One of the most important examples of nineteenth century red earthenware from Western New York will be illustrated in my forthcoming two-volume, ninth book, titled, America's Great Awakening and Migration: The Red Earthenware of Western New York; the slip decorated jar is adorned with applied molded images of a Native American and Lady Columbina / Lady Liberty. The details of the jar will be left for the publication of the book, although there has been some speculation through the years if the Drake family had any involvement with the production of this jar, which was almost certainly made at the Nathaniel Rochester (1752-1831) Pottery in West Bloomfield, New York, circa 1818-1831, although the potter or potters at the Rochester Pottery have not been identified: http://www.earlyamericanceramics.com/2024/05/new-published-feature-story-in-antiques.html.
Nonetheless, there is very little information known about the Drake family's red earthenware production, but the family is listed as potters in Bethany, New York in the 1850 United States Federal Census, perhaps establishing the family enterprise in the 1840s.
The information that I have been able to gather is that John Drake (1799-1861) migrated from Trenton, New Jersey to New York at some point in the nineteenth century and worked as a farmer/potter in Western New York. He first appeared in census records on July 12, 1850 in Bethany, where he was fifty-two years of age. He is cited as being a potter by trade with real estate holdings valued at $700.
The census record also indicates that listed in the household are his wife, Fanny Drake (1799-1872), age fifty-one, as well as their children, Sarah Drake (1823-1884), age twenty-seven, George L. Drake (1825-1907), age twenty-five, who is listed as a potter, Martin H. Drake (1832-1893), age nineteen, also listed a potter, as well as Miles Drake (1836-1865), age fourteen; they also had another daughter, Julia Drake (1832-1918). All of the Drake children were born in New York, so John Drake had to have been living in New York State, as early as 1823. But he may have been living there earlier, as well. Sarah and George were born in Steuben County, New York, which is located to the south of Rochester in the southern tier region of New York.
But there is no evidence to indicate where John Drake learned the potter's trade prior to arriving in Bethany around 1850, and there is no known red earthenware production in Steuben County, New York during the 1820s-1840s period.
Some other information that I have been able to gather about the family red earthenware business:
1850 Pottery Business: John Drake listed as a “Potter” with an “Earthen Ware” business worth $1,200 in the 1850 United States Federal Census; the wood for the kiln costs $30 annually, the glazing costs $40 annually, and the clay costs $25 annually. The census record also indicates that he pays $75 worth of labor each month for 3 male employees and he has $300 invested.
1850 Farming Business: John Drake is also listed in the 1850 Agriculture Census in Bethany, New York as owning two-acres of farmland worth $700 and farm equipment worth $152, as well as three horses, one cow and one swine worth $200.
1860 Drain Tile Business: John Drake and his son, Miles Drake are listed as “Tile Makers” (likely drain tile) in Bethany in the 1860 United States Federal Census, although Miles died on May 22, 1865 during the American Civil War and is buried today at Arlington National Cemetery in Washington, D.C.
Note: The success of this family business did not last long, seeing that George Drake is listed as a “Brick and Tile Maker” in Oakfield, Genesee County, New York in the 1860 Federal Census; he is then listed as a farmer in Oakfield in the 1870 and 1880 Federal Censuses.
Martin Drake married Elizabeth Martha Preater (1844-1906) in California on May 11, 1859, although by the early 1860s he was living in Oregon, where he lived the remainder of his life working as a farmer, according to census records.
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