made by a potter who worked at either the Kendrick or Alld businesses - and it cannot be ruled out that Alld or Kendrick may have been the potter. At the least, the jug is a rare form that has caused a lot of discussion.

Probably a Hollis, Maine Redware Jug

Probably Made at Either the Kendrick or Alld Potteries

Early to Mid 19th Century

There really is not enough known about the potters of southern Maine to say exactly what was made where, but as research progresses - it is hopeful that more of these forms can be properly identified. I think there is a very strong case for the jug, which would be a newly introduced form for the potters who worked in nineteenth century Hollis, Maine.

Much More to Come...