A Comparison of 19th Century Redware Crocks from Connecticut and New Hampshire (Buckley Pottery Report 2)

Buckley Earthenware Report 1

An early cover from the January edition of Old Time New England published in 1934 recently grabbed my attention. A partially manganese (black) glazed red earthenware handled crock was pictured on the cover. It was attributed to the Hoyt Pottery, which operated in Norwalk, Connecticut in the nineteenth century. The magazine featured a wonderful, seventeen page report by Kate and Andrew Winton that identified what the Norwalk industry was all about. A large collection of shards, kiln furniture and whole examples are shown (unfortunately, some of these uncovered artifacts may have recently been discarded as written about by some industry media outlets).

By 1934, the handled crock apparently already had a long history of local ownership, which attributed it to the Hoyt Pottery. Six businesses operated in Norwalk in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries - Settler's Pottery, Hoyt Pottery, Day Pottery, Quintard Pottery, Smith Pottery and Gregory Pottery. Stoneware and red earthenware was a part of the output at many of these businesses. There were also collaborations that happened. Norwalk was probably Connecticut's largest nineteenth century earthenware industry - while New Haven and Hartford also kept successful businesses. The article does not determine how the (19th century) crock's attribution was established, but considering it was found in Norwalk before 1934 - a local manufacturer is probably correct. I assume the Hoyt attribution was associated with the collection of shards shown in the article. It must be a rare form considering not many forms with this style glaze appear to have survived today from American potters. The form and size is also rare.

  Old Time New England - January 1934 Edition

Very Interesting Redware Crock Shown on the Cover

Attributed to the Hoyt Pottery in Norwalk, Ct

Ca. 19th Century

Old Time New England - January 1934 Edition

Crock Discussed in the Norwalk, Ct Pottery Article

Most people who understand American red earthenware will agree there are similarities between Connecticut, Pennsylvania and Long Island, New York redware. Forms are comparable - each area really showed an emphasis towards slip decoration in the nineteenth century when many other areas had eliminated its use. I don't typically see much comparison between wares made in Northern New England and the average wares of Connecticut; however, the crock shown on the cover of the magazine is very similar to a form attributed to the Burpee Pottery in Boscowan, New Hampshire (around the same period) by the New Hampshire Historical Society.

Jeremiah Burpee Attributed Handled Earthenware Crock - Boscowan, NH
Ca. 1820-1860
Notice the Pouring Spout and Coggled Effect
Photo Courtesy: New Hampshire Historical Society - Concord, NH

The Burpee Pottery was run by Jeremiah Burpee and eventually his son, James - from the late eighteenth century until Jeremiah's death in 1862. James was in business until 1876, but the father-son partnership eventually broke apart where both worked side-by-side as individual business owners rather than under the roof of the same company in Boscowan. It is assumed James and Jeremiah made similar forms of earthenware.

According to reports, a fascinating aspect about the business was when Jeremiah died - he left a kiln entirely full of unfired wares. His widow asked someone to fire it (possibly Jeremiah's son), but when it was not done properly - all the wares were ruined. I assume there were problems with proper temperatures and all the wares either slumped or were burned.

Early books have suggested a form of Queen's Ware (English Pottery) was made in Boscowan by Jeremiah and James. Early reports also claim stoneware was made at the Burpee Pottery; however I do not believe any stoneware was ever made in Boscowan - rather, only redware. At the very-least, there is not much evidence to suggest a Boscowan brand of stoneware was made. There have been many kinds of stoneware attributed to Boscowan over the past hundred or more years, but I believe these are unfounded attributions.

Lura Woodside Watkins wrote extensively of her findings at the Burpee Pottery site in Early New England Potters and Their Wares. She found a number of shards and kiln furniture where the business used to operate. She even spoke with people in the 1930s and 1940s who still had memories of the Burpee Pottery and its operation. They recalled how some of the wares used to appear and they shared stories of a product which imitated Queens Ware that was available at the Burpee Pottery. I am not sure any product beyond utilitarian red earthenware has ever been attributed to Boscowan, but its rather interesting to hear recollections that are not available today. Maybe these recollections came from the Burpee Pottery acting as a retailer for imported English products to go along with their line of red earthenware. This is all only theory, but it may account for why so many forms of English Earthenware have been attributed to the Burpee Pottery. The attributions began more than a hundred years ago.

The reason for this report is a comparison of the jar on the cover of the Old Time New England magazine and the jar from the New Hampshire Historical Society's collection -- but it should also be taken into account that this type of black glaze and the way it was applied is also seen from some the eighteenth and nineteenth century Buckley potters in England. Both American forms appear very similar. The jar attributed to the Burpee Pottery does display a coggled effect not seen on the Connecticut jar, but I have seen nearly identical jars in New Hampshire shops and from New Hampshire homes without the coggled effect in the same form attributed to Boscowan. Despite that lack of a characteristic, I feel the jars seen in New Hampshire are products of the Burpee Pottery. There were probably some incised and coggled Boscowan jars and some that were not.

Both the Connecticut jar and the New Hampshire jar have a similar glaze, similar applied handles, a similar flat rim and a similar form. The only noticeable difference is the pouring spout seen on the New Hampshire jar. I don't know of any other Northern New England potters who made a similar form. I'd like to think there is  a relationship between the two jars - and both may have originally drew inspiration from forms made in Buckley, England. I have not been able to determine any such relationship, but I would not be surprised to learn of one. I think its rather interesting to see such a similar comparison between potters more than two-hundred miles apart. The black decoration in this manner is not usually seen on utilitarian crocks from Pennsylvania potters either - so its a rather unusual characteristic.

The redware collection at Old Sturbridge Village contains a utilitarian crock with a similar idea of applied handles and only covering the essential parts of the jar with a manganese (black) glaze. I assume it was made in either Norwalk or Boscowan, but a third potter should not be ruled out.

19th Century New England Red Earthenware Crock

Unknown New England Maker - Possibly from Ct or NH

Photo Courtesy: Old Sturbridge Village, Sturbridge, Ma

I think it's rather interesting to see this style since it was not commonly used in New England. Could there be a relationship between all three pots? It's very possible. I have just not yet been able to determine what that relationship may be beyond a similar glaze style used in England. 

Much More to Come...