A Rare 19th Century Stoneware Crock Impressed with the Name of a Lynn, Massachusetts Merchant

Yesterday, I visited an antique shop in Salem, Massachusetts, which I occasionally attempt to pick a few times a year - inside this shop, I saw a circa 1870-1880 two-gallon stoneware crock decorated with a blue bird perched on a log. The crock was marked 'F.B. STEVENS / 75 MARKET STREET / LYNN (Massachusetts).' 

To my knowledge, this is a rare crock to find today. There are not many Lynn, Massachusetts merchant jugs known today, and even fewer are decorated with any kind of cobalt decoration.

Lynn is located about ten-miles north of Charlestown, Massachusetts, which was a place that employed the Edmands family pottery in the nineteenth-century. This business actually produced high-quality stoneware until about 1905. It would be expected that the merchant, F.B. Stevens would have contracted with the nearest stoneware manufacturer to produce stoneware for his business needs; however, I don't believe this is a Charlestown bird. I haven't been able to find proof that this is even a New England bird. Rather, it appears similar to birds that were applied in upstate New York and New Jersey during the second-half of the nineteenth-century.

Interestingly, this may be proof that it was cheaper for some New England merchants to purchase stoneware from manufacturers in New York and New Jersey, where the proper clay for stoneware production was cheaper, and easily available to the potter. In some cases: it was also a more-direct (water) route to import stoneware rather than contract with the stoneware manufacturers in western Massachusetts and Vermont.

Note: The potter's in Charlestown likely imported clay for stoneware production into the twentieth-century from the Hudson River since this part of New England did not provide a large amount of quality clay for this type of production. This business expense likely made stoneware products more-expense, too.

If anyone is interested in this crock: please let me know, and I can provide the asking price and the shop's information.

19th Century 2-Gallon Stoneware Crock Decorated with a Bird Perched on Log

Stamped 'F.B. STEVENS / 75 MARKET STREET / LYNN'

Possibly Manufactured in Upstate New York or New Jersey

Circa 1870-1880

View of the Stamp 'F.B. STEVENS / 75 MARKET STREET / LYNN'

View of One Handle

View of the Interior 

View of the Base

Please Stay Tuned...Much More to Come...

Another Example of 18th Century Massachusetts Red Earthenware Recovered Near a Colonial Military Fort in Maine

While in the midst of writing articles this week about Charlestown, Massachusetts and Newburyport, Massachusetts-made red earthenware, which was found in various colonial archaeological sites in Maine and Canada that predate the American Revolution - it was brought to my attention by Maine antiques dealer Wilhems West, the fact that there was another significant archaeological discovery made along the Penobscot River in Maine. This object was excavated at a trading post built in Veazie, Maine in 1775, which is a small community located next to Bangor, Maine.

Veazie is a coastal community accessible from the Penobscot River, which meets the Penobscot Bay - and, then the Atlantic Ocean, about thirty-miles downriver.

The trading post was established by Jonathan Lowder (1733-1814); according to 'Volume 30 of the Daughters of the American Revolution Magazine,' "Jonathan Lowder was born in Boston, Massachusetts in 1731 - and, he died in Bangor, Maine on January 28, 1814. He served at Fort Pownal or Fort Point, Maine. He was captain in Colonel Godthwait's regiment, and was also lieutenant colonel in Colonel Josiah Brewer's regiment. 

Lowder was also an agent for the Penobscot Indians and a clerk for Major Robert Treat for many years. Through his influence the Indians were prevented from enlisting in the English ranks, and were kept loyal to the American cause. 

He was also one of the original settlers of Bangor, Maine, owning a lot of one-hundred acres of land just above Mount Hope near where a substantial brick house used to stand. A headstone marks Louder's resting place in Bangor today."

The trading post was destroyed in 1779 during the Penobscot Expedition, which was an American crusade that was miscalculated, and an entire American fleet was destroyed in an attempt to regain land from under the control of British authority; this land would become Maine in 1820.

The following eighteenth-century brown-glazed red earthenware jug was excavated by Maine archaeologists in the late-twentieth-century at the location of Lowder's Trading Post. Unfortunately, I don't have access to the jug since it is in storage; however, I have asked permission to gain access to a color photograph. I am hopeful that I will be able to publish this photograph soon enough on this website.

The jug is attributed to the Daniel Bayley Pottery Company (circa 1766-1799) in Newburyport, Massachusetts. It is also related to the trading post having been recovered in a circa 1775-1779 archaeological context. I should note that related slip-decorated red earthenware artifacts from the Bayley Pottery were found in a late-1760's and early-1770's archaeological context at a military trading post in Saint John, New Brunswick. The belief is that those artifacts were exported by the Bayley Pottery to be sold by the proprietors at the trading post.

This jug is likely further evidence that some of the coastal colonial Massachusetts red earthenware potters, who were located north of Boston were producing red earthenware for export before and during the American Revolution. The export evidence remains (so far) today with the Daniel Bayley Pottery Company in Newburyport, Massachusetts, and a few (all?) of the businesses that were involved with the Charlestown, Massachusetts potter's industry before 1775.

Additional evidence from the Daniel Bayley Pottery Company has been recovered in Salem, Massachusetts, Portsmouth, New Hampshire and within a circa 1770 site located near Portland, Maine

Evidence from Charlestown's industry has been recovered in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, Portland, Maine, a military fort located north of Wiscasset, Maine and a military fort located on Cape Breton Island in Nova Scotia.

18th Century Brown-Glazed Red Earthenware Jug Attributed to the Daniel Bayley Pottery Co. 

Daniel Bayley Pottery Company Operated in Newburyport, Mass. from Circa 1766-1799

This Jug was Uncovered at the Site of the Lowder's Trading Post in Veazie, ME

Circa 1775-1779

Stands Approximately 8" Tall

Photo Courtesy: Jonathan Lowder's Truckhouse, Lagerbom, 1991

Please Stay Tuned...Much More to Come...

A Wonderful 18th Century Slip Decorated Red Earthenware Chamber Pot Recovered at the Fortress of Louisbourg on Cape Breton Island

I have been given permission by Parks Canada to publish a 1960s colored photograph of a slip decorated red earthenware chamber pot, which was recovered at the Fortress of Louisbourg on Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia. This pot was reportedly uncovered within a tight circa 1755-1760 archaeological context.

Its form and slip decoration matches another chamber pot (and, sherds), which was recovered in Charlestown, Massachusetts in the 1980s on behalf of the archaeology undertaken during Boston's infamous Big Dig Project. This chamber pot was made at the Charlestown potter's industry (circa 1630's-1775), which was home to multiple potter's businesses and dozens of potters before it was (somewhat) unexpectedly burned at the Battle of Bunker Hill on June 17, 1775.

Both of these chamber pots are believed to have been manufactured at the same potter's business in Charlestown during the same period. There is some evidence that suggests these chamber pots were made at the Parker family pottery; however, I am not one-hundred-percent certain of that claim since this style of decoration could have been manufactured at multiple potter's businesses in Charlestown. Although, there is evidence that the Parker Pottery did export red earthenware into Portsmouth, New Hampshire in the late-1740s and the 1750s, as well as other locations further north in Maine. This evidence can be found in John Parker's Charlestown potter's daybook, which is owned by the Baker Library at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

The curved slip-decoratioin is believed to have been applied by a stamp; whereas, similar decorations can be found throughout the Charlestown Archaeology Collection, which vary in size.

I have always theorized that the potters in Charlestown were involved with an export business that catered to military forts and active maritime communities, which spanned New England and parts of Canada before the American Revolution. I believe the chamber pot that was recovered at the Fortress of Louisbourg is a very-strong example of that export business. There is also additional archaeological evidence in Maine and New Hampshire to support this claim, as well.

I have been told by archaeologists in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick that "New England redware" is regularly found in Canada in eighteenth-century sites. I believe that some of what they describe as "New England redware" is actually red earthenware made in Charlestown, Massachusetts before 1775. This export business may also explain why Maine didn't see much local red earthenware production until after the American Revolution in the late-eighteenth and nineteenth-centuries.

I have shown a number of photographs below, which also include a double-handled lidded red earthenware pot that sold at a Tim Gould auction in Augusta, Maine in 2014. This pot is thought to be related to these chamber pots. It has a history of ownership in Winchester, Massachusetts, which is located only a few miles from Lexington, Concord and Charlestown, Massachusetts.

History of the Parker Pottery: The Parker Pottery was established by Isaac and Grace Parker around 1717 in Charlestown, Massachusetts. They produced a wide variety of red earthenware forms often decorated with slip. The Parkers were a prominent family in Charlestown owning a home on the waterfront with gardens, boats and a dock. They also owned a store in the center of Charlestown, which likely sold their pottery, as well as other goods. Their family business operated until the 1750s producing mostly red earthenware; although, they did reportedly experiment with stoneware production during the circa 1741-1745 period.

History of the Fortress of Louisbourg: According to the National Parks Services of Canada, "The original settlement was founded in 1713 by the French and developed over several decades into a thriving center for fishing and trade. Fortified against the threat of British invasion during the turbulent time of empire-building, Louisbourg was besieged twice before finally being destroyed in the 1760's. The site had laid untouched until the twentieth-century when archaeologists reconstructed the fortress as it was in the eighteenth-century."

Chamber Pot Recovered at the Fortress of Louisbourg

 Mid-18th Century Slip-Decorated Red Earthenware Chamber Pot Made in Charlestown, Mass.

Uncovered at the Fortress of Louisbourg in Cape Bretton Island, Nova Scotia

Slip-Decoration Matches Known Styles Applied in Charlestown, Mass. Before 1775

Recovered in a Circa 1755-1760 Archaeological Context

Photo Courtesy: Fortress of Louisbourg National Historic Site/Parks Canada

Chamber Pot Recovered in Charlestown, Mass.

 Mid-18th Century Slip-Decorated Red Earthenware Chamber Pot Made in Charlestown, Mass.

Uncovered in Charlestown, Mass. in the 1980's
Circa 1740's to 1760's

Photo Courtesy: Boston Archaeology Department - West Roxbury, Mass.

 Another View of the Chamber Pot

Photo Courtesy: Boston Archaeology Department - West Roxbury, Mass.

 View of the Handle

Photo Courtesy: Boston Archaeology Department - West Roxbury, Mass.

View of the Base

Photo Courtesy: Boston Archaeology Department - West Roxbury, Mass.

Handled Pot that Sold in Augusta, Maine in 2014

18th Century Red Earthenware Handled Pot Attributed to Charlestown, Mass.

The Slip-Decoration is Related to the Objects of Discussion in this Article

Retains History of Ownership in Winchester, Mass.

Circa 1760

(Back Right) 18th Century Red Earthenware Porringer Recovered in Charlestown, Mass.

The Slip-Decoration is Also Related to this Discussion

Circa 1740's-1760's

The Porringer is Owned by the Boston Archaeology Department in West Roxbury, Mass.

Please Stay Tuned...Much More to Come...

A Really Interesting Stoneware Jug that was Recently Acquired in Maine, Which Appears to be an 18th Century Product

This salt-glazed ovoid stoneware jug was recently purchased at an auction in Maine. A friend, who bought it said it was consigned to the auction from a private longtime Maine collection. He purchased it since it appeared eighteenth-century in form.

I handled this jug yesterday - it truly looks and feels like an eighteenth-century product; however, we haven't been able to pinpoint an origin or maker, yet. It was discussed privately yesterday that this jug does exhibit some characteristics found on eighteenth-century stoneware made in Charlestown, Massachusetts, Merrimacport, Massachusetts and Manhattan in New York City. But, the decoration around the rim and especially the exaggerated lip do not appear to coincide with what is properly attributed and identified with these areas today. I also don't believe this is a product related to Rhode Island, Connecticut, Albany, New York, New Jersey or Philadelphia, either.

Stoneware was also reportedly made at the Parker family pottery in Charlestown, Massachusetts around circa 1741-1745; however, virtually nothing is known about this production today. The only possible evidence is a small amount of sherds that were collected during the archaeology of Charlestown on behalf of Boston's Big Project in the 1980's, and some period advertising. Unfortunately, none of this evidence really proves what was made and how successful this venture was in terms of production despite advertising suggesting that dozens of forms were manufactured in 1744.

There are also some characteristics about this jug that suggest it could have been made in (London) England, but there are also other aspects that advocate an American stoneware potter, too. In-hand, it's really an appealing object.

Does anyone reading this article recognize anything about this jug that could suggest a legitimate attribution?

 Likely 18th Century Stoneware Jug

Maker Unknown But Exhibits American and English Characteristics

Circa 1740-1810

Stands Approximately 15" Tall

Photo Courtesy: Private Collection

 Another View of the Jug

Photo Courtesy: Private Collection

 Another View of the Jug

Photo Courtesy: Private Collection

 View of the Handle

Photo Courtesy: Private Collection

 View of Handle, Neck and Rim

Photo Courtesy: Private Collection

 Another View of the Handle

Photo Courtesy: Private Collection

 Another View of the Handle, Neck and Rim

Photo Courtesy: Private Collection

 Another View of the Neck and Handle
Photo Courtesy: Private Collection

Another View of the Neck and Handle
Photo Courtesy: Private Collection

 View of the Base

Photo Courtesy: Private Collection

Another View of the Base

Photo Courtesy: Private Collection

Please Stay Tuned...Much More to Come...

A Group of Important 18th Century Slip Decorated Red Earthenware Sherds Recovered at Colonial Military Forts in Maine and Cape Breton

In theory, I have always suspected that the colonial potter's industry in Charlestown, Massachusetts was involved with an export business. That export business would have occurred before production halted when the industry was (somewhat) unexpectedly burned at the Battle of Bunker Hill on June 17, 1775.

Earlier this week, I discovered a slip decorated red earthenware chamber pot that was uncovered in a circa 1755-1760 archaeological context at the Fortress of Louisbourg in Cape Breton. Undoubtedly, this chamber pot was manufactured in Charlestown. It exhibits the common slip decoration (and, form) found on sherds associated with Charlestown's potter's industry, which were uncovered in Charlestown during the archaeology of Boston's Big Dig Project in the 1980's.

Note: I have seen this object in a color photograph, and everything about it says Charlestown. Unfortunately, due to publication rights, it can not currently be shown on this website. For now, I can only show the published black and white photograph.

 18th Century Charlestown, Mass. Slip Decorated Red Earthenware Artifacts

Recovered in Charlestown, Mass. in the 1980's

This is a Common-Type of Slip Decoration Found on Charlestown, Mass. Products

Circa Mid-18th Century

Photo Courtesy: Boston Archaeology Department - West Roxbury, Mass.

 Mid-18th Century Chamber Pot Recovered at Fort Louisbourg in Cape Breton

This is a Known Charlestown, Mass. Type of Slip Decoration (See Examples Above)

This Object May Represent an Export System from Charlestown, Mass. Into Canada

Recovered in a Circa 1755-1760 Archaeological Context

Photo Courtesy: 'Early Slip-Decorated Pottery in Canada,' Donald B. Webster, 1969

My theory has always remained around the idea that the Charlestown potter's industry was a centralized group of businesses, which employed many potters, who produced too-much pottery for only the residents of the Boston and Charlestown-areas. Instead, I have always felt that this production did cater to the Boston-area market; however, it also served utilitarian pottery needs for maritime communities and military forts elsewhere in New England. This type of population would have been reached by waterways via the Atlantic Ocean and rivers. Furthermore, it is still under investigation today how this transportation happened - whether this export business revolved around trade, merchants or both is, yet to be determined.

Yesterday, I visited a friend's private library to borrow a few published archaeology reports - I borrowed the report for the Fortress of Louisbourg in Cape Breton and I also borrowed a report for the Forts of Pemaquid, Maine, which is located along the coast of Maine north of Wiscasset. Both were colonial forts that predate the American Revolution. Surprisingly, the ceramics section in each of these reports were filled with slip decorated red earthenware attributed to New England - there were also some "redware" artifacts attributed to England, which I feel were New England-made products, as well.

For example, there were numerous red earthenware artifacts uncovered at the Forts in Pemaquid that are attributed to Boston, but no further evidence is given why this attribution is suggested. This report was also published in 1994, which was only a few years after the archaeology of the Big Dig happened, and the new research into the Charlestown potteries had only just begun. The information known today about the Charlestown potteries was not as accessible in 1994 as it is today.

I have no-doubt that these so-called "Boston-made" artifacts are Charlestown-made products from the mid-eighteenth-century. They were also uncovered in a similar context as were the artifacts found in Cape Breton. This is also a similar period as-to-when John Parker's Charlestown potter's daybook indicates shipments of red earthenware were exported to Portsmouth, New Hampshire in the late-1740's and the 1750's from the Parker family pottery in Charlestown. (Note: John Parker's daybook is owned by the Baker Library at Harvard University today.)

This also may help explain why Maine didn't see much red earthenware production until after the American Revolution seeing that most of Maine's known red earthenware businesses did not materialize until the late-eighteenth and nineteenth-centuries.

What I have shown below are some of the artifacts recovered at the Fortress of Louisbourg in Cape Breton and the Forts of Pemaquid, Maine as they are pictured in the archaeology reports that I have reviewed. Many of these objects are only sketches; however, the forms and slip decoration do correspond with what was recovered during the archaeology of Charlestown. I find this information very-exciting since it proves that the potters in Charlestown produced pottery, which made its way north before 1760 into parts of Canada and some of the communities that would eventually become Maine in 1820. (Note: Before 1820 Maine was part of Massachusetts.)

I should also add that I have spoken with a few archaeologist in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick - and, they have told me that "New England redware" is regularly found in eighteenth-century archaeological contexts in this part of Canada. I suspect that some of this so-called "New England redware" may have been produced before 1775 in Charlestown, Massachusetts.

Fortress of Louisbourg in Cape Bretton

 New England-Made Red Earthenware Recovered at the Fortress of Louisbourg in Cape Breton

All Discovered in a Pre-1760 Archaeological Context
Many of These Objects Appear Like Charestown, Mass.-Made Products

Photo Courtesy: Course Earthenware and Glassware from Louisbourg, Barton & Smith, 1981

New England-Made Red Earthenware Recovered at the Fortress of Louisbourg in Cape Breton

All Discovered in a Pre-1760 Archaeological Context
Many of These Objects Appear Like Charestown, Mass.-Made Products

Photo Courtesy: Course Earthenware and Glassware from Louisbourg, Barton & Smith, 1981

New England-Made Red Earthenware Recovered at the Fortress of Louisbourg in Cape Breton

All Discovered in a Pre-1760 Archaeological Context
Many of These Objects Appear Like Charestown, Mass.-Made Products

Photo Courtesy: Course Earthenware and Glassware from Louisbourg, Barton & Smith, 1981

Forts of Pemaquid in Maine

Examples of Slip Decorated Red Earthenware Recovered in at the Forts of Pemaquid, Maine

(Top) Attributed to England, But Possibly Made in Charlestown, Mass.

(Bottom) Attributed to Boston, But Likely Made in Charlestown, Mass.

Discovered in an Early-to-Mid 18th Century Archaeological Context

Photo Courtesy: The Forts of Pemaquid, Maine, Bradley and Camp, 1994

Example of Red Earthenware Recovered in at the Forts of Pemaquid, Maine

Attributed to England, But Possibly Made in Charlestown, Mass.

Discovered in an Early-to-Mid 18th Century Archaeological Context

Photo Courtesy: The Forts of Pemaquid, Maine, Bradley and Camp, 1994

Examples of Slip Decorated Red Earthenware Recovered in at the Forts of Pemaquid, Maine

Attributed to Boston, But Likely Made in Charlestown, Mass.

Discovered in an Early-to-Mid 18th Century Archaeological Context

Photo Courtesy: The Forts of Pemaquid, Maine, Bradley and Camp, 1994

Examples of Slip Decorated Red Earthenware Recovered in at the Forts of Pemaquid, Maine

Attributed to Boston, But Likely Made in Charlestown, Mass.

Discovered in an Early-to-Mid 18th Century Archaeological Context

Photo Courtesy: The Forts of Pemaquid, Maine, Bradley and Camp, 1994

Please Stay Tuned...Much More to Come...

An Unusually Large-Sized Red Earthenware Rundlet Recently Discovered in a Saugus, Massachusetts Home

The dimensions (9" x 7") of this rare red earthenware object are almost unheard of today from this New England-made form. The general form is known as a rundlet - and, ordinarily, this form survives today in a size that is frequently found one-third to one-half the size of what is seen in this object.

According to Merriam-Webster's dictionary: "A rundlet is a small barrel or keg of no certain dimensions, which could contain upwards of 3 to 20 gallons of liquid, such as wine or other alcohol."

Traditionally, the red earthenware rundlets that I see today could be considered a miniature size in comparison to the general definition of the form. The forms that I am aware of today in museums and private collections, typically range in size from 2 1/2 inches to 5 3/4 inches tall. Various potters are also represented from New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania.

Never-the-less, I assume this form was made by various American potters, who were employed in the red earthenware and stoneware industries in the nineteenth-century.

For example, the potters in southeastern Massachusetts are known today to have produced a number of rundlets, which varied from vibrant-colored-glazes to simpler black-glazes. However, this type of production in New England was not merely limited to the potter's industry located near New Bedford, Massachusetts. Although, it is taken for granted that this was somewhat of a specialty form that was probably in limited production when compared to the more-desired forms, such as pitchers, crocks and jugs.

Any potter could have manufactured this form - it was just a matter of whether they chose to produce it, and if they felt it would sell.

The nineteenth-century Clark family in Lyndeboro and Concord, New Hampshire is also known for this form today. In fact, the New Hampshire Historical Society in Concord, New Hampshire owns a few rundlets attributed to the Clarks.

I was told that this large black-glazed red earthenware rundlet was recently discovered in a house in Saugus, Massachusetts, which is located about eleven-miles directly north of Boston. The refinement of this product does suggest a coastal Massachusetts potter (to me). Whether that was a potter located to the north or south of Boston is, yet to be proven - but, it should be noted that the finesse of this product is in-keeping with products that were produced in southeastern Massachusetts in the late-eighteenth and early-nineteenth-centuries (circa 1790-1830). Personally, I believe this rundlet probably dates from the 1800-1820 period.

It is also important to indicate that this rundlet is not a pocket-sized object, either - unlike the majority of the rundlets that I am familiar with today. Technically, this a portable size, but it is not an object that would be regularly carried in that manner. I estimate that this rundlet could hold one-half-gallon of liquid.

Due to its size, I believe this object served more of a transportation need for a larger quantity of liquid in contrast to the smaller rundlets (known today) that served more of a novelty need. This was truly an utilitarian object no matter if it was originally purchased simply as an empty rundlet or as a rundlet that held a desired liquid. That debate would surround the idea of 'who' originally sold this object; was it a potter, a distiller or a merchant? And, to further that debate: was this a special ordered size or is it just a very-rare form (size) that is hardly seen today?

Note: The cork which is used to seal the hole is very-old. Unfortunately, it is difficult to say how long this cork has been used for this rundlet, but it does show significant age.

 Late-18th Century or Early-19th Century Black-Glazed Red Earthenware Rundlet

Very-Thinly Potted, Appears in the Manner of Products Made in Southeastern Mass.
Otherwise, It's Probably a Coastal Massachusetts Product

Recently Found in a House in Saugus, Mass.

Circa 1790-1830

Stands 9" Tall

Measures 7" Wide at the Midsection

Photo Courtesy: Mark Newton - Milford, NH

Another View of the Rundlet

Photo Courtesy: Mark Newton - Milford, NH

Please Stay Tuned...Much More to Come...

Another Clue Discovered Into the Production of Stoneware by William Pecker in Merrimacport, Massachusetts

Since the weather was unseasonably warm last weekend, my nephew, Jason and myself decided to take a bike ride. We rode from Newburyport, Massachusetts to Merrimacport, Massachusetts in order to inspect for any sherds that may have washed ashore this winter from the Merrimac River. Unquestionably, most of the sherds we find in this area are related to William Pecker's (1758-1820) red earthenware and stoneware production (circa 1784-1820) in Merrimacport, Massachusetts (Note: There were other potteries in Merrimacport, but not in this exact location.). Luckly, we were able to fill our pockets with many new treasures - I may discuss some of these artifacts at a later time; although, there was a single sherd that I felt possessed a greater importance than the rest.

In an article written for this website on July 7, 2014, I showed, a salt-glazed stoneware sherd that I recovered (also, with my nephew, Jason) in Merrimacport that was decorated with a hand-drawn incised bird. The remains only showed the bird's head and most of the bird's body. This sherd has since been published in the August 2015 edition of the 'New England Antiques Journal' in an article titled, 'William Pecker: A Forgotten Stoneware Potter from Merrimacport, Mass.'  Here is a link to the article.

A similar incised bird is seen on a crock that was found at a Kentucky flea market more-than a decade ago - that unexpected crock, sparked such an interest - that a short article was written for the 2004 edition of Ceramics in America. The crock is currently privately owned in Virginia.

Last weekend, my nephew, Jason and myself discovered an incised sherd that was decorated with a bird's tail on the shore of the Merrimac River. It was located approximately ten-yards from where we initially discovered the sherd decorated with the bird's head and body. I have some-doubt that these sherds are from the same object since the bird's tail does not appear to be proportioned well-enough to match the other sherd. The bird's tail appears like it could be too-large.

Personally, I only know of two surviving examples of Pecker stoneware today that exhibit any type of incised decoration; the Ceramics in America crock, and another crock, which was discovered at a country auction in New Hampshire a few years back. They were both decorated with an incised bird on one side and an incised flower on the other side. However, neither were decorated with any cobalt, which is different from the sherds shown below.

None-the-less, there are less-than ten examples of stoneware marked with Pecker's name, which are currently known today. If that's taken into account, at least twenty-percent of the known Pecker stoneware exhibits some-type of incised decoration. Understandably, this is very-small sample size, but it could also be an indication of how Pecker approached the decoration of stoneware, as well.

I'm hopeful that we will continue to discover more important objects, like these, in the future, which should allow for a better-understanding in respect to William Pecker's stoneware production during the circa 1790-1810 period (Note: I actually believe that his production occurred in the late-eighteenth-century rather than the early-1800's). Overall, we have discovered an enormous amount of kiln evidence, such as wasters, saggers and kiln furniture in a small concentrated area since our initial discovery in the spring of 2014.

Late-18th or Early-19th Century Stoneware Sherd with Incised Bird's Head and Body

Recovered in Merrimacport, Mass Where William Pecker Ran a Pottery

Found on the Shore of the Merrimac River

Pecker Made Both Stoneware and Red Earthenware in Merrimacport, Mass.

Circa 1790-1810 

Recovered July 7, 2014

Late-18th or Early-19th Century Stoneware Sherd with Incised Bird's Tail

Recovered in Merrimacport, Mass Where William Pecker Ran a Pottery

Found on the Shore of the Merrimac River

Pecker Made Both Stoneware and Red Earthenware in Merrimacport, Mass.

Circa 1790-1810

Recovered February 21, 2016

Please Stay Tuned...Much More to Come...

An Exciting Discovery of an Example of 18th Century Red Earthenware Found in Nova Scotia with Ties to Charlestown, Massachusetts

Noted earlier today, archaeological evidence has proven that slip decorated red earthenware was exported into Canada from the Daniel Bayley Pottery Company (circa 1766-1799) in the late-1760's and the early-1770's. However, there is also evidence that supports the idea that the Daniel Bayley Pottery also exported red earthenware into Salem, Massachusetts, Portsmouth, New Hampshire and Portland, Maine before 1775.

I have always felt that the Bayley Pottery took notice of the success that the potters achieved a few miles to the south in Charlestown, Massachusetts before 1775. Daniel Bayley was also a businessman involved with writing and printing religious sheet music in the 1760's and the 1770's. It makes sense that he was also involved with businessmen elsewhere in New England and Canada.

According to the curator of the New Brunswick Museum, Peter Larocque, "The pan (see below) attributed to Daniel Bayley Pottery of Newbury(port), Massachusetts was uncovered during an archaeological dig in 1955-1956 at Portland Point within the city limits of Saint John, New Brunswick. The site was where Massachusetts businessmen, 'Simonds, Hazen and White,' setup a trading post in the 1760's."

 Map Showing the Distance Between Newburyport, MA and Saint John, NB

This is Approximately a 370 Mile Drive Today

Photo Courtesy: MapQuest

Daniel Bayley Pottery Co. Attributed Slip Decorated Red Earthenware Dish - Newburyport, MA
Recovered in Saint John, NB in the Mid-1950's
Stands 3 1/8" Tall

Measures 14 1/8" in Diameter
Ca. Late 1760's or Early 1770's
Photo Courtesy: Peter Larocque, New Brunswick Museum - Saint John, NB

I asked Mr. Larocque whether this pan was an obscurity - or, if there was a possibility that products from the Bayley Pottery were exported into Canada - his reply was fascinating; "It is unclear whether this was an item for sale or in use at the trading post. By the late 1770's, there was a small town growing up around the trading post and the newly erected Fort Howe nearby. My suspicions are that since the principals in the company were from or near Newbury(port) it is likely that the material did come from there. Some of the company's ledgers exist in various collections locally, but I have not examined them personally. I would say that it is not an obscurity - and, that Bayley's Pottery was imported here on an intermittent basis in those early years in the late-1760's and the eary-1770's."

In theory, I have always felt that the eighteenth-century potter's industry in Charlestown, Massachusetts was built around an export trade - my thought is that this export business grew as the industry expanded its production in the eighteenth-century. As the year's passed - the industry's production grew before it was somewhat unexpectedly burned at the Battle of Bunker Hill on June 17, 1775.

For example, there is documented evidence that the Parker family pottery (circa 1717-1750's) exported its wares into Portsmouth, New Hampshire in the late-1740's and the early-1750's. However, I've always thought that this was a small sample of what the potter's in Charlestown achieved elsewhere in New England. Ultimately, this was New England's focal potter's industry until businesses and industries spread elsewhere after the American Revolution. Unfortunately, there just is not enough surviving artifacts or properly identified evidence to support this claim. But, I truly believe this is what happened on some level in the eighteenth-century. (I'm sure there is more evidence out there - it's just a matter of studying amateur and professional archaeology past, present and future.)

In recently weeks, I have been trying to purchase all of the obscure and commercially published books on Canadian-made pottery from the twentieth-century. The book, 'Early Slip-Decorated Pottery in Canada' by Donald B. Webster arrived today - it was published in 1969.

I was shocked when I turned to page 10 to see a slip decorated red earthenware object that was identified as an "Early eighteenth century French-made chamber pot that was excavated from the Fortress of Louisbourg in Louisbourg, Nova Scotia."

Note: This attribution was made before 1969, which was years before the Charlestown, Massachusetts potter's industry was excavated on behalf of Boston's infamous Big Dig Project. Previously, the potter's industry in Charlestown had been partially forgotten until it was rediscovered in the 1980's. It was known that there was a major industry; although, how the production appeared was buried beneath the earth. Thankfully, this was a positive outcome of the Big Dig.

The chamber pot that was excavated at the Fortress of Louisbourg is undoubtedly a product of the Charlestown, Massachusetts potter's industry. Similar slip decorated products were excavated at the Parker family pottery in a pre-1760 archaeological context - and, related slip decorated products were also excavated from an eighteenth-century privy at the site of the Three Cranes Tavern in the center of Charlestown, which was originally built as the Great House for Governor John Winthrop in the seventeenth-century.

 Map Showing the Distance Between Charlestown, MA and Louisbourg, NS

This is Approximately a 840 Mile Drive Today

Photo Courtesy: MapQuest

I've indicated in the past that this type of export business would have revolved around pre-American Revolution military forts, newly established communities, maritime cities and merchants. The chamber pot, which was excavated in Nova Scotia was recovered at a pre-American Revolution military fort, which would have needed supplies. It seems that some of the utilitarian pottery supplies at Fort Louisbourg may have come from Charlestown, Massachusetts.

Chamber Pot Recovered in Nova Scotia

 Early-to-Mid-18th Century Chamber Pot Recovered at Fort Louisbourg in Nova Scotia

This is a Known Charlestown, Mass. Type of Slip Decoration (See Examples Below)

This Object May Represent an Export System from Charlestown, Mass. Into Canada

Circa 1720-1750

Photo Courtesy: 'Early Slip-Decorated Pottery in Canada,' Donald B. Webster, 1969

 Closer Look at the Chamber Pot

Photo Courtesy: 'Early Slip-Decorated Pottery in Canada,' Donald B. Webster, 1969

 View of the Description

Photo Courtesy: 'Early Slip-Decorated Pottery in Canada,' Donald B. Webster, 1969

View of the Description

Photo Courtesy: 'Early Slip-Decorated Pottery in Canada,' Donald B. Webster, 1969

Chamber Pot and Sherd Recovered in Charlestown, Mass.

 (Left) 18th Century Red Earthenware Sherd Recovered at the Parker Pottery in Charlestown, Mass.

The Slip-Decoration Matches What is Seen on the Chamber Pot Uncovered in Louisbourg, NS

Made Before 1760

Photo Courtesy: Boston Archaeology Department - West Roxbury, Mass.

 18th Century Chamber Pot Recovered in a Privy at the Three Cranes Tavern in Charlestown, Mass.

The Slip-Decoration and Form Matches the Style of the Chamber Pot Uncovered in Louisbourg, NS

Made Before 1760

Photo Courtesy: Boston Archaeology Department - West Roxbury, Mass.

 View of the Handle

Photo Courtesy: Boston Archaeology Department - West Roxbury, Mass.

 Another View of the Chamber Pot

Photo Courtesy: Boston Archaeology Department - West Roxbury, Mass.

View of the Base

Photo Courtesy: Boston Archaeology Department - West Roxbury, Mass.

Please Stay Tuned...Much More to Come...

Eighteenth Century Slip-Decorated Sherds Recovered in Westbrook, Maine

A few weeks ago, I wrote about a group of slip decorated red earthenware sherds that were recovered near Portland, Maine by Maine researcher, Matthew Anson, who carefully removed them from a strong eighteenth century archaeological context. He has since reported the site to Maine State Archaeologist, Leith Smith.

The sherds were found in Westbrook, Maine, which is a neighboring community located directly to the west of Portland. Those sherds were the partial remains of a slip decorated red earthenware dish that was dated in slip '1770.' The dish also appeared to possess an illegible inscription, also written in slip. Unfortunately, the words are difficult to read since so much of the bowl is missing.

I had suggested that this bowl could have been made at the Daniel Bayley Pottery Company (circa 1766-1799) in Newburyport, Massachusetts or at the potter's industry in Charlestown, Massachusetts. However, that was mostly speculation based on the manner of the slip and the form of the bowl. I had also suggested that it may have been produced by a local potter, but there are not any potters, who worked with slip in 1770 known in this part of Maine today.

Personally, I feel this bowl was imported from a potter's business located to the south of Portland (i.e. Portsmouth, NH, Newburyport, MA, Peabody, MA, Charlestown, MA, etc.). Although, the likeliest scenario seems to point towards Newburyport and Charlestown.

Interestingly, another slip decorated sherd has emerged from what was already discovered in Westbrook. Matthew Anson took a closer look at what he had already discovered last week and he also found the following sherd, which is also potentially important. This sherd is what's left of a chamber pot.

The style of the slip on this sherd appears very-similar to the manner in which the slip was applied at the Daniel Bayley Pottery Company in Newburyport. The slip was applied by-hand with a wide brush or tool in a wavy pattern. This exact technique is not really seen with sherds that represent the Charlestown industry today, which are owned by the Boston Archaeology Department in West Roxbury, Massachusetts; although, I don't want to rule out the idea of a Charlestown potter as a possible maker for the dated pan, yet. I'm not convinced, either way.

I should note, too that the Daniel Bayley Pottery Company is known to have exported red earthenware in the 1700's. There is archaeological evidence that supports this claim - for example, a red earthenware chamber pot was uncovered in an eighteenth century privy at the Narbonne House in Salem, Massachusetts within a circa 1770 context. The National Parks Service's archaeology report attributes this object to the Daniel Bayley Pottery Company (see below).

Another example: A slip decorated red earthenware pan, which is also strongly attributed to the Daniel Bayley Pottery Company was found during archaeological excavations in the 1950s at Portland Point near Saint John, New Brunswick, also in a circa 1770 context (see below). The manner of the slip on this pan is also similar to what is seen on the sherd of discussion.

Pottery from Daniel Bayley's company has also been recovered in various eighteenth century contexts in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.

Below, I have shown all of the objects that are discussed above as-well-as some slip decorated sherds that were excavated at the Daniel Bayley Pottery Company site in Newburyport by Massachusetts author, Lura Woodside Watkins (Early New England Potters and Their Wares) in the 1930s. These sherds are owned today by the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C.

Note: Maine did not become an independent state until the nineteenth-century; whereas, it was included with Massachusetts in the 1700s - and, as a result, it is understandable that Massachusetts-made products occasionally traveled north in the eighteenth-century to supply demands generated by military forts, newly established communities, maritime cities and merchants.

Sherd Recovered in Westbrook, ME

 18th Century Slip Decorated Red Earthenware Sherd Recovered in Westbrook, ME

Westbrook, ME is Located Next to Portland, ME

The Slip is Similar to Some of the Objects Pictured Below Attributed to Newburyport, Mass.

Circa 1770's

Photo Courtesy: Matthew Anson - Portland, ME

View of the Sherd's Interior

Photo Courtesy: Matthew Anson - Portland, ME

Sherds Collected at the Daniely Bayley Site

 18th Century Slip Decorated Red Earthenware Chamber Pot Sherds Found in Newbury(port), MA

Uncovered by Lura Woodside Watkins at the Site of the Daniel Bayley Pottery Company

Ca. 1766-1799

Photo Courtesy: Lura Woodside Watkins, Early New England Potters and Their Wares

 18th Century Slip Decorated Red Earthenware Chamber Pot Sherds Found in Newbury(port), MA

Uncovered by Lura Woodside Watkins at the Site of the Daniel Bayley Pottery Company

Ca. 1766-1799

Photo Courtesy: The National Museum of American History, The Smithsonian - Washington, D.C

18th Century Slip Decorated Red Earthenware Chamber Pot Sherds Found in Newbury(port), MA

Uncovered by Lura Woodside Watkins at the Site of the Daniel Bayley Pottery Company

Ca. 1766-1799

Photo Courtesy: The National Museum of American History, The Smithsonian - Washington, D.C

Chamber Pot Recovered in Salem, Mass.

18th Century Slip Decorated Red Earthenware Chamber Pot Uncovered in Salem, Mass.

Uncovered in a Circa 1770 Context (Privy) at the Narbonne House in Salem, Mass.

Reportedly Made at the Daniel Bayley Pottery in Newburyport, Mass.

Photo Courtesy: National Parks Services, Narbonne House - Salem, Mass.

Pan Recovered in New Brunswick

Daniel Bayley Pottery Co. Attributed Slip Decorated Red Earthenware Dish - Newburyport, MA
Recovered in Saint John, NB in the Mid-1950's
Stands 3 1/8" Tall

Measures 14 1/8" in Diameter
Ca. Late 1760's or Early 1770's
Photo Courtesy: Peter Larocque, New Brunswick Museum - Saint John, NB

Note: For a history of this site - I have reposted the description that Matthew Anson provided to me a few weeks ago (some information has been removed for the protection of this site):

"My interest in Portland area history comes after discovering a collection of colonial era artifacts in Westbrook, Maine.  I began to inspect this area two years ago. I became interested in the area several years before when a new parking lot was constructed and I was able to collect some old bottles.  The lot, at one time, had been the site of the Frost-Brewer House, a public house and inn from the 1730's to the 1880's.

One of the first really interesting artifacts that I found was an eighteenth century silver knee buckle. The owner's monogram, 'W.S.' is found on the back. I believe this belt buckle belonged to William Slemons or his son, William Slemons, Jr. The buckle was found on the land that belonged to William Slemons during the second half of the eighteenth century - this is also the period when the buckle would have been worn and lost.  

William Slemons' family made their fortune in the mast trade cutting down mast pines and transporting them to the landing at the Stroudwater River in Westbrook, which led to Portland.

By the middle of the 1700's, William Slemons was the only man living in Westbrook with the initials "W. S." who would have been wealthy enough to wear silver buckles.  (Note: The idea that the buckle belonged to William Slemons or his son is not guaranteed, but I'd say more likely than not it did.)

This past spring, I continued to focus on this area in Westbrook, but at a different location. I found 15 English copper pennies and farthings; the latest date on the coins was 1749.  The oldest coins are two William III half pennies minted between 1694 and 1701. There was a lot of eighteenth century material; an iron horse tack, a very old brass saddle pommel, 3 or 4 pewter rat-tailed spoons, pewter buttons, etc. I quickly stopped digging in fear of ruining this historic resource and that's when I contacted the Maine Historic Preservation Commission.

I emailed photos of my finds to the Maine State Archaeologist, Leith Smith.  Leith is the head of historic archaeology for the Maine Historic Preservation Commission.  He came out with me for a day this past summer and I showed him the site along with the artifacts that I had recovered.  

According to Myrtle Lovejoy's book, 'This Was Stroudwater,' Nathaniel Knight and his brother, Westbrook Knight ran a Mill on the Stroudwater river. Nathaniel had horses, as there are records of him selling Colonel Thomas Westbrook a horse.  Horse ownership was not common at the time, and an eighteenth-century horse tack was found at the site. 

Nathaniel Knight's house was located at the site that I was investigating in Westbrook before it burned in 1746 or 1747 by Native Americans during King George's War; I think the violence was intensified by conflict over the disruption of spawning fisheries by the mills and their dams. Knight returned and rebuilt after the conflict.  

Nathaniel Knight's original hand written ledger survives at the Maine Historic Society's Library in Portland.  There are almost no entries between 1746 and 1750.  

Lovejoy writes that Nathaniel Knight died on the property in the 1780's. I found evidence of a post 1740's occupancy on this property with a broken piece of slip decorated red earthenware with the date "1770" written in slip."

Please Stay Tuned...Much More to Come...