18th Century Charlestown, Massachusetts Stoneware Recovered from a Privy at the Spencer-Peirce-Little Farm in Newbury, Massachusetts

The Spencer-Peirce-Little Farm is a Colonial American homestead/farm located in Newbury, Massachusetts. The property's original seventeenth-century stone home still stands today, where eighteenth-century additions have also been added. The original stone house was built in a classic English style.

A section of the property was excavated by a team of archaeologists in the late-twentieth-century, where an eleven-seat early-nineteenth-century privy was discovered with artifacts dating from the circa 1770-1820 period. These artifacts represent some of the types of wares, which were available during the period in the Newburyport, Massachusetts-area. The ceramic collection includes wares that were imported from China, Europe and Japan; however, Charlestown, Massachusetts stoneware and locally produced red earthenware was also represented.

Spencer-Peirce-Little Farm, Newbury, Mass.

Spencer-Peirce-Little Farm - Newbury, Mass.

Photo Courtesy: Historic New England

 Spencer-Peirce-Little House Parlor - Newbury, Mass.

Photo Courtesy: Historic New England

Spencer-Peirce-Little House Living Room - Newbury, Mass.

Photo Courtesy: Historic New England

The following description was provided by Historic New England, and it represents the history of ownership at the Spencer-Peirce-Little Farm.

1635-1651: Spencer Ownership: First Settlement
"The site was first settled by John Spencer in 1635 when he was granted a 400-acre parcel as part of the first allocation of land to new settlers. The town also granted him a house lot of four acres near the landing site in the Parker River.

In 1637, Spencer was disarmed for being a supporter of Anne Hutchinson and part of a heretical sect. He left Newbury, and gave his property to his nephew. John Spencer died in England in 1648, and his nephew sold the property to Daniel Peirce."

1651-1778: Peirce Ownership: Colonial Farm
"Daniel Peirce, Sr. came to Newbury from Watertown, Massachusetts in 1638. He took an active role in the affairs of the new town, and was engaged in blacksmithing, malt-making, farming and cattle raising. The house remained in the Peirce family until 1778."

1778-1861: Tracy, Boardman, Pettengill Ownership: A Country Estate
"In 1778, Newburyport merchant, Nathaniel Tracy purchased the farm from the Peirce descendants. Tracy's ownership inaugurated an era when the house served as a country seat for prominent families in nearby Newburyport.

The property was sold to Offin Boardman when Nathaniel Tracy died in 1796. Boardman used the house for family quarters and also for servants. 

Boardman died in 1812, and John Pettengill purchased the farm at auction, also in 1812. Pettengill seems to have used the home as a summer house, leasing portions of the property to tenant farmers."

1851-1986: Little Ownership: A Family Farm
"In 1851, Edward Little, a descendant of early settlers of Newbury leased the farm from the Pettengill heirs. By 1861, his hard work and shrewd business investments made it possible for him to purchase the farm outright. The farm remained in the Little family until it was acquired by Historic New England in 1986. Historic New England also acquired all of the Little family's furnishings with the property, which included a variety of locally produced products that remained in their original context of ownership."

Portrait of Nathaniel Tracy

1751-1796

Photo Courtesy: Historic New England

Portrait of Offin Boardman

1747/48-1811

Photo Courtesy: Historic New England & Worcester Art Museum in Worcester, Mass.

I have written a few articles this week, which showed some of the locally produced red earthenware that was recovered from the eleven-seat circa 1770-1820 privy at the Spencer-Peirce-Little Farm. However, eighteenth-century stoneware was also discovered in the same archaeological context as was the red earthenware. The stoneware artifacts include an English salt-glazed scratch blue chamber pot that was likely produced during the circa 1765-1795 period, and domestic stoneware, which was manufactured in Charlestown, Massachusetts in the 1790's.

The Charlestown stoneware is especially interesting since it likely proves that Charlestown wares were exported to Newburyport in the 1790s. It also appears that the Charlestown stoneware potters, Fredrick Carpenter and Jonathan Fenton established their business in the 1790s with the intent to sell wares elsewhere in New England, which expanded their production ability outside of the Boston market.

For example, stoneware that was made by Carpenter has been recovered in late-eighteenth and early-nineteenth-century archaeological contexts in places, such as Portland, Maine, Portsmouth, New Hampshire, Newburyport, Massachusetts and Salem, Massachusetts. Interestingly, the Charlestown red earthenware industry operated in a similar manner prior to the American Revolution.

It would appear (to me) that Fenton's ability to export stoneware was extremely limited since he only worked in Charlestown during the circa 1793-1796 period. Soon after, he appeared as a stoneware potter in Vermont.

Although, the fact that Carpenter and Fenton's stoneware appears in a late-eighteenth-century context at the Spencer-Peirce-Little Farm may explain why some of the stoneware produced by William Pecker in Merrimacport, Massachusetts takes on an appearance of the wares produced in Charlestown. Pecker may have been influenced by the stoneware that was exported to Newburyport.

Note: I also want to emphasize that the red earthenware, which I wrote about the last two days was recovered in the same late-eighteenth-century context within the privy. I believe it was all locally produced in the Newburyport-area. It may have been made at the Daniel Bayley Pottery Company, or at another Newburyport-area potter's business.

Previous Spencer-Peirce-Little Farm Red Earthenware Articles:
Link to first article about red earthenware recovered at Spencer-Peirce-Little Farm.
Link to second article about red earthenware recovered at Spencer-Peirce-Little Farm.

Spencer-Peirce-Little Farm Stoneware, Newbury, Mass.

English Stoneware Chamber Pot

18th Century Salt-Glazed Scratch Blue Stoneware Chamber Pot

Recovered from Circa 1770-1820 Privy at Spencer-Peirce-Little Farm - Newbury, Mass.

Production Period: Circa 1765-1795

Chamber Pot was Found Mixed in with All the American Stoneware and Red Earthenware

Photo Courtesy: Spencer-Peirce-Little Farm, Newbury, Mass. - Historic New England

Spencer-Peirce-Little Farm Stoneware, Newbury, Mass.
Charlestown, Mass. Stoneware

Late-18th Century Stoneware Jug Sherds Decorated with an Incised Cobalt Fish

Attributed to Jonathan Fenton - Charlestown, Mass.

Recovered from Circa 1770-1820 Privy at Spencer-Peirce-Little Farm - Newbury, Mass.

Production Period: Circa 1793-1796

Photo Courtesy: Spencer-Peirce-Little Farm, Newbury, Mass. - Historic New England

Late-18th Century Stoneware Jug Sherds Likely Made in Charlestown, Mass.

Attributed to Fredrick Carpenter - Charlestown, Mass.

Recovered from Circa 1770-1820 Privy at Spencer-Peirce-Little Farm - Newbury, Mass.

Production Period: Circa Late-18th Century

Photo Courtesy: Spencer-Peirce-Little Farm, Newbury, Mass. - Historic New England

William Pecker Stoneware Sherds

Late-18th or Early-19th Century Stoneware Sherds

Recovered at the Site of William Pecker's Stoneware Pottery in Merrimacport, Mass.

Production Period: Late-18th or Early-19th Century

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