Black-Glazed Red Earthenware Part 2: History, Significance, and Regional Characteristics

As I noted in yesterday's post, black-glazed red earthenware was widely produced in both America and the United Kingdom during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Today, British imports are often mistaken for American-made pottery from regions like New England and Western New York.

I acquired this particular eighteenth- or early nineteenth century object about fifteen to twenty years ago in the southern New Jersey and southeastern Pennsylvania area. I was originally drawn to its large, ovoid form because it closely resembles the jars manufactured by Quaker potters in Bristol County, Massachusetts during the same period. Interestingly, those Massachusetts jars are widely believed to have been visually inspired by the local China Trade in nearby New Bedford.

It remains unclear to me whether any research has connected any specific Philadelphia-area wares to similar maritime influences. However, we do know that Philadelphia’s own China trade in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth century launched the newly independent U.S. into global commerce, transforming the city into an economic powerhouse. Pioneering merchants like Robert Morris (1734-1806) and Stephen Girard (1750-1831) bypassed British restrictions to sail from the Delaware River to Guangzhou (Canton), exchanging American ginseng, furs, and Spanish silver for highly coveted Chinese tea, silk, and porcelain. The immense profits from this trade built Philadelphia’s early banks, shipyards, and cultural institutions.

While this commerce initially brought immense wealth, it eventually took a dark turn. To combat a growing trade imbalance in the nineteenth century, prominent Philadelphia traders turned to smuggling Turkish opium into China. This highly profitable but devastating trafficking operation fueled widespread addiction and helped trigger the First Opium War (1839–1842). Following the war, the restricted Canton trade system dissolved, and Philadelphia's maritime dominance faded as the city shifted its capital away from the high seas and toward domestic manufacturing and railroads.

Note: This specific type of Bristol County production will be covered in detail in chapters 2 and 8 of Volume I of my forthcoming tenth book, An Early Industry of Household Wares: The Red Earthenware of Salem Village, Danvers, Peabody, Beverly and Salem, Massachusetts. In the meantime, please refer to my fifth book, A Celebrated Industry: The Historic Wares of Southeastern Massachusetts, Bristol County and Cape Cod - https://historicbeverly.net/product/a-celebrated-industry-the-historic-wares-of-southeastern-massachusetts-bristol-county-and-cape-cod/.

Large 18th and Early 19th Century Black Glazed Red Earthenware Jar

Found in the Southern New Jersey and Southeastern Pennsylvania Area

Stands 14" Tall

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A View of the Rim

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A View of the Foot at the Base

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

Black-Glazed Red Earthenware: History, Significance, and Regional Characteristics

Black-glazed red earthenware was widely produced in both America and the United Kingdom during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Today, British imports are often mistaken for pottery made in regions like New England and Western New York. 

In fact, I recall listening to a fascinating talk on this very subject back in the spring of 2014 or 2015, when Sam Herrup, an antiques dealer from Sheffield, Massachusetts, spoke about the historical and collector significance of this American red earthenware at an antiques show in Hartford, Connecticut. During his presentation, he highlighted the variety of forms and explained why this distinctive glaze color deserves greater recognition.

Interestingly, I acquired these two large, black-glazed pieces about fifteen-to-twenty years ago in the southern New Jersey and southeastern Pennsylvania region. They possess a commanding presence: the pitcher stands 13 inches tall, while the jug tops 14 inches. Both pieces likely date to the eighteenth or early nineteenth century and were probably made near where they were found. Notably, the pitcher features a significant amount of mica in both the clay and the glaze—a characteristic often found in early red earthenware produced in Philadelphia. Furthermore, there are also additional features about this objects that are related to production in Philadelphia.

Furthermore, the pitcher was also included in a feature story I wrote for the July 2, 2021 issue of Antiques & Auction News, titled "The Story of Andrew Pitman: A Revolutionary War Veteran Turned Potter In The Shenandoah Valley Of Virginia" - https://www.scribd.com/document/513691137/Andrew-Pitman-Article-for-AAN-July-2-2021.

Large 18th and Early 19th Century Black Glazed Red Earthenware Pitcher and Jug

Both Found in Southern New Jersey and Southeastern Pennsylvania

(Left) The Pitcher Stands 13" Tall

(Right) The Jug Stands 14 1/2" Tall

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A View of the Handles

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A Closer View of the Handle on the Pitcher

There are Two Finger Impressions on Top of Each Other

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A Closer View of the Handle on the Jug

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

From a Walpole Chimney to the Fenton Family: Red Earthenware Sherds at an 18th-Century Baptist Meeting House

As previously noted, Chapter 25 of my forthcoming eleventh book, A Monumental History: Stories of Red Earthenware Production in Western Massachusetts, the Berkshires, and Vermont, will highlight the recently rediscovered work of Jacob Barrows, a red earthenware potter active in Connecticut, Vermont, and New Hampshire.

Interestingly, Jacob Barrows (1757–1843)—a Revolutionary War soldier originally from Connecticut—lived in Hanover, New Hampshire, as early as 1790 before permanently relocating his homestead to Dalton by 1806. A portion of Dalton's first inventory of taxable property in 1809, preserved by the Dalton Historical Society, explicitly lists Barrows as a potter, providing an invaluable contemporary record of his operation. 

His craftsmanship likely roots back to his first marriage to Lydia Fenton (1757–1813) in Mansfield, Connecticut. Lydia belonged to the prominent Fenton family, a lineage renowned for driving early American stoneware and red earthenware production, and was a near relative of both the famed master potter Jonathan Fenton (1766–1851) and Jacob Fenton (1765–1822), who later brought the family trade westward to Gerry, New York. Given these deep ties, Barrows highly likely received his training from his Fenton in-laws, though some of his work also closely resembles that of the earliest members of the Clark family: https://historicbeverly.net/product/an-influential-family-of-early-potters-the-clarks-of-new-hampshire-and-related-businesses/.

The Fenton family's red earthenware production in Walpole, New Hampshire, and Vermont will be featured prominently in several chapters of the forthcoming book. While visiting antiques dealers Stephen/Douglas during their open house yesterday in Walpole, I was intrigued by the items offered for sale, but I was truly fascinated by a group of red earthenware milk pans and pots recovered directly from the chimney during the home's restoration in the early 2000s. These artifacts are almost certainly of local origin—and quite possibly the work of the Fenton family, who began producing red earthenware locally in the 1790s. Notably, all of their rim profiles appear to be from the same manufacturer, and given their significance, these newly discovered pieces will also be highlighted in Chapter 25.

For a brief history: The house at 61 Bookseller Road in Walpole, New Hampshire, is one of the town’s earliest surviving structures, originally built between 1775 and 1780 to serve as a Baptist meeting house for the local congregation along the Connecticut River valley. Officially recorded as completed for residential use in 1786, this substantial timber-framed structure retained its historical character even as its identity shifted in the 1930s. Although, because the structure was initially built by and for the local Baptist community during the late 1770s, it functioned primarily as a communal meeting house and religious hub rather than an individual private estate during its earliest years.

Note: A similar chimney context and discovery of red earthenware artifacts are also discussed in my seventh book, From One Town Came Many: The Red Earthenware Industry of Ancient North Yarmouth, Maine - https://historicbeverly.net/product/from-one-town-came-many-the-red-earthenware-industry-of-ancient-north-yarmouth-maine/.

Also, for additional information about production in Walpole - see the book, 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/.

This is the Meeting House at 61 Bookseller Road in Walpole, N.H.

Originally Constructed as a Baptist Meeting House in the 1770s

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Another View of the House

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Red Earthenware Artifacts Found Behind the Chimney

Rediscovered When Chimney and Fireplaces were Restored in the Early 2000s

Perhaps Related to the Fenton Family Production in Walpole

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One of the Pan Sherds

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Another of the Pan Sherds

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A View of the Rim Profile

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

The Quaker Hat Theory: A New Look at Bristol County Red Earthenware

While speaking a few weeks ago at the Berkshire County Historical Society at Herman Melville's Arrowhead in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, I had the pleasure of discussing my forthcoming eleventh book, A Monumental History: Stories of Red Earthenware Production in Western Massachusetts, the Berkshires, and Vermont.

During the talk, the subject of Quaker potters arose, specifically regarding red earthenware dishes from Bristol County, Massachusetts. I mentioned my theory that the slip-decorated triangles on these pieces may represent the region's faith. However, an audience member suggested an alternative: the triangles might actually represent the iconic Quaker hat. Now, whenever I look at these rare objects—including some of the presentation jars made by the Purinton family of Somerset, Massachusetts—that hat is all I can see.

Nonetheless, this new insight will be included in my forthcoming two-volume tenth book, An Early Industry of Household Wares: The Red Earthenware of Salem Village, Danvers, Peabody, Beverly and Salem, Massachusetts. The set will be available very soon, with Volume I spanning 1,003 pages and Volume II at 981 pages. I am absolutely thrilled with how this massive project turned out!

"...Another significant find from the Clark Junior site is a slip decorated red earthenware pan sherd that closely matches a small group of known Bristol County dishes. The geometric designs adorning these objects allowed Quaker artisans to masterfully balance aesthetic appeal with the Testimony of Plainness—the core sectarian principle of simplicity that has guided the Religious Society of Friends since the seventeenth century. Within this group, several surviving dishes feature slip decorated triangles, a motif that may deliberately and visually echo the iconic silhouette of the traditional, wide-brimmed tricorn or low-crowned Quaker hat worn during the colonial and early federal eras..."

For additional information - see my fifth book, A Celebrated Industry: The Historic Wares of Southeastern Massachusetts, Bristol County and Cape Cod: https://historicbeverly.net/product/a-celebrated-industry-the-historic-wares-of-southeastern-massachusetts-bristol-county-and-cape-cod/

18th or Early 19th Century Slip Decorated Red Earthenware Dishes

Likely Made in Bristol County, Massachusetts

Both Adorned with Triangles in Slip

The Triangle May Represent the Quaker Hat

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

Unearthing the Hanover Shop: Winslow Warren, Jacob Barrows, and 1795 Red Earthenware Production in New Hampshire

The rediscovered career of eighteenth and nineteenth century Connecticut, Vermont, and New Hampshire potter Jacob Barrows (1757-1843) represents a major breakthrough for northern New England red earthenware scholarship. His legacy will be the focus of Chapter 25 in the upcoming book, A Monumental History: Stories of Red Earthenware Production in Western Massachusetts, the Berkshires, and Vermont. Central to this research is Barrows' connection to the prominent Fenton family of potters, as well as the unveiling of his operations in possibly Thetford, Vermont, as well as Hanover and Dalton, New Hampshire.

Invaluable primary evidence confirming this early workshop surfaces in a notice published in The Eagle (Hanover, NH) on July 13, 1795, which was originally dated June 23, 1795. In the advertisement, his successor, Winslow Warren (1768-1837), announces to the public that he is continuing the pottery business "at the place formerly occupied by Jacob Barrows," promising a steady supply of earthen ware that would be "well glazed and burnt."

By analyzing these original print records and business transitions, Chapter 25 provides a definitive look at Barrows' long journey. It connects his roots as a Revolutionary War soldier in Connecticut to his profound, lasting impact on post-war red earthenware production across New England.

For more information - see a post from August 31st, titled, "The Fenton Connection: The Rediscovered Pottery of Jacob Barrows and Early Red Earthenware Production in Northern New England" - https://www.earlyamericanceramics.com/2026/08/the-fenton-connection-rediscovered.html

Winslow Warren Advertisement from Hanover, New Hampshire, July 13, 1795

Published in The Eagle, Hanover, N.H.

The Potter Jacob Barrows is also Noted in the Ad

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

Identifying a Possible Example of Gay Head Pottery from Martha's Vineyard at a New Hampshire Fair

A few days ago at a festival at the Hopkinton, New Hampshire Fairgrounds, I came across something that I never expected to see out in the wild: a piece of pottery that I believe was made at the Gay Head Pottery from Martha’s Vineyard, likely dating back to the late nineteenth or early twentieth century. While various potteries and commercial makers produced distinct swirlware over the years, this piece feels entirely distinct from those traditions, carrying the characteristic look and raw material makeup of the historic clay sourced directly from the iconic cliffs. Finding a piece available for sale in person is a rare occurrence, making the discovery all the more exciting. 

For those interested in the background of these items, the tradition is rooted in the unique geological makeup of Aquinnah on Martha’s Vineyard, where the multicolored local clays have been utilized for generations. Early pieces crafted from this material showcase a distinct, earthy aesthetic shaped by the natural marbling of the distinct colored strata found in the cliffs, a type of production that dates back centuries with Native pottery made on the island.

My only prior exposure to this pottery is an example illustrated in Figure 135b of Lura Woodside Watkins' (1897-1982) book, Early New England Potters and Their Wares. Notably, this same clay source was also utilized by stoneware potters in Bristol County, Massachusetts in the 1800s: https://historicbeverly.net/product/a-celebrated-industry-the-historic-wares-of-southeastern-massachusetts-bristol-county-and-cape-cod/.

This information was originally published in Edwin Atlee Barber's (1851-1916) 1893 book, The Pottery and Porcelain of the United States. Watkins later cited Barber's research to describe the unique nature of the ware: "A peculiar type of unburnt pottery was crafted around 1879 by W.F. Willard at Gay Head Pottery in Cottage City on Martha's Vineyard. Utilizing the island's distinct colored clays from the western cliffs, Willard mixed brilliant red, blue, slate, and buff shades to create striking striated and marbled patterns. The shaped pieces were smoothed while semi-dry and sun-hardened rather than fired, as the vibrant colors vanished during kiln baking. Serving purely as decorative souvenirs rather than functional, water-holding vessels, these sun-baked mementos captured the unique geological artistry of Martha's Vineyard."

According to Barber, the process involves grinding distinct colored clays separately, pressing them into a single ball, and shaping the vessel. Once partially dry, the pottery is shaved and sun-hardened. The resulting unglazed stoneware features brilliant, distinct bands of red, blue, and slate-grey. Barber notes that while some red clay pieces are fired, the heat destroys their natural color. Consequently, much of the pottery is sold unbaked to collectors who want to preserve the vivid hues. At the time of writing (1893), this fourteen-year-old operation employed several local workers. Some of the pieces were impressed on the side Gay Head Clay.

Note: A similar example sold in 2003 at Skinner in Boston: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot/art-pottery-vase-194-c-nyqvs6ow0n?objectID=700289&algIndex=undefined&queryID=3f428ded925488e381f9aeaebda82819

Late 19th or Early 20th Century Earthenware Vase

Found Last Weekend at a Fair in Hopkinton, N.H.

Possibly Made at the Gay Head Pottery on Martha's Vineyard

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Another View of the Vase

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A View of the Base

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(Arrow) Late 19th Century Gay Head Pottery Vase from Martha's Vineyard

Published in Figure 135b in Early New England Potters and Their Wares

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

Presenting Red Earthenware Research in the Berkshires and a Feature in Antiques and The Arts Weekly

Nearly two weeks ago, I had the wonderful opportunity to speak at Herman Melville’s Arrowhead in Pittsfield for the Berkshire County Historical Society. We explored the history of red earthenware production in western Massachusetts and shared some exciting new discoveries that Warren Broderick, myself and others have made about dozens (or more) of early potteries in Vermont: https://www.earlyamericanceramics.com/2026/09/presenting-forthcoming-eleventh-book-at.html.

To top it all off, I just realized this talk was featured on page 37 in the September 25th issue of Antiques and The Arts Weekly! The piece also shares a glimpse into my forthcoming 700 to 800-page book, A Monumental History: Stories of Red Earthenware Production in Western Massachusetts, the Berkshires, and Vermont, which will bring all of this research and much more to life.

Short Article About My Redware Talk at the Berkshire County Historical Society

Published in the September 25th Issue of Antiques & The Arts Weekly

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Short Article About My Redware Talk at the Berkshire County Historical Society

Published in the September 25th Issue of Antiques & The Arts Weekly

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Short Article About My Redware Talk at the Berkshire County Historical Society

Published in the September 25th Issue of Antiques & The Arts Weekly

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Short Article About My Redware Talk at the Berkshire County Historical Society

Published in the September 25th Issue of Antiques & The Arts Weekly

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This is the September 25th Issue of Antiques & The Arts Weekly

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