Great Examples of 19th Century Pottery Made by John Betts Gregory in Clinton, NY

Earlier this month, I posted a story about John Betts Gregory, a late-eighteenth and nineteenth century potter in Norwalk, Connecticut, Long Island and Clinton, New York, In part, I wrote in that article, "In 1896, Reverend Charles Melbourne Selleck (1831-1909) wrote Norwalk, "in an attempt to bring the town's history fully to light, and to preserve and to perpetuate its mentions and memoirs. Many of these were gathered by the author while engaged in the necessarily hasty preparation of his 1886 St. Paul's Church centenary address in Norwalk, Connecticut, but most of them have since been collected, and their public presentation upon the eve of the town's quarter-millennial birth anniversary."

As part of Reverend Selleck's history of Norwalk was the life of John Betts Gregory (1782-1842), a potter who began and ended his career in Norwalk; although, I believe Reverend Selleck's recount was the first time Gregory's entire career had been published, only to be later cited in some twentieth century historical and pottery related publications.

According to Reverend Selleck, "John Betts Gregory was born in Norwalk in 1782 to Abraham and Elizabeth Gregory, who lived where the late Henry Marvin resided, on East Avenue, and south of the ancient Beacham Lane. He learned his trade (potter) of Absalom Day (1770-1843) of "Old Well (neighborhood in Norwalk)." After his marriage to Olive (1786-1883), he had a good business offer from Huntington, Long Island, which he accepted. He afterward established a pottery in Clinton, Oneida County, New York, which required a building 140x40 for his operations. He returned in 1831 to Norwalk and bought from Samuel Hanford, Half-Mile Isle, paying $325.00. He there built a kiln for the burning of earthenware and stoneware. The kiln was erected in 1832 by masons Lewis and George Raymond of "Old Well." The business was here kept up until 1840. Mr. Gregory died July 22, 1842.

Interestingly, the personalities of most early American potters are not known; however, author, Amos Delos Gridley published History of the Town of Kirkland, New York in 1874, describing the businesses of Erastus Barnes and Gregory, as well as a first-hand account he had been told by someone who knew Gregory: "Erastus Barnes established the first pottery in Clinton, his works being nearly in the rear of the late Reverend Charles Jerome's residence on College Street (Hamilton College established in 1793). He found clay of an excellent quality on the Gleason farm, near Manchester, and his business was, for those times, large and lucrative. Mr. John B. Gregory succeeded him, and carried on the same industry for several years. He was quite a recluse, being seldom seen outside of his own premises. Yet he had a genial soul, and loved to scatter jokes and bits of humor among old and young who came to inspect his works or to buy his wares. He was a devout Methodist. Placing a lump of clay on his lathe, he would set his wheel a-spinning, and, while moulding pan or jug or other vessel, would burst into some old refrain, as --

"Behold the potter and the clay !

He forms his vessels as he please."

While it is relatively well known today that Gottfried Aust's circa 1773 red earthenware store sign from Salem, North Carolina is displayed at the Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, it is lesser known that a store sign from Gregory's business is also in existence. I recently learned about this slip-script sign from Sagamore, Massachusetts antiques dealer, Brian Cullity; Brian purchased this sign privately years ago when it appeared on Cape Cod, and he later sold it to the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Museum at Colonial Williamsburg. The script reads, "Ware / Plenty / Come / And Buy."

Two other pieces of pottery made by John Betts Gregory that Brian has bought and sold during his career include another slip-script dish, which reads, "Well / Made," as well as a pitcher decorated with an eagle on two sides. This pitcher is also signed "Clinton" and believed to be dated "1825," and thought to reside in a private collection today.

Great Examples of Pottery Made by John Betts Gregory in Clinton, NY

19th Century Slip-Script Store Sign Made by John Betts Gregory in Clinton, NY
Inscribed "Ware / Plenty / Come / And Buy"

Measures 16 5/16" Wide

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Photo Courtesy: Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Museum

Another View of the Sign

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Photo Courtesy: Brian Cullity

19th Century Slip-Script Dish Attributed to John Betts Gregory in Clinton, NY

Possibly Also Used as a Store Sign

Inscribed "Well / Made"

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Photo Courtesy: Brian Cullity

19th Century Red Earthenware Pitcher Decorated with Two Eagles on Either Side

Attributed to John Betts Gregory in Clinton, NY

Inscribed "Clinton" and Thought to be Dated "1825"

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Photo Courtesy: Brian Cullity

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