An Exciting 18th Century Slip Decorated Sherd Recovered at the Site of the Great Island Tavern on Cape Cod

I have previously documented on this website that eighteenth-century red earthenware from Charlestown, Massachusetts has been recovered in colonial archaeological contexts in Nova Scotia, Midcoast Maine, Southern Maine, Portsmouth, New Hampshire and North Branford, Connecticut.

However, John Parker's potter's daybook from Charlestown, which is owned by the Baker Library at Harvard University today indicates that Charlestown pottery was shipped all over coastal New England during the circa 1747-1761 period. For example, Mr. James Lewes from Barnstable, Massachusetts (Cape Cod) purchased seven wholesale orders of red earthenware in 1750 and 1751, whereas Mr. John Smith of Harwich, Massachusetts (Cape Cod) also purchased a few wholesale shipments of red earthenware in 1750, as well. This red earthenware was shipped to Cape Cod, where it was then likely sold to local homeowners (and taverns) in a retail environment.

Page from John Parker's Charlestown, Mass. Potter's Daybook

A Page from John Parker's Charlestown, Mass. Potter's Daybook

Circa 1747-1761

Mr. James Lewes from Barnstable, Mass. Purchased 7 Orders of Pottery in 1750 & 1751

Mr. John Smith from Harwich, Mass. Purchased 2 Orders of Pottery in 1750

These Orders were Placed with the Parker Pottery in Charlestown, Mass.

Photo Courtesy: Baker Library - Harvard University

According to the book, 'Unearthing New England's Past: The Ceramic Evidence,' "Until the first quarter of the eighteenth-century, the Cape Cod village of Welfleet participated in a thriving offshore whaling industry. Although the livelihoods of residents included fishing, oyster harvesting, and agriculture, the hunting of the 'black fish,' or whales, was a key element in the regional economy. 

Local tradition claimed that a tavern was located on Great Island in Wellfleet Harbor, but written records may have proven that it may have been lost in a nineteenth century fire at the Barnstable County Courthouse; archaeological evidence suggests, however that there was a tavern on the island, but it may have been associated with whaling, perhaps as a way station. 

Excavations revealed the stone foundation of a large building, fifty by thirty feet, with a central brick chimney. Typical of late-seventeenth century New England vernacular construction, the main portion of the structure consisted of two rooms on either side of the chimney. A lean-to was probably attached at the rear.

Ceramics were the most significant artifacts in terms of both quantity and variety. Vessels associated with food and beverage consumption, food storage, preparation, and cooking were represented. Local red earthenware, some with distinctive slip decoration, predominated the collection."

This eighteenth-century slip decorated sherd was among the domestic red earthenware recovered at the site of the Great Island Tavern in Welfleet. This sherd is decorated with a distinctive style of stamped slip, which has also been recovered at the site of the Parker Pottery (see artifact below) in Charlestown, circa 1714-1755.

The archaeology report indicates that the sherd found in Wellfleet is likely from the early-eighteenth century, which suggests that the Parkers (or other potters in Charlestown) were likely exporting to Cape Cod well before John Parker began to use a potter's daybook in 1747.

Slip Decorated Sherd Recovered in Welfleet, Mass.

18th Century Slip Decorated Red Earthenware Sherd

Recovered at the Site of the Great Island Tavern in Welfleet, Mass. on Cape Cod

Likely Made at the Parker Pottery in Charlestown, Mass.

Stamped Slip Matches a Style Recovered at the Site of the Parker Pottery in Charlestown, Mass.

Parker Pottery Operated Circa 1714-1755

Photo Courtesy: Sheila Charles & Alan Synenki

Slip Decorated Sherd Recovered at the Site of the Parker Pottery in Charlestown, Mass.

18th Century Slip Decorated Red Earthenware Sherd Made in Charlestown, Mass.

Recovered at the Site of the Parker Pottery in Charlestown, Mass.

Circa 1714-1755

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

Note: For more information about the production of red earthenware and stoneware in Charlestown, Massachusetts before the American Revolution - I suggest these articles, which I have posted in the past two weeks.

1) Charlestown: New England's Potter's Industry, Circa 1635-1775

2) The Stoneware Made in Charlestown, Massachusetts, Circa 1741-1745

3) An Important Red Earthenware Potter's Daybook, Circa 1747-1761

4) A Stoneware Handle Recovered in a Mid 18th Century Context

5) An Unusual 18th Century Stoneware Cup

6) The 17th & 18th Century Brick Maker's Industry in Charlestown and Medford

7) An Important Stoneware Saggar Recovered in Charlestown

8) An 18th Century Red Earthenware Object Uncovered in North Branford, Connecticut

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

An Exciting 18th Century Red Earthenware Object that was Uncovered in North Branford, Connecticut

According to the Connecticut Department of Transportation, "Archaeological studies were undertaken as part of a Connecticut Department of Transportation project of improving the intersection of State Route 22 and Village Street in North Branford, Connecticut. The Phase II archaeological investigation determined that the site was a significant archaeological resource eligible for the National Register, but because there were no prudent or feasible alternatives to avoiding the site construction impacts were mitigated through a Phase III Data Recovery Program. Site 99-31 on the southeast corner of Route 22 and Village Street, represents the circa 1737 homestead remains of Samuel Goodsell and his family.

After Samuel's death in 1751, his widow Lydia lived at the homestead with her unmarried daughter Martha until the 1790s.

The Goodsells were Yeomen farmers who practiced a diversified and mixed agricultural and craft production household economy. 

The excavations identified ten features, including two cellars (associated with the 'Old House' and the 'New House' mentioned in Samuel Goodsell's 1752 probate inventory), a chimney base and a possible food storage pit. A long linear midden was identified along the east side of the houses."

A few days ago, I wrote about John Parker's circa 1747-1761 potter's daybook from Charlestown, Massachusetts, which is owned by the Baker Library at Harvard University today. The history that this book preserves is amazing - Parker indicates that wholesale orders of Charlestown-made red earthenware were shipped to Massachusetts merchants in Roxbury, Milford, Duxbury, Norwich, Marblehead, Malden, Nantucket, Barnstable and Harwich. Although, there was also an order of red earthenware purchased by Mr. Griffith from Killingworth, Connecticut on August 19, 1747, as well as multiple orders of red earthenware placed in May and July 1751 by Mr. Daniel Gray, who was also from Killingworth, Connecticut.

John Parker's Potter's Daybook

 Wholesale Order of Earthen Ware that was Shipped to Killingworth, CT

 This Order was Placed at the Parker Pottery on August 19, 1747

Photo Courtesy: Baker Library - Harvard University

Wholesale Orders of Earthen Ware that were Shipped to Killingworth, CT

 These Orders were Placed at the Parker Pottery in May and July 1751

Photo Courtesy: Baker Library - Harvard University

Potentially, this is where today's article becomes exciting - the distance between North Branford, Connecticut and Killingworth, Connecticut is only twelve miles. There was an eighteenth-century slip-decorated red earthenware pan recovered within a mid-eighteenth century archaeology context at the Goodsell Site, which appears to have been produced in Charlestown. The style of the slip is similar to various objects that are attributed to the Parker Pottery, which were recovered in Charlestown during the archaeology of Boston's Big Dig Project in the 1980s.

Slip-Decorated Pan Recovered in North Branford, CT

18th Century Slip-Decorated Red Earthenware Dish

Recovered within a Mid 18th Century Context at the Goodsell Site in North Branford, CT

The Slip is Similar to Styles that were Produced in Charlestown, Mass.

It is Documented that Charlestown Pottery was Shipped Near North Brandford in 1747 & 1751

Photo Courtesy: Connecticut Department of Transportation

Porringer Recovered in Charlestown, Mass.

18th Century Slip-Decorated Red Earthenware Porringer Made in Charlestown, Mass.

Recovered from a Privy at the Three Cranes Tavern in Charlestown, Mass.

Likely Made at the Parker Pottery in Charlestown, Mass.

Circa 1720-1750 Archaeological Context

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

Note: For more information about the production of red earthenware and stoneware in Charlestown, Massachusetts before the American Revolution - I suggest these articles, which I have posted in the last week.

1) Charlestown: New England's Potter's Industry, Circa 1635-1775

2) The Stoneware Made in Charlestown, Massachusetts, Circa 1741-1745

3) An Important Red Earthenware Potter's Daybook, Circa 1747-1761

4) A Stoneware Handle Recovered in a Mid 18th Century Context

5) An Unusual 18th Century Stoneware Cup

6) The 17th & 18th Century Brick Maker's Industry in Charlestown and Medford

7) An Important Stoneware Saggar Recovered in Charlestown

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

An 18th Century Potter's Daybook from Weston, Massachusetts that is Owned by Harvard University Today

A few years ago, I studied Abraham Hews' circa 1780-1794 potter's daybook at the Baker Library at Harvard University. This book is not referenced by Massachusetts author, Lura Woodside Watkins in 'Early New England Potters and Their Wares;' although, Watkins does cite the importance of this potter's business. 

According to Watkins, "Abraham Hews (1741-1818) founded the pottery in Weston, Massachusetts in 1765. He was 24 years old when he began to make red earthenware. The founder of the business called himself 'potter' in the land records until 1796; thereafter he retired to farming." His son Abraham, born in 1766 (d. 1854), then took over the management. 

For one hundred years the successive generations of the family carried on their trade in the original potter's building. About the time of the Civil War a new shop was built on the other side of the Post Road, where it joins the present highway. 

In 1871 this shop in turn was abandoned, and the whole manufacture moved to its present site in North Cambridge, Massachusetts. The firm name A.H. Hews was then adopted."

The daybook reveals that Abraham Hews was definitely an active potter circa 1780-1794 with dozens of customers, who purchased anywhere from a single item of pottery, as well as customers, who seemed to have purchased wholesale orders. But it is also interesting to note that Hews was also selling beans, potatoes and wheat, which seems to suggest that he was also an active farmer. There are even a few references to Hews loaning (renting?) his horse; for example, he had loaned his horse to Mr. David Brackett in 1793 in order to travel twelve miles to Framingham, Massachusetts.

It is also documented in 1793 that Hews was selling shingles and nails; I am curious to know if these were red earthenware shingles or if they were wooden shingles. But there are a number of references in 1793, where he was selling shingles.

Nevertheless, the pottery is mostly described by Hews in his daybook as either "earthenware" or "ware." He does not really specify the type of pottery that he was selling until 1794 when he wrote that he had sold "Levi Dakin 1/2 dozen milk pans and one platter." I find the platter reference especially intriguing since there are not a lot of known platters associated with Massachusetts potters during this period.

It also does not appear that Hews was selling pottery anywhere, but where he lived in the immediate area west of Boston. It does not seem that he had any extensive export opportunities with his company, which is contradictory to how this business would appear in the late nineteenth-century. It seems that his customers were mostly located in the communities near Weston and Framingham.

Here is a list of the Hews family members, who are responsible for managing the Hews Pottery in both Weston and North Cambridge, Massachusetts:

Hews Pottery Family

1) Abraham Hews (Weston, MA) 1741-1818

2) Abraham Hews – son of Abraham (Weston, MA) – 1766-1854

3) Abraham Hews Jr – son of Abrahm II (Weston, MA) – 1797-1868
4) Horatio Hews – son of Abraham II (Weston & North Cambridge, MA) – 1810-1891

Note: I have shown a few pages from Abraham Hews' potter's daybook; however, I have also shown four examples of red earthenware that were attributed to the Hews Pottery in Weston, Massachusetts by Lura Woodside Watkins, which are owned by the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C. today. These objects are also published in Figure 65 in 'Early New England Potters and Their Wares.'

Abraham Hews' 18th Century Potter's Daybook - Weston, Mass.

Abraham Hews' Circa 1780-1794 Potter's Daybook - Weston, Mass.

Photo Courtesy: Baker Library - Harvard University

Page from Abraham Hews' Potter's Daybook

In 1794 Levi Dakin Bought 1/2 Doz. Milk Pans & 1 Platter

Photo Courtesy: Baker Library - Harvard University

Red Earthenware Attributed to the Hews Pottery in Weston, Mass.

 Red Earthenware Custard Cup Attributed to the Hews Pottery in Weston, MA

Stands 3" Tall

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

 View of the Interior

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

Red Earthenware Jug Attributed to the Hews Pottery in Weston, MA

Stands 8 1/2" Tall

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

View of the Handle

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

(Right) Red Earthenware Baking Cup Attributed to the Hews Pottery in Weston, MA

Stands 2" Tall

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

Red Earthenware Vase Attributed to the Hews Pottery in Weston, MA

Stands 5 1/2" Tall

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

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

An Important Stoneware Saggar Recovered in Charlestown, Massachusetts with a Mean Archaeological Date of 1738

This artifact is likely concrete proof that some stoneware was indeed produced at the Parker Pottery in Charlestown, Massachusetts, circa 1741-1745. It was recovered by archaeologists during the archaeology of Boston's Big Dig Project in the 1980s. This is a sherd from a salt-glazed stoneware saggar, which would have been a container that stoneware was placed inside to protect it from direct flames that it could have been exposed to during the firing process in the potter's kiln.

The ash glaze on this object is a glaze style that is also found on stoneware that was produced at the Anthony Duché Pottery in Philadelphia. Supposedly, Anthony's son, James Duché came to work for the Parker Pottery in Charlestown circa 1741 in order to help the Parkers produce stoneware.

This object was recovered at the Town Dock in Charlestown, which was originally near the Parker estate. The location for where this artifact was discovered was used as landfill for an early wharf system. The saggar was found within clay silt (material between sand and clay) - and, it was found in an archaeological context that saw an average date of 1738, which places it almost directly during the period that the Parker Pottery was reportedly producing stoneware in Charlestown.

The saggar was also found surrounded by a number of examples of Charlestown red earthenware, where the slip-decorated examples appear to have been produced at the Parker Pottery.

The Parker Pottery kiln waste may have eventually been deposited in other areas of Charlestown, where it would have been used as a strong barrier for landfill. A similar scenario appears to have happened with the Drinker Pottery in Charlestown in the 1600s with kiln bricks that were used to fill in a foundation on a neighboring property within a circa 1681-1707 archaeological context.

Note: For more information about the production of red earthenware and stoneware in Charlestown, Massachusetts before the American Revolution - I suggest these articles, which I have posted in the last week.

1) Charlestown: New England's Potter's Industry, Circa 1635-1775

2) The Stoneware Made in Charlestown, Massachusetts, Circa 1741-1745

3) An Important Red Earthenware Potter's Daybook, Circa 1747-1761

4) A Stoneware Handle Recovered in a Mid 18th Century Context

5) An Unusual 18th Century Stoneware Cup

6) The 17th & 18th Century Brick Maker's Industry in Charlestown and Medford

Stoneware Saggar Found in Charlestown, Mass.

18th Century Stoneware Saggar Recovered in Charlestown, Mass.

Likely Related to the Parker Pottery in Charlestown, Mass.

Recovered from Landfill at Charlestown's 18th Century Town Dock

The Saggar was Recovered in an Archaeological Context that saw a Mean Date of 1738

The Parkers Reportedly Produced Stoneware, Circa 1741-1745

 See Article for More Information

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

Another View of the Saggar

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

View of the Ash Glaze

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

Another View of the Saggar

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

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

The 17th & 18th Century Brick Maker's Industry in Charlestown and Medford, Massachusetts

The brick industry in the Boston area thrived before the American Revolution - there were major industries in Medford, Massachusetts and Charlestown, Massachusetts. These were also likely the major suppliers for the Boston area during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. 

Brick makers likely came before potters (although, I can not be positive of that statement) - but, bricks were needed to build a proper kiln. It is not known where the initial bricks came from when Philip Drinker (d. 1647) built what is referred to today as Massachusetts first potter's kiln in Charlestown, circa 1635; however, the bricks may have been produced locally or imported from England. 

Next door to Drinker, lived John Smith and his family, who were also immigrants from England. The Smiths made a living working as shipwrights on Charlestown’s waterfront. The Smith family site is among the archaeological collections, which are kept at Boston's Archaeology Department in West Roxbury, Massachusetts today. The site was excavated by archaeologists in the 1980s as part of the archaeology conducted in Charlestown before Boston's Big Dig Project broke ground. 

Seventeenth century red earthenware kiln bricks were uncovered at the Smith Site; however, most of the bricks were labeled as 'limestone'. Drinker’s kiln is believed to have been located next door to the Smiths, and I believe that this waste can be tied to the Drinker family. This type of proof has never been seen from the Drinker Pottery before; whereas, this company's production has only previously been found in books.

The following examples of kiln bricks were recovered within a circa 1681-1707 archaeological context from the Smith Site. These artifacts were used as landfill when a foundation was covered on the Smith property in the late 1600s. The debris that was used to fill the foundation was likely taken from the remote area. There was a lot of kiln waste found within this context. The only real explanation that I have been able to determine for this waste inside this context is that it came from the Drinker Pottery. It may have come from Philip Drinker or his son, Edward Drinker, but they both ran consecutive potter's businesses on the same property in the 1600s.

17th Century Kiln Waste Recovered in Charlestown

 17h Century Kiln Bricks Recovered on the Smith Site in Charlestown, Mass.

Probably Related to the Drinker Pottery

Recovered in a Circa 1681-1707 Archaeological Context

See Article for More Information

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

 17h Century Kiln Bricks Recovered on the Smith Site in Charlestown, Mass.

Probably Related to the Drinker Pottery

Recovered in a Circa 1681-1707 Archaeological Context

See Article for More Information

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

17h Century Kiln Brick Recovered on the Smith Site in Charlestown, Mass.

Probably Related to the Drinker Pottery

Recovered in a Circa 1681-1707 Archaeological Context

See Article for More Information

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

The manufacture of bricks was needed for the construction of homes and infrastructure in the Boston area in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. There were many names associated with the early brick industry in coastal Massachusetts - Thomas Eames, Joseph Mirrible and Joseph Squire established the industry in Medford in the seventeenth century; whereas, the one-hundred year period between 1650 and 1750 was likely the most prominent in Medford’s industry. The industry supplied much of Boston and the area’s local settlements. Bricks may have even been exported elsewhere in New England. 

The brickyards were abundant in Charlestown and Medford, which was a similar establishment as was the circa 1635-1775 potter's industry in Charlestown. The names Brooks, Shed, Bradshaw, Blanchard, Adams, Casey and Tufts were all associated with this early industry. But the Tufts family’s contribution created a foundation that many may not realize today.

The Tufts family ancestry can be traced back to Peter Tufts from Essex, England in the early seventeenth century. He came to Massachusetts about the same time as did Philip Drinker, when he landed in Charlestown in 1638. Peter settled in a section of Charlestown that would eventually become Malden in 1649. Philip Drinker and Peter Tufts likely knew each other - and, Philip may have even purchased bricks from Tufts for his kiln. The same statement may even be said for the Kettle Pottery in Charlestown in the seventeenth century; although, Peter Tufts died in 1700.

Two of Peter's grandsons also joined the brick making industry in Charlestown; Nathan Tufts was born in 1724 and Daniel Tufts was born in 1757. They both eventually ran backyards, where their company's may have also helped supply the bricks for some of the local red earthenware potter's kilns in Charlestown. The Tufts family was also similar to the Parker family in Charlestown; wheras, the Tufts were also viewed as a prominent family. Daniel Tufts was also a member of the Harvard Utilitarian Society, as well as an important figure at his church.


18th Century Kiln Bricks Recovered in Charlestown

Kiln Bricks from the Parker Pottery in Charlestown, Mass.

Presumably, These Bricks were Produced by a Local Manufacturer

Circa 1714-1755

See Article for More Information

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

Kiln Bricks from the Parker Pottery in Charlestown, Mass.

Presumably, These Bricks were Produced by a Local Manufacturer

Circa 1714-1755

See Article for More Information

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

According to Massachusetts author, Lura Woodside Watkins (Early New England Potters and Their Wares), "The Tufts family were not only brickmakers. (Another grandson of Peter Tufts) James Tufts and his son also carried on a pottery business in Medford as well for many years before the American Revolution."

Another family member, Charles Tufts born in 1781 was a large land owner in Medford, where he was also responsible for donating a piece of property in 1852 that helped establish the foundation for Tufts University. Ultimately, Tufts University was named after a family of brick makers and potters.

According to Tufts University, "Charles Tufts donated the land for the campus on Walnut Hill, the highest point in Medford, saying that he wanted to 'set a light on the hill.'"

To my knowledge: there are no known company ledgers or receipts that exist today, which actually identify where the bricks made by the Tufts family were used. However, it is assumed that most were manufactured for local use. 

The clay source that was used by the brick makers was also the same clay source that was used by Charlestown's red earthenware potters, which was harvested from locations around the Mystic River.

I found it intriguing when I actually found a reference to a Charlestown potter actually digging clay in the late 1750s. I found this information when I studied John Parker's circa 1747-1761 potter's daybook at the Baker Library at Harvard University. The book indicates that Parker was digging clay for Joseph Larkin's potter's business in 1757. He appears to have dug clay for three hours.


18th Century Reference of Digging for Clay in Charlestown

A Page from John Parker's Circa 1747-1761 Charlestown, Mass. Potter's Daybook

It is Documented that he Dug Clay for Joseph Larkin in 1757

See Article for More Information

Photo Courtesy: The Baker Library - Harvard University

Interestingly, a 1766 edition of the 'Boston Post Boy' newspaper shows that a shipment of Medford bricks were shipped to Marblehead, Massachusetts. It was an unfortunate incident, where the ship sank in Marblehead harbor and two men drowned. But this is likely proof that some of the bricks produced in Medford were shipped elsewhere in New England before the American Revolution. Afterwards, many communities in coastal Massachusetts became self sufficient with fulfilling their own bricks needs in the late-eighteenth and nineteenth-centuries.

1766 Boston Post Boy Newspaper

The Paper Indicates that a Shipment of Medford, Mass. Bricks were Sent to Marblehead, Mass.

But the Ship Sank in Marblehead Harbor and Two Men Drowned

See Article for More Information

Photo Courtesy: Boston Public Library

Note: For more information about the production of red earthenware and stoneware in Charlestown, Massachusetts before the American Revolution - I suggest these articles, which I have posted in the last week.

1) Charlestown: New England's Potter's Industry, Circa 1635-1775

2) The Stoneware Made in Charlestown, Massachusetts, Circa 1741-1745

3) An Important Red Earthenware Potter's Daybook, Circa 1747-1761

4) A Stoneware Handle Recovered in a Mid-18th Century Context

5) An Unusual 18th Century Stoneware Cup

6) An Important Stoneware Saggar Recovered in Charlestown

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

A Wonderful Collection of 18th & 19th Century Rare Slip-Decorated Objects from New England

The use of slip-decoration in eighteenth or nineteenth-century New England should be a desirable characteristic today. After all, the use of slip was not a popular form of decoration with many New England potters when compared to some red earthenware potter's industries located elsewhere in America. Especially in the 1800's, when the use of slip was diminished by most industries in New England with the exception of the potters in the Hartford, Connecticut area and southern Connecticut.

But slip was a popular form of decoration with many industries before the American Revolution; the potters in Charlestown, Massachusetts, Abington, Massachusetts, Bristol County, Massachusetts, Essex County, Massachusetts and Newburyport, Massachusetts were all known for unusual styles of slip. Archaeological evidence also suggests that potters applied slip with either a slip cup, a stamp or a brush.

Interestingly, some of the slip that was applied in Charlestown, circa 1635-1775 actually took inspiration from styles that were applied on pottery in England in the seventeenth and eighteenth-centuries; whereas, some potters elsewhere in coastal Massachusetts seemed to have developed their own creative style to decorate an object with slip.

It should be noted that there were potters, such as William Pecker in Merrimacport (formerly South Amesbury), Massachusetts and the Osborn family in Peabody (former South Danvers), Massachusetts, who are known to have applied slip in the eighteenth-century; although, it only seems to have materialized in sparing amounts. It appears that the same statement can also be said for the potter's industry in North Yarmouth, Maine, circa 1790-1890.

I also find it intriguing to understand the methods that were used to apply slip in eighteenth-century New England - there are instances, where the slip was carefully applied in a cautious precise manner, but there are other occasions, where the slip was quickly applied, which suggests that the slip-decorator was in a hurry to decorate a fresh group of green (not fired in the potter's kiln, yet) red earthenware. Both of these styles are largely found with the slip-decorated pottery that was produced in Charlestown before the American Revolution.

Nevertheless, these are three large rare examples of eighteenth and/or early nineteenth-century slip-decorated New England red earthenware, which were recently consigned to Antiques Associates at West Townsend, Massachusetts. All of the slip on these objects was likely applied by a brush. I believe two of the objects could be from Massachusetts (although, one could be from Connecticut, as well), while the third is likely from the Hartford, Connecticut area. Two of the jars also reveal traces of copper in the slip, which is a characteristic frequently found with slip produced in Massachusetts and Connecticut. For further information: I would suggest contacting Antiques Associates at West Townsend.

Note: I have not been able to accurately determine a location for where the huge double-handled jar was produced; although, it appears early. It could be as early as circa 1750-1780. I feel it is a tremendously rare object, which may have been made in coastal Massachusetts, such as the Essex County potter's industry. I have recently written about rare styles of slip that were produced in the Peabody/Salem, Massachusetts area, which are hardly documented today - and, it is possible that this may be another rare example.

Double-Handled Jar

 Huge 18th Century Slip-Decorated Red Earthenware Jar

Possibly Made in Essex County, Mass., Likely Made in Coastal Mass.

Decorated with Brushed Slip-Decoration, As Well As Bands of Incising

Possibly Circa 1750-1780

Stands 13 1/2" Tall

Photo Courtesy: Antiques Associates at West Townsend, Mass.

 Another View of the Double-Handled Jar

Photo Courtesy: Antiques Associates at West Townsend, Mass.

View of One Handle

Photo Courtesy: Antiques Associates at West Townsend, Mass.

Double-Handled Jar

Late 18th or Early 19th Century Slip-Decorated Red Earthenware Jar

Probably Made in Coastal Mass. or Hartford, CT Area
Possibly Made at the Thomas O'Hare Goodwin Pottery in West Hartford, CT
Here is a Link to a Similar Object Owned by the Connecticut Historical Society

Decorated with Brushed Slip-Decoration

Stands 10 1/2" Tall

Photo Courtesy: Antiques Associates at West Townsend, Mass.

 Another View of the Jar

Photo Courtesy: Antiques Associates at West Townsend, Mass.

View of One Handle

Photo Courtesy: Antiques Associates at West Townsend, Mass.

Tapered Jar

 Early 19th Century Slip-Decorated Tapered Red Earthenware Jar

Possibly Made in the Hartford, CT Area

Decorated with Brushed Slip-Decoration, As Well As Brands of Incising

Circa 1790-1830

Stands 10 3/4" Tall

Photo Courtesy: Antiques Associates at West Townsend, Mass.

Another View of the Slip-Decoration

Photo Courtesy: Antiques Associates at West Townsend, Mass.

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

An Unusual 18th Century Stoneware Cup that was Uncovered in Charlestown, Massachusetts

Most of the eighteenth-century stoneware that was recovered in Charlestown, Massachusetts during the archaeology of Boston's Big Dig Project in the 1980's is likely from a European manufacturer. There are some questionable artifacts that may have been made by an American potter, but amidst the most desired objects for researchers today, would be any stoneware that was made at the Parker Pottery in Charlestown, circa 1741-1745.

Unfortunately, there is so little known about the stoneware produced at the Parker Pottery today that it is difficult to even try to properly identify an artifact. I believe there may be a small amount of information in the Charlestown Archaeology Collection, but there needs to be more evidence to identify any of the Parker Pottery stoneware production.

Based on an advertisement from the Boston Gazette, it appears that the Parker Pottery did successfully fire a kiln of stoneware in 1745, but what that advertisement entailed is also somewhat of a mystery today; although, that advertisement did instruct readers that the pottery had forty different forms of blue and white decorated stoneware for sale.

However, the Baker Library at Harvard University owns John Parker's circa 1747-1761 potter's daybook, which reveals that there were potters in Charlestown and Portsmouth, New Hampshire, who purchased red earthenware from the Parker Pottery. Presumably, that pottery was then sold by those potters, and as a result, I must question if the Parker Pottery actually produced all forty different forms of stoneware. Did they produce all of the stoneware that they were selling or could some of the stoneware had come from another manufacturer?

Thomas Symmes Advertisement for Red Earthenware and Stoneware from the Parker Pottery

This Advertisement was Placed in the Boston Gazette in 1745

He Advertised 40 Different Forms of Stoneware

Photo Courtesy: Boston Public Library

Nonetheless, the remains of this stoneware cup is probably the most intriguing stoneware artifacts that I have come across in the Charlestown Archaeology Collection. These sherds were recovered inside the landfill, which was used for a nineteenth-century utility trench near Town Dock in Charlestown. However, this cup is an example of eighteenth-century stoneware production - the fill was likely taken from the remote area, where the trench was dug in Charlestown.

The decoration somewhat reminds me of cobalt decorated incised circles, which were published in the 2008 edition of Ceramics in America - the article was written by archaeologist, Meta Janowitz, titled, 'New York City Stonewares from the African Burial Ground.' Those sherds with that specific decoration were attributed to the Crolius/Remmey families in Manhattan, circa 1720-1765.

A peculiar characteristic found on these artifacts is the fact that the cup appears to have been over-fired or there was some issue with the salt-glaze, as a result of the rough exterior. I question whether this cup is kiln waste, which could suggest that it may have been made at the Parker Pottery. But I also question if this cup was sold in its as-is condition, where that would potentially present the idea that this cup may have been made at another potter's business in the 1700s.

Note: Here are two articles that I posted this week, which also discuss the stoneware produced at the Parker Pottery in Charlestown, Massachusetts. I have also included a link to an article that I posted about John Parker's potter's daybook that is owned by the Baker Library at Harvard University today.

1) The Stoneware Made in Charlestown, Mass., Circa 1741-1745

2) Stoneware Handle Recovered in Charlestown, Mass.

3) John Parker's Potter's Daybook

Stoneware Cup Found in Charlestown, Mass.

18th Century Stoneware Cup with Incised Circle and Cobalt Decoration
A Similar Decoration was Produced in Manattan in the 18th Century

Rough Texture Appears Like it was Over-Fired or There was an Issue with the Salt-Glaze
These Artifacts are Possibly Kiln Waste
Possibly Related to the Parker Pottery in Charlestown, Mass, Circa 1741-1745

Found Inside the Landfill at a 19th Century Utility Trench Dug Near Town Dock in Charlestown

Photo Courtesy: Boston Archaeology Department - West Roxbury, MA

View of the Stamp and Cobalt Decoration

Photo Courtesy: Boston Archaeology Department - West Roxbury, MA

View of the Handle
Rough Texture Appears Like it was Over-Fired or There was an Issue with the Salt-Glaze

Photo Courtesy: Boston Archaeology Department - West Roxbury, MA

View of the Rough Texture on the Cup

Rough Texture Appears Like it was Over-Fired or There was an Issue with the Salt-Glaze

Photo Courtesy: Boston Archaeology Department - West Roxbury, MA

View of the Interior of the Cup

Photo Courtesy: Boston Archaeology Department - West Roxbury, MA

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

A Stoneware Handle Recovered in a Mid 18th-Century Archaeological Context in Charlestown, Massachusetts

Yesterday, I wrote, "There are a number of small examples of stoneware that are kept with the Parker Pottery Archaeology Collection at the Boston Archaeology Department in West Roxbury, Massachusetts - but it is difficult to properly attribute any stoneware to the Parker Pottery in Charlestown, Massachusetts, circa 1741-1745 with the lack of an actual stoneware kiln site. Evidence from a kiln site would likely provide insight into how the stoneware from this business would have ultimately appeared, along with the type of clay that was used.

Massachusetts author, Lura Woodside Watkins published this stoneware pot in 1950 in 'Early New England Potters and Their Wares.' She reportedly found it in the early twentieth-century in the basement of an early home in Chelsea, Massachusetts. It was published in Figure 86, where she wrote, "The condition and form with vertical handles suggest a Charlestown origin in pottery of Grace Parker, circa 1742-1745."

Understandably, this is obviously a debatable attribution, where critics may say that this is an early piece of stoneware that was made by either Jonathan Fenton or Frederick Carpenter in Charlestown in the 1790's. But how can the Parker Pottery attribution be completely ruled out since there is no evidence today to show how a handle from this pottery may have appeared or how the cobalt decoration was applied or how a pot may have been constructed. It is also worth noting that this pot is cracked on one side - the crack appears to have happened in the potter's kiln."

Nevertheless, a cobalt decorated stoneware handle was recovered in a mid-eighteenth century archaeological context on Wapping Street in Charlestown, which was likely the remains of a chamber pot. The Parkers also owned a store in Charlestown's City Square neighborhood, where they did sell some of the their pottery - and, Wapping Street was connected to City Square. But what I really wanted to point out about this handle tonight is the fact that the thumb impression found on the terminal is very similar to the thumb impressions that are found on the handles on the pot that Massachusetts author, Lura Woodside Watkins attributed to the Parker Pottery, circa 1741-1745. It is also worth mentioning that the cobalt was applied in a similar style; although, this type of cobalt decoration was used by many American potters in the eighteenth and nineteenth-centuries.

Notes: The photographs of the handle and the pot were taken in two different types of lighting. The handle was photographed under bright photography lights, whereas the pot was photographed in the middle of Historic New England's storage facility in Haverhill, Massachusetts.

Stoneware Handle Found in Charlestown, Mass.

 18th Century Stoneware Handle, Likely From a Chamber Pot

Recovered in a Mid 18th-Century Context on Wapping Street in Charlestown, Mass.

Possibly Related to the Parker Pottery Stoneware Production, Circa 1741-1745

Thumb Impression is Similar to the Thumb Impressions Seen on the Pot Below

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

Stoneware Pot Found in a Basement in Chelsea, Mass.

 Probably 18th Century Stoneware Pot

Lura Woodside Watkins Suggests Charlestown, MA Origin

She Wrote the it May Have Been Made at the Parker Pottery in Charlestown

Circa 1742-1745

Stands 8 1/2" Tall

Photo Courtesy: Historic New England

  Another View of the Pot

Photo Courtesy: Historic New England

 View of One Handle
Thumb Impression Similar to the Sherd Discussed Above

Photo Courtesy: Historic New England

 View of the Other Handle
Thumb Impression Similar to the Sherd Discussed Above

Photo Courtesy: Historic New England

 View of the Base

Photo Courtesy: Historic New England

 Another View of the Base

Photo Courtesy: Historic New England

Another View of the Base

Photo Courtesy: Historic New England

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

An Important Red Earthenware Potter's Daybook from Charlestown, Massachusetts, Circa 1747-1761

I have previously written about the various slip-decorated sherds, which were made in Charlestown, Massachusetts that have been recovered in mid eighteenth-century (or earlier) contexts in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, Maine and Canada. All of these objects are thought to have been made at the Isaac and Grace Parker Pottery in Charlestown, circa 1714-1755. However, Isaac and Grace's son, John Parker was also a potter and his circa 1747-1761 potter's daybook is owned by the Baker Library at Harvard University today.

I studied this daybook a few years ago and I thought it would be fun today to share some of the important information that is kept in this journal.

John Parker's Potter's Daybook
Basically, fourteen-years of John Parker's work as a Charlestown potter is accounted for in this book - he kept track of his employment at the John Harris Pottery and Robert Standly's Pottery in Charlestown in the 1750's. But he also listed many red earthenware orders that were placed by outside merchants. For example, there were at least thirteen merchants from Boston, who individually placed frequent orders of red earthenware from the Parker Pottery in Charlestown. The majority of the red earthenware wholesale orders were also placed before 1755.

18th-Century Slip-Decorated Red Earthenware from Charlesetown, Massachusetts

Both Objects Probably Made at the Parker Pottery, Circa 1714-1755

Photo Courtesy: (Left) Private Collection and (Right) Boston Archaeology Department

18th-Century Slip-Decorated Red Earthenware from Charlesetown, Massachusetts

Both Objects Probably Made at the Parker Pottery, Circa 1714-1755

Photo Courtesy: (Left)  Private Collection and (Right) Boston Archaeology Department

The fact that red earthenware from the Parker Pottery has been discovered in various archaeological contexts in Maine and Canada can be partly interpreted, when Parker indicates in his dabyook, that wholesale orders of red earthenware were shipped to Casco Bay in Maine in the late 1740's. According to Parker, "Mr. Joshua Freeman, Casco Bay, Earthen Ware 1747, April 15."

Wholesale Order of Earthen Ware that was Shipped to Casco Bay in Maine

 This Order was Placed at the Parker Pottery on April 15, 1747

Photo Courtesy: Baker Library - Harvard University

However, the journal also maintains cash sales for objects that are less expected from a potter's daybook in colonial Charlestown, such as wiggs, shaving accessories, soap, Indian corn, corn, onions, handmade cloth, rye, fish, flour, timber, cords of wood and a shovel. But there is also the mention of lead and various references to kilns in Charlestown, such as repairs that John Parker performed on the Parker Pottery kiln in 1748. He references it as "My Mother Parker's Estate, Repairing of Kiln at Sunday Times 3." However, there also appears to have been a Charlestown potter, who purchased a sketch of a kiln from John Parker.

John Parker Referencing Grace Parker's Estate in Charlestown, MA

He Seems to Have Repaired the Kiln 3 Times in 1748

Photo Courtesy: Baker Library - Harvard University

I also found it fascinating to learn that it appears that Parker was selling wholesale orders of red earthenware to merchants in Charlestown, as well as a few potters in Charlestown.

The name James Osborn was also listed in Parker's daybook, but there were no orders of red earthenware sold to Osborn. Instead, Osborn appears to have purchased various supplies, but this could be a significant name seeing that this may have been a son of Joseph Osborn, who established the Osborn Pottery in Peabody (formerly South Danvers), Massachusetts, circa 1736.

The history that this book preserves is amazing - I also found it intriguing with what I interpreted as wholesale orders of red earthenware from individuals, who did not live in Boston or Charlestown. Orders of red earthenware were fulfilled and sent to Massachusetts merchants in Roxbury, Milford, Duxbury, Norwich, Marblehead, Malden, Nantucket, Barnstable and Harwich. Although, there was also an order of red earthenware purchased by Mr. Griffith from Killingworth, Connecticut on August 19, 1747, as well as multiple orders of red earthenware placed in May and July 1751 by Mr. Daniel Gray, who was also from Killingworth, Connecticut.

According to Massachusetts author, Lura Woodside Watkins (Early New England Potters and Their Wares), "Charlestown red earthenware was sent by boat along the seacoast as far as Casco Bay and around Cape Cod (Barnstable, Harwich, etc) as far south as the Connecticut River. This method of selling by water was the only one possible in an era when roads were bad and inland towns scattered, and when the larger markets were in the seacoast settlements."

Wholesale Order of Earthen Ware that was Shipped to Killingworth, CT

 This Order was Placed at the Parker Pottery on August 19, 1747

Photo Courtesy: Baker Library - Harvard University

Wholesale Orders of Earthen Ware that were Shipped to Killingworth, CT

 These Orders were Placed at the Parker Pottery in May and July 1751

Photo Courtesy: Baker Library - Harvard University

Charlestown was really New England's centralized red earthenware industry before the American Revolution. It would be fascinating to see how this industry would have proceeded if it were not destroyed at the Battle of Bunker Hill on June 17, 1775.

Note: Here are links to two more articles, which I just posted this week about the Charlestown, Massachusetts potter's industry, circa 1635-1775.

1) Charlestown: New England's Potter's Industry, Circa 1635-1775

2) Stoneware Made in Charlestown, Circa 1741-1745

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