Published in Chapter 16 in Volume 1 of my recently published 1,400 page, two volume book, titled, America’s Great Awakening and Migration: The Red Earthenware of Western New York, is a history of the Gleason family's red earthenware production in the hamlet of Morganville in Stafford, Genesee County, New York. Although, the Gleasons seem to have stopped production in the 1870s, but I did note in the book, "However, through a succession of family related potters, the Morganville operation survived into the early-twentieth century. The last owner of the business was the potter Charles Ford (1847-1912), circa 1900, although by 1905, Ford was cited in the Census in Stafford as a “day laborer,”likely indicating that production had ceased at the Morganville Pottery. Some archaeology collected at the site of the pottery business was owned by Thelma Ford (1919-200), who was a relative of Charles Ford; that archaeology is privately owned in Western New York today."
Evidence of when Ford actually acquired the Morganville Pottery from the Gleasons is not documented, but I also noted in the book that he likely owned the business for at least a few decades.
The Gleason family came to Western New York from Cheshire County, New Hampshire, where I noted in the book, "The Gleason family’s history can be traced back to Middlesex County, Massachusetts in the early-eighteenth century, which is when Thomas Gleason, IV (1637-1705) migrated from England to the Boston area. The family remained in this area, until Benjamin Gleason (1749-1814) relocated to Cheshire County, New Hampshire in the late eighteenth century; Benjamin was the father of Fortunatus Gleason Senior (1752-1811), who was the father of Forunatus Gleason Junior (1792-1873), who originally established the pottery business in Morganville. Some of the Gleason family from New Hampshire also traveled to southern California in the 1800s."
The Gleason family will also be mentioned in my forthcoming 900-1,000 page book, titled, An Early Industry of Household Wares: The Red Earthenware of Salem Village, South Danvers, Peabody and Salem, Massachusetts. The reason they will be included is a result of a member of the Southwick family who lived and likely worked as a potter in Cheshire County during the circa 1809-1843 period. The Gleason family was also living in Cheshire County during this period, as were a number of other potters. The Southwicks were one of the big potting families who lived in South Danvers (Peabody) in the eighteenth and nineteenth century, and these potters were also descendants of Lawrence (ca. 1598-1660) and Cassandra Southwick (ca. 1601-1660), who along with their children were severely persecuted for their Quaker faith in Salem in the 1650s.
However, before Lawrence Southwick was a Quaker, he arrived in Salem in the 1630s, where some accounts suggest he was in the business of making glass and red earthenware with Annanias Concklin, Obadiah Holmes and William Osborne. Upon arriving in Salem, these men were also given land at Strong Water Brook, near the boundary line between Salem town and the Middle Precinct, which was between Salem and Salem Village at that time, and located today between Salem and Danvers, Massachusetts. But there is no indication that this red earthenware business ever happened or found much success.
Nonetheless, the Gleason family and the Southwick family share a common connection of both living in Cheshire County, New Hampshire. Interestingly, I learned of this price list yesterday that is privately owned from the Morganville Pottery, although it represents Charles Ford's ownership of the business in a firm cited as "Ford & Hart" and dated August 23, 1877. The price list notes that they produced red earthenware butter pots, preserve jars, jugs, crocks, milk pans, spittoons, bean pots, tomato jars, stove tubes and various types of flowerpots. Many of these forms were also produced in Cheshire County, which is why I am including this price list in the forthcoming Essex County, Massachusetts book!
Note: For more information about production in Cheshire County, New Hampshire - see my recently published 700 page book, titled, An Influential Family of Early Potters: The Clarks of New Hampshire and Related Businesses: https://historicbeverly.net/product/an-influential-family-of-early-potters-the-clarks-of-new-hampshire-and-related-businesses/.
An 1870s Price List from the Morganville Pottery in Western New York
Please Stay Tuned...Much More to Come...
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