EarlyAmericanCeramics.com: Two Wonderful Red Earthenware Objects Made by Greg Shooner Created from Locally Dug Clay in Essex County, Massachusetts

Wednesday, June 14, 2017

Two Wonderful Red Earthenware Objects Made by Greg Shooner Created from Locally Dug Clay in Essex County, Massachusetts

You may recall an article that I posted last summer, where I dug clay with my nephew, Jason at the site of the William Pecker Pottery (ca. 1790-1820) in Merrimacport, Massachusetts and near the Daniel Bayley Pottery Company (ca. 1763-1799) in Newburyport, Massachusetts. I had investigrated these sites in the late-fall of 2015 for usable clay - and, I discovered two clay sources that were likely used at both of these important potter's businesses. In fact, the clay source in Merrimacport was located exactly at the site of the Pecker Pottery. However, due to twentieth century construction, the clay that was found in Newburyport was located a few hundred yards from the site of the Bayley Pottery Company; although, I have no doubt that it was the same clay source that was used by this business.

After we dug the clay, we let it dry for a few days before it was boxed up and shipped to Oregonia, Ohio potter, Greg Shooner. Greg told me last summer at Dish Camp at Historic Eastfield Village in upstate New York that he was excited at the opportunity to experiment with the clay.

Truthfully, I was just as excited to see if the clay was something that could actually be used to create red earthenware just like it would have been harvested for use at the Pecker Pottery and the Bayley Pottery Company in the eighteenth and nineteenth century (note: Bayley Pottery only operated until circa 1799).

Yesterday, a large box arrived in the mail that caught me by surprise - and inside of that box I found two wonderful red earthenware objects that Greg had successfully created from the clay that I sent to him. Both objects were also decorated in a popular glaze style that William Pecker is most known for today.

The first object that I pulled out of the box was a great jug that Greg had signed and dated on the base, but he also wrote "Merrimacport Clay." The second object was a pot that Greg had also signed and dated, along with the inscription, "Newburyport Clay."

Personally, this is extremely exciting, where I was able to determine the same clay source that was used by two significant Essex County, Massachusetts potters - and, from that clay source, Greg successfully created red earthenware no different than what was made at the Pecker Pottery and the Bayley Pottery Company in the 1700s and 1800s (note: Bayley Pottery only operated until circa 1799).

Note: The Bayley Pottery was not the only potter's business located in Newburyport; although, it was probably the most successful. The Pecker Pottery ended with Pecker's death in 1820, but red earthenware production did not cease - Pecker's nephew, James Chase renamed the business and the Chase family continued to produce red earthenware into the 1880s.

Here are three articles that I had published in the New England Antiques Journal, which further discuss the variety of production that took place in Merrimacport.

1) William Pecker Pottery
2) Chase Family Pottery
3) William Pecker Stoneware

Here are also the three introductory articles that I wrote in preparation of this project about investigating for clay, and later digging for clay in late-2015 and 2016.

1) Clay Source Found in Newburyport, Mass
2) Pitts Found in Newburyport, Mass. Near Clay Source
3) Digging for Clay in Merrimacport, Mass. and Newburyport, Mass.

Red Earthenware Created from Clay Dug at Two Potter's Sites in 2016

Red Earthenware Pot and Jug Recently Made by Oregonia, Ohio Potter, Greg Shooner

The Pot was Made from Clay that I Dug in Newburyport, Mass.

The Jug was Made from Clay that I Dug in Merrimacport, Mass.
These Were the Same Clay Sources that were Used by 18th Century Essex County, Mass. Potters

See Article for More Information