This pottery was founded in mid-17th century by John Wedgewood (1630–1682), whose father, Thomas, was from Staffordshire. It manufactured large cisterns, puzzle jugs, plates and bowls. It was passed down to John's son, also John (1658–1705/07), then his son William and finally to his son John who moved the pottery to Heworth, York, where it continued production into the 19th century.
The start and end dates of the business are approximations.
The puzzle jug pictured is inscribed "JOHN WEDGWOOD 1691". It was made at the Yearsley Pottery and is now in the Victoria and Albert Museum (see image for details). It was a puzzle because the slits in the neck would cause spillage. In fact, the handle and rim are hollow, and the user can drink from one of the three spouts.
Note that there was another, earlier, pottery nearby, at Soury Hill, which apparently produced pots for Byland Abbey around the late 15th or 16th century. Indeed the pottery which is the subject of this profile might have also been at Soury Hill.[1]
References
- ↑ Family Tree of Wedg(e)woods by Leslie and Margaret Wedgewood.
Oxley Grabham, Yorkshire Potteries, Pots and Potters, 1916, Coultas & Volans, York (available as part of "502 Books on Yorkshire History, Family History, Yorkshire Genealogy on 3 DVDs").
Report of Yearsley Moor Archaeological Project, 2009–2013, chapter 3h, Yearsley and its pottery industry by Christopher Williams PIFA, FSA Scot, and Dr Gudrun Gaudian.
