Fig. 310.
Fig. 311.
The godet, or goddard, was another drinking-cup much in vogue, and was, evidently, a kind of large cup or bowl, in which spiced liquor was mixed and drunk by “gossips” and friends. Some of these bowls will be spoken of later on. Besides these, various other names for drinking-vessels were more or less in use.
In the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries the potter’s art was principally confined to the manufacture of common domestic vessels—large coarse dishes, cruiskens, tygs, pitchers, bowls, cups, candlesticks, pans, butter-pots, and other articles being among the number. Many articles, not made in England, were imported from Holland and other countries, and came into general use. They were, however, soon copied by our own workmen and made to a large extent. Among the principal of the imported vessels were bellarmines, or grey beards; and ale-pots. In the reign of Queen Elizabeth, one William Simpson proposed to manufacture, “in some decayed town within this realm,” these ale-pots, which had till that time been solely imported from Cologne by Garnet Tynes, by which he promised that “manie a hundred poore men may be sett at worke.” As a preliminary to this, he petitioned the queen to grant him sole licence to bring them into the realm. The following is his petition:—[37]
“The sewte of William Simpson, merchaunte—Whereas one Garnet Tynes, a straunger livinge in Acon, in the parte beyond the seas, being none of her maties subjecte, doth buy uppe alle the pottes made at Culloin, called Drinking stone pottes, and he onelie transporteth them into this realm of England, and selleth them: It may please your matie to graunt unto the said Simpson full power and onelie license to provyde transport and bring into this realm the same or such like drinking pottes; and the said Simpson will putt in good suretie that it shall not be prejudiciall to anie of your maties subjects, but that he will serve them as plentifullie, and sell them at as reasonable price as the other hath sold them from tyme to tyme.
“Item. He will be bound to double her maties custome by the year, whenever it hath been at the most.
“Item. He will as in him lieth draur the making of such like pottes into some decayed town within this realm, wherebie manie a hundred poore men may be sett a work.
“Note. That no Englishman doth transport any potte into this realm but onlie the said Garnet Tynes, who also serveth all the Low Countries and other places with pottes.”
Whether the petition was granted or not does not appear.