An Important 18th Century Green-Glazed Red Earthenware Tea Canister

History indicates the Upton Pottery was established by two brothers, Isaac Upton (1736-1824) and Samuel Upton (1748-1810) in East Greenwich, Rhode Island. It was purportedly a business that was established amid the American Revolution Era during the circa 1771-1783 period. A brief history of this business is reportedly preserved in a book published in 1892, titled 'China Collecting in America,' which was written by Alice Morse Earle.

According to Earle, "Around the commencement of the Revolutionary War a man named Upton came from Nantucket to East Greenwich, Rhode Island, and there manufactured red earthenware. The pottery when made was baked in a kiln which stood at the corner of King and Marlboro Streets. He made pans, bowls, plates, cups and saucers of common red clay, a little finer than that now used in the manufacture of flower pots. As little porcelain was imported from Europe during the War, people used willingly, and even eagerly, the coarse plates, and drank their 'Liberty Tea' from the coarse cups and saucers. The clay came from Goold's Mount, now owned by Mr. Henry Waterman, of Quidneset, Rhode Island. After the war ended, Upton went back to his safety-assured home on Nantucket and the Greenwich Pottery was closed."

I truly question how much actually survives from the Upton Pottery today; although, I have seen a small number of examples of eighteenth or early-nineteenth century red earthenware in recent years that were attributed to Rhode Island. However, I feel that many (if not most) of these products were actually made in southeastern Massachusetts in the late-eighteenth or early-nineteenth-century. I can not recall a piece that I have seen, which was attributed to Rhode Island that did not match what was produced in southeastern Massachusetts in glaze-color, clay-color and the style of production.

To my knowledge: there were only two attempts to produce red earthenware in Rhode Island - the first attempt happened with Joseph Wilson (born 1735) in Providence Rhode Island. Joseph was a member of the prominent Wilson family of potters, who operated a successful multi-generational business in South Danvers, Massachusetts in the eighteenth-century. Nevertheless, Joseph Wilson chose to travel elsewhere for work - he briefly settled in Dedham, Massachusetts in the early-1760's; although, he is later found in Providence, Rhode Island, circa 1767-1770.

An advertisement from the 'Newport (Rhode Island) Mercury' on June 22, 1767 identifies some of the types of wares that Wilson produced in Providence: "Joseph Wilson - potter at the North End of Providence Informs the Public that he can Supply them with Earthen Ware at a Cheap Rate, made in the best Manner and Glazed in the Same Way as Practised in Philadelphia - All Persons in this Town may be regularly supplied by Means of the Boats which constantly pass between this Place and Providence."

The Upton Pottery is the only other business, which is known to have produced red earthenware in Rhode Island - afterwards, Rhode Island seems to have been dominated with red earthenware imported from southeastern Massachusetts and Connecticut. Evidence of this export/import business can be seen at the Little Compton, Rhode Island Historical Society, where a number of products retain early local histories of ownership. Stoneware also became popular in Rhode Island in the late-eighteenth and nineteenth-centuries.

With that said, I do not know how any red earthenware can be one-hundred-percent attributed to Rhode Island today without concrete archaeological evidence. But Alice Morse Earle does state in 1892 in 'China Collecting in America' that "... As little porcelain was imported from Europe during the War, people used willingly, and even eagerly, the coarse plates, and drank their 'Liberty Tea' from the coarse cups and saucers (that were made at the Upton Pottery)." 

I recently thought about this red earthenware tea canister that appears eighteenth-century in origin. It is thought to be from southeastern Massachusetts; however, I will suggest that it could be from the Upton Pottery since this business appears to have produced red earthenware with the idea that some of it would be used for the consumption of tea. I believe this tea canister also dates from the proper period, as to when the Upton Pottery was in operation.

18th Century Red Earthenware Tea Canister

18th Century Red Earthenware Tea Canister

Possibly Made at the Upton Pottery in East Greenwich, RI

Possibly Circa 1771-1783

Stands Approximately 8" Tall

Ex-Samuel Herrup Collection

Photo Courtesy: Private Connecticut Collection

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