Early 19th Century Red Earthenware Bowl Possibly from Vermont

According to Massachusetts author, Lura Woodside Watkins (Early New England Potters and Their Wares), "One of the first settlers of Poultney, Vermont, was an Essex County, Massachusetts man, Samuel Woodman (1753-1828), who left Salem, Massachusetts in 1800. He is mentioned in Reverend William Bentley's (1759-1819) diary (1784-1819) from Salem under the date of June 14, 1814 (where he had returned to Salem in search of potter's supplies):

"Mr Woodman, formerly of Salem, who has four sisters married in Salem, in town from Poultney, Vermont. He could give us no history. He is a potter & is down to purchase materials for glazing his ware. He is in search of manganese in this quarter. He leant his trade in Braintree, Massachusetts, removed to Connecticut, & thence to Poultney on the river which enters at the south end of Lake Champlain. He tells me that his neighbors are chiefly from Connecticut  & from his prejudices I am inclined to believe him."

Furthermore, Watkins also wrote, "Samuel Woodman was forty-seven when he started his pottery in Poultney. He carried it on until about 1820, when his son John (b. 1780) succeeded him. His shop stood where a bank building was later erected (thus archaeological evidence is limited). There is no documentary evidence that he made anything more substantial than "brown (or black) earthenware," as noted in the local history. His search for manganese for use in glazing corroborates this tradition."

While at an onsite sale held by Amesbury, Massachusetts auctioneer John McInnis over the weekend in Alfred, Maine, I spoke with Gabe Ficht, a young antiques collector and dealer from Massachusetts who told me he had some redware for sale. The redware had been purchased in northern New England. I purchased two pieces, one of which is this large red earthenware bowl.

I suspect that this bowl may have been made at the Woodman Pottery in Poultney, Vermont or at another Vermont pottery, seeing that the black exterior glaze and colorful interior glaze is basically the same style found on a red earthenware shaving mug displayed at the Bennington Museum in Bennington, Vermont, which was once owned by George McKearin and attributed to the Woodman Pottery.

If this bowl is not from Vermont, then I suspect it is from coastal Massachusetts or New Hampshire, where this type of glaze pattern was also produced in the nineteenth century.

Large Red Earthenware Bowl

My Niece Alexis Holding the Red Earthenware Bowl

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 Early 19th Century Red Earhenare Bowl

Possibly Made at the Woodman Pottery in Poultney, VT

Otherwise Probably Made in Coastal Massachusetts

Measures 9 3/8" in Diameter and Stands 4" Tall

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19th Century Red Earthenwware Shaving Cup

Reportedly Made at the Woodman Pottery in Poultney, VT

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Photo Courtesy: Bennington, Museum

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