The first jar was marked by Hervey Brooks (1779-1873), a country potter employed outside of Hartford, Connecticut who is known to have marked some of the wares he made "H. BROOKS." But I do not believe I have seen an object of his before marked on both the vessel and the the lid, such as the case with this jar - and I have studied a lot of Brooks' material, including all of the wares owned by Old Sturbridge Village in Massachusetts, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, and the National Museum of American History at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C.
According to the Connecticut Historical Society, "Hervey Brooks was an American potter and farmer who made red earthenware in Goshen for more than one half century. His production provided domestic wares for an isolated countryside and contributed to an informal system of sales, barter and trade that characterized the rural economy of the period. While few records of this trade exist, Brooks left behind extensive documentation of his business transactions and daily responsibilities that provide historians a unique look at the life of a nineteenth century farmer-potter.
The life of a farmer-potter meant that Brooks did not have the luxury of spending all his time perfecting his craft. In fact, from 1828 until 1864 Brooks only fired his kiln one day per year because life on the farm also involved sawing lumber, blacksmithing, carpentry, and a host of other responsibilities that kept him from his pottery.
When Brooks passed away in 1873, he left behind account books and day books. He also left a largely intact manufacturing facility that provided archaeologists with new insight into the tools, materials and processes that went into his production of red earthenware."
Hervey Brooks Jar, Goshen, CT
19th Century Red Earthenware Jar Made by Hervey Brooks in Goshen, CT
Both the Lid and Jar are Stampd "H. BROOKS"
Stands 8 1/2" Tall
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Photo Courtesy: Garth's Auctions
View of the Lid with the "H. BROOKS" Stamp
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Photo Courtesy: Garth's Auctions
The second Connecticut jar that sold yesterday at Garth's in Ohio was marked "T.O. GOODWIN," a stamp sometimes applied by Thomas O'Hara Goodwin (1796-1880) in West Hartford, Connecticut in the early-nineteenth century.
According to the West Hartford Historical Society, "Early on, grist saw, and carding mills along with blacksmith shops, tanneries and general stores emerged around the (West Hartford) community to support and help drive agriculture. One of the first major industries to arise centered on the pottery and brick works. Extending from Hartford to Berlin is a sizable deposit of fine clay.
In 1770, Ebenezer Faxon came from Massachusetts and settled in what would become the Elmwood section of West Hartford. There he established a pottery on South Road (what is today New Britain Avenue) which took advantage of the local geographical landscape. Nathaniel Seymour later followed, but it was Seth Goodwin (1772-1828), however, who helped to establish a pottery dynasty. Goodwin started his pottery works around 1798. For over a hundred years, the Goodwin name would be associated with West Hartford Pottery - producing utilitarian items such as jugs for the gin manufactured in local distilleries, to terra cotta designs and fine china. The Goodwin Company employed up to 75 people in its heyday in the mid-to-late nineteenth century. The Goodwin Brothers Pottery Company (as it came to be known) burned for the third time in 1908 and never recovered."
Thomas O'Hara Goodwin Jar, W. Hartford, CT
19th Century Red Earthenware Jar Made at the Goodwin Pottery in W. Hartford, CT
Stamped "T.O. GOODWIN"
Stands 8 1/2" Tall
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Photo Courtesy: Garth's Auctions
View of the "T.O. GOODWIN" Stamp
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Photo Courtesy: Garth's Auctions
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