Potovens.
The village of Potovens lies about two miles from Wakefield, and, as its name implies, takes its origin from some old potteries established at this place. Ralph Thoresby in his Diary (1702) says, under date of March 16th, “From Wakefield then by Allerthorpe (Alverthorpe) and Silkhouse to the Pott-Ovens (Little London, in the dialect of the poor people), where I stayed a little to observe not only the manner of their forming their earthenware—which brought to mind the words of the prophet, ‘As clay in the hands of the potter, so are we in the Lord’s’—but to observe the manner of building the furnaces, their size and materials, which are small, and upon the surface of the ground, confirming me in my former apprehensions that those remains at Hawcaster-rigg (Philosoph. Trans. No. 222) are really the ruins of a Roman pottery.” These works were carried on, about the time, or in the time, when Thoresby wrote, by one Caleb Glover. In his will, dated 29th of January, 1728, recorded in the Rolls Office, February 6th, 1729, this Caleb Glover “of Pott-Ovens, pott-maker,” bequeaths to his wife all his chattels excepting his “working tools and oven house,” and to his son Daniel Glover he leaves all his “working tools belonging to the trade of a pot-maker, and the pot oven.” He was succeeded at his death, in 1728–9, by this son Daniel Glover, who continued the works. No manufactory of the kind now exists at this place, and the name of the village itself is somewhat ambiguous, for it is occasionally known as Wrenthorp.