A Group of Billheads from the M.B. Paige Pottery in Peabody, Mass. Recently Found in Maryland and Virginia

Among my favorite places to hike in New England is Mount Cardigan in western New Hampshire, which overlooks the towns of Orange, Alexandria and Grafton, along with other locations in Grafton County. Red earthenware production in this part of New Hampshire will also be a subject touched upon in my forthcoming book, titled, An Influential Family of Early Potters: The Clarks of New Hampshire and Related Businesses.

I demonstrate in the book that various potters exported wares to New Hampshire in the eighteenth and nineteenth century, including red earthenware made in Charlestown, Massachusetts before 1775, as well as stoneware made in Charlestown in the nineteenth century, and perhaps even Jonathan Fenton's (1766-1835) stoneware production in Boston during the circa 1793-1796 period.

Interestingly, until recently, I had never seen any paperwork related to the circa 1876-1940s Moses B. Paige Pottery in Peabody, Massachusetts outside of a museum collection, although I acquired three billheads from this business late last year from the 1890s that were recently found in Maryland and Virginia. The only billhead that I had previously seen is one dated September 17, 1894 and owned by the Peabody Historical Society.

Surprisingly, though, I just acquired a fourth billhead, also found in Virginia that documents an order of products that were shipped near Mount Cardigan to Grafton, New Hampshire. The order was sent from the Paige Pottery's office on Spice Street in Charlestown and dated June 24, 1898.

Furthermore, I just went back and looked at the previous three billheads and they are all addressed to the same merchant in Grafton, all with various dates from 1898. There was apparently a significant amount of red earthenware shipped to this town from Peabody in the late 1890s, whereas the forms included plates, bowls and jugs. 

There were also other forms listed on the billheads and additional types of pottery sold, as well, along with some glassware, seeing that Paige sold more than just the red earthenware that was produced at his business. For whatever reason, though, Paige apparently had some sort of business opportunity with a merchant in Grafton, where the town had a population of less than 800 people in 1898.

Nevertheless, it should also be noted that by 1881, Grafton was a rail station along the Northern (New Hampshire) Railroad, which eventually became part of the Boston and Maine Railroad.

Note: For more information, see my second book, titled, The Moses B. Paige Company: The Last of the Peabody Potteries: https://historicbeverly.net/product/the-moses-b-paige-company-the-last-of-the-peabody-potteries/.

Update: Learn about the merchant who purchased the Paige Pottery products in Grafton: http://www.earlyamericanceramics.com/2024/07/elvirus-frederick-folsom-1847-1926-of.html.

Group of Billheads from the M.B. Paige Pottery in Peabody, Mass.

This is Mount Cardigan in New Hampshire

It Overlooks Orange, Alexandria and Grafton, Among Other Places

Grafton's Population in 1898 was Less Than 800 People

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My Niece Alexis Holding the Billhead

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Billhead from the Paige Pottery's Sales Office in Charlestown, Mass

The M.B. Paige Pottery was Located in Peabody, Mass.

This Billhead is Dated June 24, 1898

All of The Billheads Indicate Orders were Sent to Grafton, N.H.

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This Billhead is Dated June 9, 1898

All of The Billheads Indicate Orders were Sent to Grafton, N.H.

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This Billhead is Dated November 5, 1898

All of The Billheads Indicate Orders were Sent to Grafton, N.H.

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This Billhead is Dated May 27, 1898

All of The Billheads Indicate Orders were Sent to Grafton, N.H.

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