EarlyAmericanCeramics.com: A Great 19th Century Red Earthenware Jug Uncovered in the 1980s While Construction Crews Built the Toronto Skydome for the Toronto Blue Jays

Sunday, July 5, 2015

A Great 19th Century Red Earthenware Jug Uncovered in the 1980s While Construction Crews Built the Toronto Skydome for the Toronto Blue Jays

This jug is a subject that I have briefly mentioned in a previous report from a few weeks ago that discussed Ontario-made red earthenware. The jug was recovered by its owner, Terry Matz in the late-1980s, when construction crews were building a stadium for the Toronto Blue Jays called the Skydome.

Today the stadium is under corporate sponsorship (Rogers Communications) - and, it is now named accordingly, Rogers Centre. Research has shown that the Rogers Centre stands south of where the Commissariat Pier stretched into the harbor in the nineteenth century. The pier was reportedly used for unloading a variety of products.

This jug has been a subject of debate and some confusion since it was posted publicly late last year and earlier this year seeing that it is stamped with the initial, 'A.S.'

I can tell from the form of the jug that it was likely made in the mid-to-late-nineteenth-century - rather, than an earlier product. Many of the red earthenware jugs produced in places like western New York and Ontario corresponded with the trends (forms) that were happening in the stoneware industry during the period. Therefore, many of the red earthenware jugs are straight-sided in form, which makes sense, seeing that both areas didn't really establish any kind of in-depth red earthenware industry (mostly businesses prior) until the mid-nineteenth-century - and, this was a form that many stoneware potters were producing at the time. In retrospect, the ovoid forms were typically from the late-eighteenth and early-nineteenth-centuries; however, there are exceptions. There were some (many) ovoid red earthenware jugs made in Ontario (and western New York) after 1850 (and before 1850); none-the-less, this is a straight-sided jug that I believe was manufactured after 1850 (probably after 1860). The jug also has a pouring spout, which I believe may indicate its use as a maple syrup container (or, syrup-related).

From my observations, the 'A.S.' likely represents a Toronto-based merchant - rather, than a Toronto-based potter - even though, it's certainly possible that this jug was also manufactured in Toronto (but not guaranteed). According to Donald Webster's book, 'Early Canadian Pottery,' "The Toronto-area, was dominated by English and American potters; the earliest was Thomas Humberstone, who established a small pottery in 1813, making plain (red) earthenware containers and storage vessels. Though the pottery location changed, the Humberstones (Thomas, Thomas, Jr. and Simon) ran the business until about 1915 (in Toronto), the longest lived single pottery operation in Canada.

Among several establishments in the later 19th century, the Davis Pottery was important in Toronto in the 1870's and the 1880's, and continued into the 1920's. John Brown, who started his potting years at Bowmanville (Ontario), shifted to Toronto and worked during the 1860's and the 1870's (however, there were many other Toronto-based potters, too)."

Before I go any further, I would like to acknowledge that a lot of the information that I am about to present was researched by Louise Henderson, who lives in Ontario. She's been working with Terry Matz in recent months in an attempt to determine who the initials represent. They've been kind enough to allow me to present their research.

I've briefly read through their research - and, I believe there are two strong candidates, for whom, this jug may have belonged to. The first is a businessman named Alexander Mortimer Smith.

Alexander Smith was born in Aberdeenshire, Scotland on May 8, 1818. In 1836, he joined the 93rd Sutherland Highlanders. Two-years later, the group emigrated to Toronto; however, he left this regiment in 1840 to pursue a career elsewhere in business. According to Louise Henderson, "Smith rose rapidly from a grocery store attendant to a merchant - ultimately, becoming involved with many of the city's most prominent financial institutions - all-while, still running retail operations in the city. While pursuing business opportunities, he was also involved with politics. Smith served several terms on the Toronto City Council in the 1850's. A few years later, he was elected as a member of Parliament for Toronto East in the immediate pre-Confederation period from 1863 to 1867. Smith also ran unsuccessfully for mayor in 1874. He also served as the Board of Trade's representative on the Harbour Trust (predecessor to the Harbour Commission) for many years."

As fascinating as all of this information is, I think an equally strong candidate for this jug is Alexander Souter, who worked in Toronto as a 'bitter manufacturer' possibly in the 1860's, but definitely in the 1870's. He's cited in 1875 as producing ginger wine, syrups and related products. This is what Louise Henderson had to say: "This (possible) syrup jug would have been ideal for pouring the concentrated syrup flavors used for making soda and ginger wine." Smith is also seen in the 1876 Toronto City Directory listed under 'Manufacturers.'

Louise Henderson, also found a man named 'Alexander Stoker,' who owned a grocery store as late as 1864 to 1865 on King Street in Toronto, which would also probably match up accordingly with a proper manufacture date for this jug.

Personally, I can't say specifically, who this jug belonged to without further archaeological proof or possibly a merchant's daybook or even a merchant's illustrated catalogue that shows this specific stamp on a jug, but it's still a fascinating piece of Toronto's history. It's very possible that this potter was taking orders for more than one merchant in Toronto - thus, why they had to use a stamp to differentiate between the different merchants. Regardless, this is a fun piece with a great history.