This post is another preview of my forthcoming two-volume, 1,800+ page, tenth book, titled, An Early Industry of Household Wares: The Red Earthenware of Salem Village, Danvers, Peabody, Beverly and Salem, Massachusetts: http://www.earlyamericanceramics.com/2026/01/update-on-new-book-book-sent-to.html.
While researching my new book, I knew that past research had long suggested Jonathan Kettle—the first potter in South Danvers (Peabody)—was born in Salem around 1701. However, a closer look at original records actually points to a birth date closer to 1696. This is that story.
"...Past research has long suggested that Jonathan Kettle was born in Salem, Massachusetts, around 1701. However, a closer look at original Salem records and family patterns indicates a date closer to 1696. This confusion often stems from a July 3, 1696, birth entry for a "John" Kettle; since "John" and "Jonathan" were frequently used interchangeably or misread in old handwriting, some past researchers believe this entry marks Jonathan’s arrival. While the exact year remains a point of discussion, the debate is effectively settled by 1730 estate records from the Essex County Probate Court. These documents formally name Jonathan as an heir of James Kettle, providing the official proof of parentage that missing birth registers could not.
The earlier birth date also solves a second mystery. Had Jonathan been born in 1701, he would have been only eleven-years-old when his father passed in 1712, leaving it unclear where he learned to produce red earthenware—whether with the Hayward family of potters in Beverly, in Charlestown, or at his father’s business. A 1696 birth date allows for a traditional apprenticeship under his father and others. Records confirm Jonathan had strong ties to Charlestown during this period, where he was an active member of the community between 1712 and 1730.
This timeline culminates in the 1730 probate, where Jonathan finally acquired his portion of his father’s land. While James Kettle died in 1712, the distribution of assets was delayed for nearly two decades. This inheritance provided Jonathan with the capital and property necessary to maintain the family’s regional presence in Salem. While there is no evidence this allowed him to "establish a pottery company" in the modern sense, it ensured he could continue the Kettle legacy of pottery production and farming, essentially establishing South Danvers’ (modern day Peabody) first red earthenware business in 1731. His work likely drew inspiration from English styles similar to those found in Charlestown. Some of the objects featured later in this chapter may, in fact, have originated in Jonathan’s workshop (see "Some Eighteenth Century Slip Decorated Red Earthenware Objects")."
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