The history of the Safford family and red earthenware production in Monmouth, Maine is rather well known since the family was one of the few in New England to sign their wares, sometimes found today either stamped "John Safford, "John M. Safford" or "John Safford 2D." The most famous of all the marked objects may be a heavily stamped nineteenth century red earthenware jar with its original lid that is displayed in the Americana Wing at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in Manhattan. It is inscribed on the underside of the lid "S J Jewett / Monmouth / August 18, 1838 / JMS." Although, there are a few other objects somewhat comparable to this piece known today, most of which are owned by the Maine State Museum in Augusta, but there others in private collections. These objects are typically viewed as either presentation pieces or objects that may have been made to be displayed at the pottery.
The Safford family's red earthenware production began when John Milford Safford (1811-1880) arrived about 1830 after he had apprenticed in Exeter, New Hampshire, presumable with the Dodge family. Safford's cousin, John Safford II (1797-1879), followed a similar path and established his own shop in Monmouth by 1838. The thought is that the two often stamped their wares to distinguish their products. And there is also some speculation that some of the more elaborate pieces may have been created to showoff their skill between the potteries, seeing that much of their production was intended for the local marketplace, and probably communities located around the Kennebec River and the Androscoggin River.
However, it may not be widely know today that the Safford family actually continued to produce red earthenware into the twentieth century - John M. Safford's son George Llewellyn Safford (1847-1921) was also a potter and he continued in the family tradition in some capacity well into the 1900s. In fact, his obituary reading in part, "George Llewellyn Safford, a pottery manufacturer of Monmouth, Me., died at his home in that town on January 20. Mr. Safford was born in Monmouth Ridge in 1847, and after his education in the public schools went into business with his father, an old time potter, later acquiring the business..."
Nevertheless, I recently spoke with North Monmouth, Maine antiques dealer David McLean and I learned about a pew deed that he discovered, which is dated "February 23 1860" and signed at the bottom "John Safford." Pew deeds recorded titles to church pews, and were used to convey them. Pews were originally purchased from the church by their owners under this system, and the purchase price of the pews went to the costs of building the church. Although, it is unclear to me which church this is related to, but it may have been for the United Church of Monmouth built in 1840 or the North Monmouth Community Church built in 1852.
A Pew Deed Dated 1860 from Monmouth, Maine Potter John Safford
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