Fig. 316.—Butter Pots.
Of the state of the Staffordshire potteries at this period, the latter half of the seventeenth century, Dr. Plot gives a most interesting and valuable account, in which he shows not only what clays were then used, but also speaks of the glazes, and describes the modes of manufacture of some of the vessels. The clays, it appears, were mostly procured from the coal measures, and fine sand to temper and mix with them was procured from Baddeley Edge, Mole Cop, and other places. The following is Dr. Plot’s account:—
“25. Other potter’s clays for the more common wares there are at many other places, particularly at Horsley Heath, in the parish of Tipton; in Monway field above mentioned, where there are two sorts gotten, one of a yellowish colour, mixt with white, the other blewish; the former stiff and heavy, the other more friable and light, which, mixt together, work better than apart. Of these they make divers sorts of vessels at Wednesbury, which they paint with slip, made of a reddish sort of earth gotten at Tipton. But the greatest pottery they have in this county is carried on at Burslem, near Newcastle-under-Lyme, where for making their different sorts of pots they have as many different sorts of clay, which they dig round about the towne, all within half a mile’s distance, the best being found nearest the coale, and are distinguish’t by their colours and uses as followeth:—
“1. Bottle clay, of a bright whitish streaked yellow colour.
“2. Hard fire-clay, of a duller whitish colour, and fully intersperst with a dark yellow, which they use for their black wares, being mixt with the
“3. Red blending clay, which is of a dirty red colour.
“4. White clay, so called it seems, though of a blewish colour, and used for making yellow-colour’d ware, because yellow is the lightest colour they make any ware of.
All which they call throwing clays, because they are of a closer texture, and will work on the wheel.
“26. Which none of the three other clays they call Slips will any of them doe, being of looser and more friable natures; these, mixt with water, they make into a consistence thinner than a Syrup, so that being put into a bucket it will run out through a Quill. This they call Slip, and is the substance wherewith they paint their wares, whereof the
“1. Sort is called the Orange Slip, which, before it is work’t, is of a greyish colour, mixt with orange balls, and gives the ware (when annealed) an orange colour.