This late-eighteenth or nineteenth century red earthenware jar with incised decoration was attributed to Salem, Massachusetts, in September 1957. While further evidence is required to definitively prove this provenance, the specific style of incised lines exhibited on the jar is traditionally associated with Salem potters (among others)—a link corroborated by archaeological recoveries at the Narbonne House. This regional red earthenware tradition is a central focus of my forthcoming two-volume work, An Early Industry of Household Wares: The Red Earthenware of Salem Village, Danvers, Peabody, Beverly and Salem, Massachusetts.
Supporting this research is a vital group of objects held by the Peabody Essex Museum that retain original histories of Salem family ownership, alongside a vast collection of archaeological data published for the very first time in this book. Among the most prominent artisans of this era was the Symonds family, who operated multiple multigenerational businesses; the following history of their family is excerpted from Chapter 8.
"...While South Danvers (Peabody)
typically receives the credit for the region's famous red earthenware, several
potters were also active in neighboring Salem during the eighteenth and
nineteenth centuries. Because these craftsmen lived in close proximity and
shared similar techniques, their wares are bound to exhibit stylistic overlap,
particularly given their use of the same regional clay. However, without
further archaeological evidence, pinpointing the exact relationship between the
two production areas and distinguishing the unique characteristics of Salem’s
pottery remains an ongoing investigative challenge.
Among Salem's notable potting families was the Symonds family, whose name had been heavily associated with local furniture manufacturing since the seventeenth century. The woodworking dynasty began with John Symonds (1594–1671), a joiner who emigrated from Norfolk, England, in the 1630s and established a prominent workshop with his sons, James (1626–1714) and Samuel (1633–1722). By the mid-eighteenth century, however, branches of the family had transitioned into red earthenware production. This line included the potter Nathaniel Symonds (1723–1793), a Salem native and son of Thomas Symonds (1680–1724), a Sussex-born joiner who had migrated to America shortly after 1700.
On October 8, 1745, Nathaniel married Jane Phipps (1721–1760) in Charlestown, Massachusetts. Given the timing of this marriage, Nathaniel may have trained as an apprentice in Charlestown—which was experiencing a booming period of red earthenware production in the 1730s and 1740s under prominent workshops like the Parker family (circa 1714–1755)—or he may have trained locally in Essex County. Nathaniel ultimately passed the trade down to his Salem-born sons, Nathaniel Junior (1754–1804) and William (1749–1830). The younger Nathaniel would marry Elizabeth Gardner (1759–1808) on November 17, 1779. The generational continuation of the craft is firmly codified in the Essex County Probate Records, which list the occupation of both father and son as "potter," with the elder Nathaniel’s probate dated February 4, 1793, and his son’s dated April 18, 1804.
The potting craft continued into a third generation through the younger Nathaniel’s son, Nathaniel Symonds (1780–1848) of Salem, who married Elizabeth Baker (1786–1838) of Ipswich, Massachusetts, on November 17, 1805. William’s son, also named Nathaniel Symonds (1780–1848), similarly worked as a third-generation family potter, and evidence suggests other extended family members likely operated wheels in the area. Spanning the seventeenth through the nineteenth centuries, the Symonds dynasty evolved from its roots as seventeenth century joiners into a network of eighteenth- and nineteenth century potters scattered across Salem. After 1840, later generations diversified further, transitioning into fields such as painting, farming, and municipal civil service.
This multi-generational potting tradition is well-supported by early regional texts. As published in the 1908 volume, Genealogical and Personal Memoirs Relating to the Families of Boston and Eastern Massachusetts: “Nathaniel Symonds, son of Thomas Symonds, was born in 1723, at Salem. He was a potter by trade. His homestead was at Northfields, adjoining land of Benjamin Osgood, Elizabeth Symonds and Jonathan Symonds. He was given land by his father October 26, 1751, and May 9, 1752. He married Elizabeth Downing on August 20, 1761. He deeded his homestead to his son William, August 8, 1781.”
The record further notes that his children included "Nathaniel, 3d." and "William," both of whom served as soldiers in the American Revolution. The elder Nathaniel Symonds also contributed to the war effort from Salem, serving as a private in Captain Thomas Barnes's Company within Colonel John Mansfield's (Nineteenth) Regiment, under Lieutenant Colonel Israel Hutchinson from 1775 to 1776.
Furthermore, because Nathaniel Symonds was deeded land by his father in Salem in 1751 and 1752, this timeframe likely marks the establishment of the family potting business. The Symonds family actively produced red earthenware in Salem from roughly the 1750s through the 1820s or 1830s. Production most likely ceased before 1837—perhaps following the death of William Symonds in 1830—as evidenced by Salem’s inaugural city directory published in 1837. In that volume, the younger Nathaniel Symonds (d. 1848) is no longer listed as a potter, but rather as a "cordwainer," an artisan skilled in crafting leather shoes from scratch. However, because several members of the Symonds family were active Salem mariners during the eighteenth century, it remains highly possible that a portion of the family's earlier red earthenware was exported to other regional ports.
While there is no documented evidence directly implicating the Symonds family as accusers, judges, or defendants in the 1692 Salem Witch Trials, they were deeply embedded in the historical fabric of the community during this tumultuous period. Although some family members shared social or familial connections with individuals involved in the trials, none were directly targeted or legally involved. This level of interconnectedness was typical for late seventeenth- and early eighteenth century Essex County, where local families maintained close social networks. Decades later, the family members who transitioned into pottery manufacturing after 1750 likely shared similar close relationships with contemporary Salem furniture makers.
Surviving examples of red earthenware possibly made by the Symonds family are comparable to some of the artifacts featured in Chapters 9 and 18 of Volume II, including a notable jar owned by Salem's prominent Ropes family. Furthermore, some of the red earthenware specimens recovered during the 1970s National Park Service excavations at the Narbonne House property may also point to a Symonds origin (Chapter 9). By the latter half of the nineteenth century, the Symonds name had radiated outward from Salem, establishing a visible presence in other bustling Essex County centers such as Peabody, Lynn, and Gloucester..."
Please Stay Tuned...Much More to Come...
