German Potters on the Hampshire Borders?

Jacqui Pearce (8 Aug 2006):

Thank you so much for sending through all that information - it is extremely helpful. One particular question I have concerns the possibility that German potters might have settled in the area, especially in Farnborough, in the 16th century. There are very numerous close connections with white earthenwares made at this time in the area around Cologne, reflected in the pottery Felix Holling excavated. The parallels are so numerous and some are so unusual, they seem to suggest that more than copying was going on. Many of these parallels have not been published yet. They include the production of schweinetopfe (barrel-shaped casseroles on legs), stove tiles (not recognised previously at Farnborough Hill), the tripod pipkins with tubular handles, rather than the solid handles prevalent throughout the potteries of the region, shallow skillets or frying pans with tubular handles, and many more. I know it‘s very easy to jump on the immigrant potter bandwagon, but the connections are most suggestive and David Gaimster agrees with me that movement of potters is distinctly possible. If this is so, then I wonder whether a German origin might be reflected in any of the potters‘ names recorded for the area. Elizabeth Lewis‘ paper covers only the 17th century, so is of no help in addressing this particular question.

Quite apart from possible German potters, has any work been done on 16th-century potters‘ wills from Farnborough? One hardly dares to hope that the Ship Lane pottery excavated by Felix could be linked with a named individual or family!

Richard Johnston (8 Aug 2006):

FARNBOROUGH WILLS

I searched for wills Farnborough 1300-1620 and got 40 results. Thayer (Theyer is a German name) is a remote possibility - the one with an occupation given is a yeoman - but I don‘t know ‘anything‘‘ about when this name came to the area, so this is only a wild guess.

See Farnborough Wills at the Hampshire Record Office up to 1620

It would of course only require one person to make all the difference. It is possible that the local pottery industry may have been run from London, perhaps by merchants, as so much ends up there. There were many higher status people around here with London connections, so it would be very easy for one of them to organise. If that were the case, you might be looking in London rather than locally for the relevant people.

See Borderware Distribution Answer One

Peter Tipton (8 Aug 2006):

GERMAN IMMIGRANTS

to add to Richard‘s answer re German potters settling in the borderware‘ area in the 1500s: YES I have always thought it extremely likely‘. The 1585 Lay Subsidy (published by HRO as Vol 4 of their Record Series) lists Harmon Raignold, allian, 4d in goods in Farnborough. Presumably his is will 1609A/62 - Will of Herman Reynolds (Raynolls) of Farnborough, Hampshire, Potter - listed by Richard. There are later taxation records and muster rolls of the 1620s which I have transcribed. There were aliens listed, but I cannot remember in which village since I was more interested in recusants at the time.

WILLIAM GEALE

One of the conclusions of Elizabeth Lewis‘s article was that William Geale the King‘s cupmaker‘ was a potter. This seems unlikely since he lived in Yateley village (the inner tything). My current hypothesis is that he was either organising, commissioning or designing pottery, or a merchant of pottery supplied to Charles I. We know quite a lot about his family covering a couple of centuries, but there are no other direct connections with the pottery business.

I therefore think that the big gap in this research far is he question of how it was organised, who by and where from. Is Wiliam Geale part of this organisation?

See Borderware Distribution Answer One

LOCAL RESEARCH

NEHHAS have spent many years on the border potteries. I used to be a member but am now out of touch.

See NEHHAS Current Projects

Jacqui Pearce (8 Aug 2006):

This is wonderful! THank you so much for getting in touch - what a fascinating morning's worth of emails from you and Richard! THe German influence on border wares in the mid 16th century is so striking and so 'new' that it does argue for some kind of external influence and more than just copying. I imagine there may have been others whose names were never recorded. The Richard Geale connection is most interesting, as is the question of how the industry was organised. Richard Kilburn had uncovered interesting references to Hampshire ware in later 17th- and 18th-century inventories of the London glass sellers, but his untimely death cut short work on a most valuable line of research (which could of course be taken up again). THere must have been London traders/merchants who had special connections with the border potteries and further research along these lines could be most interesting. I shall keep in touch, if I may, and let you know of any further findings.

Peter Tipton (17 Aug 2006):

GEALE FAMILY OF YATELEY

I have a family tree for the GEALE family of Yateley, which Iconstructed from wills transcribed in the Yateley History Project.

Nicholas Geale (d.1561) of Yateley had a very large number of children. I believe he was the grandfather of William the 'Kings Cupmaker.' Elizabeth Lewis states William was 'of Cove' and that he was a potter but we have no evidence to substantiate either of these claims. Are you in contact with Elizabeth Lewis?

However there is a small possibility that William's uncle John Geale was a potter. I attach John Geale's will and inventory. There is no confirmation that the tools bequeathed to Thomas Ridgers are for pottery making, but the other item of 'made ware' in his inventory could suggest pottery. I don't know whether the term could apply to brassware, ironware or even silverware at that time.

THAYER FAMILY

I have my doubts about the Thayer family arriving from Germany with pottery technology. We have Thaire family members around here from before 1540 (in Eversley) and in our Yateley Wills database we have John Theyr of Hawley (d.1558) and his widowed sister-in-law Sedwell (also d.1558). There is no sign of any kilns or pottery-related itemsin either inventory

Jacqui Pearce (17 Aug 2006):

Many thanks for this - and for the attached documents. I am not sure how to get hold of Elizabeth Lewis or where she is I'm afraid. If there is uncertainty about the Thayer connection, that leaves Herman Reynolds, to whom there appear to be three separate references in the HRO database, with the first, which you kindly gave me, describing him as an alien. I wonder whether Thomas Reynolds of Cove (d 1636) was his son or some other relative? If the name is introduced into the area with Herman perhaps this could be so.

Richard Johnston (17 Aug 2006):

JOHN GEALE PROBABLY NOT A POTTER

There is an inventory of a Thomas Ridgers (1585) who might possibly the same one as was the beneficiary in this will. This Thomas R was a turner, see transcript below signature. The value of the tools at 3/4d is not too far out of kilter with 5s in Geale's.

This is dated before the parish registers start so cannot confirm the likeihood of the connection from that source.

THAYER FAMILY PROBABLY NOT GERMAN IMMIGRANTS

Yes I agree about that. Peter's previous suggestion, Herman Reynolds (Raynolls) of Farnborough, Hampshire, Potter (will 1609) seems far more likely.

Sedwell Thayer appears to be on a fairly substantial farm.

Jacqui Pearce (17 Aug 2006)

The 'made ware' (in John Geale's inventory) does sound like pottery, but I accept that caution is needed here in the absence of references to definite items associated with the potter's craft. Do you think there is a relationship between Herman Reynolds and Thos Reynolds of Cove (d 1636), also a potter?

Richard Johnston (17 Aug 2006):

HERMAN REYNOLDS

I'm afraid I don't have any evidence to say. We don't have the wills for either of them in our collection.

I have checked what other material I have for this period, and have drawn a blank, but Peter has more information about this period than I do.

For answers please see Herman Reynolds in the Biographical Dictionary Section