Tickenhall.
A pottery existed at this place, as early, at all events, as the reign of Queen Elizabeth; probably much earlier. This is incontestably proved by remains which have from time to time been exhumed on the spot. There can, therefore, be no doubt that pottery has for more than three centuries been uninterruptedly made at this place. In 1650, Philip Kinder, in his collections towards a History of Derbyshire, preserved in the Bodleian Library, thus wrote:—“Numa Pompilius here might have learn’t his ‘Straine of Frugalities’! Here are your best Fictilias made you; earthern vessels, potts, and pancions, at Tycknall, and carried all East England through.” This is the earliest mention of Tickenhall pottery I have met with.
Figs. 130 and 131.
Pilkington (1789) says:—“Formerly a very large quantity of earthen ware was manufactured at this place; but lately the business has very much declined. It is said, that, since the land in the neighbourhood has been enclosed, it has been difficult to meet with proper clay.”
The ordinary coarse domestic vessels—“potts and pancions” as they are called by Kinder—were made, but beyond these there were many highly-decorated ones, with human heads for handles, &c.; some fragments of these are in the possession of Sir John Harpur Crewe, Bart., of Calke Abbey, to whom Tickenhall belongs. The ware was coarse, but very hard, the colour a dull brown, nearly black, in some instances with a yellow slip. Sometimes, however, it was of the ordinary red colour. A mediæval pitcher, or jug, in my own possession, which was dug up here in the course of draining operations on the site of the old works, has the body of deep red clay, very hard and compact, and its upper part is covered with a dark glaze; it has been much blistered in firing. In Sir John Crewe’s possession is a pilgrim’s bottle, found here, of the ordinary shape. It is shown on Fig. [130]. He has also portions of two others, the most perfect fragment being nearly black, and the other of a reddish brown colour. Of these several other fragments have been found.
Fig. 132.
Two apparently well-authenticated examples of bowls, in the possession of Mr. W. Bemrose, jun., and formerly belonging to Mr. J. J. Briggs, are shown on Figs. [131] and [132]. They are of the ordinary class of earthenware (like those of the Tofts, Taylors, &c.), of a dark brown or chocolate colour, well glazed, and ornamented with a white slip. The larger one bears a very rude representation of a fox-hunt—a fox and three dogs, and a tree. The smaller one bears a somewhat gracefully thrown lily, and other ornaments. Another example, in my own collection, is the candlestick engraved on Fig. [138]. It is of precisely the same kind of ware, with white slip ornaments. The decoration of the base will be seen to bear a strong resemblance to the outer ornament of the large bowl.
Perhaps among the most interesting of existing examples are the fragments engraved on Figs. [133 to 136]. These are in the possession of Sir John Crewe, Bart., and are undoubtedly authentic, having been dug up on the spot. They are heads formed of a buff clay and “touched” with a darker slip. Figs. [133 and 136] show the front and back of the principal of these fragments. The head-dress and ruff indicate the period to be at all events about the reign of Mary or Elizabeth. Fig. [134] bears the plaited cap of the same period. They are all engraved of the full size. It will be seen on reference to Figs. [137 and 139] that, in general character, these heads bear a marked resemblance to some which were found in 1854 on the site of a mediæval potwork on the North Cliff at Scarborough. Another vessel there found is engraved in vol. i., Fig. [299].
Figs. 133 to 136.
Figs. 137 to 139.