The Wares Made By John Betts Gregory In Clinton, New York
An Examination Of Empire State Regional Redware
By Justin W. Thomas
While traveling through
upstate New York in the sum-
mer of 2019 with my nephew
Jason and niece Alexis, we
stopped at the Clinton His-
torical Society to learn more
about the museum’s collec-
tion of advertising slipware
made by John Betts Grego-
ry (1782-1842) in downtown
Clinton. We were also given a
tour of the site of the pottery
and learned that very little
archaeology survives from
this business today because
of late 19th and 20th century
development. As a result, it is
almost impossible to differ-
entiate the lesser decorated
slipware made by Gregory
in Clinton from what he also
made in Norwalk, Conn., and
at the Huntington Pottery
on Long Island. But we also
learned that little is known
about Gregory’s simpler pro-
duction without slip, and
that some of his slipware in
Clinton can even be mistaken
for wares made in Pennsylva-
nia. However, to understand
Gregory’s work in Clinton,
one must likely examine his
entire career first.
In 1896, Reverend Charles
Melbourne Selleck (1831-
1909) wrote “Norwalk” “in an
attempt to bring the town’s
history fully to light, and to
preserve and to perpetuate
This slip-script red earthenware plate inscribed, “Why Will You
Die,” attributed to John Betts Gregory in Clinton, N.Y., is ex. col-
lection of New York archaeologist and museum specialist George
Hamell, as well as ceramic specialist Garrison Stradling. Image
courtesy of Greg Kramer.
The slip-script red earthenware platter inscribed, “Ware plenty
come and buy,” is attributed to John Betts Gregory in Clinton, N.Y.
Image courtesy of the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Museum
of the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation.
A slip-script red earthenware dish inscribed, “Good Morning La-
dies,” was possibly made by John Betts Gregory in Norwalk, Conn.
The dish was recovered from an 1835-45 brick lined privy at 33
Van Duzer Street on Staten Island. Image courtesy of Scott Jordan,
Maribelle Costes and Dan McGee.
its mentions and memoirs.
Many of these were gath-
ered by the author while
engaged in the necessarily
hasty preparation of his 1886
St. Paul’s Church centenary
address in Norwalk, Conn.,
but most of them have since
been collected, and their
public presentation upon the
eve of the town’s quarter-
millennial birth anniversary.”
As part of Reverend Sell-
eck’s history of Norwalk was
the life of John Betts Grego-
ry, a potter who began and
ended his career in Norwalk.
Although I believe Reverend
Selleck’s recount was the first
time Gregory’s entire career
had been published, he was
later cited in some 20th cen-
tury historical and pottery re-
lated publications.
According to Reverend
Selleck, “John Betts Gregory
was born in Norwalk in 1782
to Abraham and Elizabeth
Gregory, who lived where the
late Henry Marvin resided, on
East Avenue, and south of the
ancient Beacham Lane. He
learned his trade (potter) of
Absalom Day (1770-1843) of
“Old Well (neighborhood in
Norwalk).” After his marriage
to Olive (1786-1883), he had
a good business offer from
Huntington, Long Island,
which he accepted. He after-
ward established a pottery
in Clinton, Oneida County,
N.Y., which required
a building 140-by-
40 for his opera-
tions. He returned in
1831 to Norwalk and
bought from Samuel
Hanford, Half-Mile
Isle, paying $325. He
there built a kiln for
the burning of earth-
enware and stone-
ware. The kiln was
erected in 1832 by
masons Lewis and
George Raymond of
“Old Well.” The busi-
ness was here kept A slip-script red earthenware plate
up until 1840. Mr. inscribed, “Made by J.B.J. Oct. 18 1823 Clin-
Gregory died July 22, ton,” made by John Betts Gregory in Clin- This slip-decorated pitcher adorned with eagles on each side and
1842.” ton, N.Y., is considered one of the earliest inscribed “Clinton Ware,” made by John Betts Gregory in Clinton,
The Pottery in dated and signed pieces of red earthen- N.Y., was formerly owned by Sandwich, Mass. antiques dealer Brian
Clinton, New York ware known from upstate New York. Image Cullity, as well as the Walton family. A double handled vase with
Situated almost courtesy of the Clinton Historical Society. a similar eagle decora-tion sold at Crocker Farm in Sparks, Md., in
50 miles east of November 2013. Image courtesy of New Haven Auctions.
Syracuse, between
Rochester and Al-
bany, the Village of
Clinton was settled
in 1787 by Revolu-
tionary War veterans
and families from
Plymouth, Litchfield
County, Conn., hav-
ing been named af-
ter New York’s first
governor, George
Clinton (1739-1812).
This settlement
eventually expand-
ed into a town, join-
The slip-script red earthenware plate
ing Kirkland in the
inscribed, “Clinton Ware,” is attrib-uted to
19th century, but the
John Betts Gregory in Clinton, N.Y. Image
original village was
courtesy of the Clinton Historical Society.
listed on the Nation-
al Register of Histor- This slip-decorated red earthenware dish attributed to Absalom
Gridley published “History
ic Places in 1982. Day in Norwalk, Conn., the center inscribed “AD.” He was the
of the Town of Kirkland, New
The reason why Gregory founder of the Day Pottery in Norwalk. John Betts Gregory learned
York” in 1874, describing the
moved to landlocked upstate the potter’s trade from Day. Image courtesy of the Metropolitan
businesses of Erastus Barnes
New York may have been a Museum of Art.
and Gregory, as well as a first-
simple desire to operate his
hand account he had been
own pottery, but he may have tifacts found on
told by someone who knew
also heard news of Clinton’s Staten Island in
Gregory: “Erastus Barnes es-
connection to Connecticut the collec-tion of
tablished the first pottery in
and other areas in this part the Staten Island
Clinton, his works being nearly
of New York. There may have Historical Soci-
in the rear of the late Reverend
also been a financial incentive ety. The wares
Charles Jerome’s residence
to move. he made at the
on College Street (Hamilton
Gregory arrived in Clinton Huntington Pot-
College established in 1793).
sometime around 1808-10 tery were also
He found clay of an excellent
with his wife and two daugh- likely exported
quality on the Gleason farm,
ters, purchasing a pottery to New York City.
near Manchester, and his
from Erastus Barnes, Clinton’s The wares he
business was, for those times,
first known potter. But Greg- made in Clinton
large and lucrative. Mr. John B.
ory’s desire to move north may be the most
Gregory succeeded him, and
may have also been a reli- compelling of
carried on the same industry
gious quest, seeing that at the his production,
for several years. He was quite
time, parts of New York were as well as some
a recluse, being seldom seen
engulfed with new religious of the most ac-
outside of his own premises.
movements in the early 19th complished pot-
Yet he had a genial soul, and
century, finding much of this tery manufac- A slip-decorated red earthenware plate pos-
loved to scat-ter jokes and
activity in central and western tured anywhere sibly made by John Betts Gregory at the Hun-
bits of humor among old and
upstate New York. in upstate New tington Pottery on Long Island was recovered
young who came to inspect
Aside from his family, York. He is un- from a pre-1840 privy in New York City. Image
his works or to buy his wares.
Gregory brought along his doubtedly one of courtesy of Scott Jordan and Maribelle Costes.
He was a devout Methodist.
knowledge of slip-decoration New York’s most
Placing a lump of clay on his
and slip-script, which he had significant red lished by the author, 1896.
lathe, he would set his wheel
learned from Absalom Day earthenware potters from the Thomas, Justin W. “The Red
a-spinning, and, while mould-
in Connecticut, a New Jersey 18th or 19th century. Earthenware Available in the
ing pan or jug or other vessel,
trained potter who arrived in Sources 18th and 19th Centuries in
would burst into some old re-
Norwalk about 1793. He likely Miller, Richard. “Norwalk New York City.” Maine Antique
frain, as –
practiced this type of produc- (Connecticut) Slip-script Pot- Digest, October 2018.
“Behold the potter and the
tion while employed in Hun- tery, the Potters, and Related Thomas, Justin W. “Early Red
clay!
tington, as well, sometime Ware.” Ceramics in America, Earthenware & Stoneware
He forms his vessels as he
around the late-18th and ear- 2016. Found on Staten Island.”
please.”
ly-19th century. Selleck, Charles Melbourne. Antiques & the Arts Weekly,
Among the best known ex-
Gregory may have been “Norwalk.” Norwalk, CT.: Pub- Jan. 31, 2020.
amples of slipware pro-duced
the first red earthenware pot-
by Gregory in Clinton is a large
ter producing slip-decorated
slip-script plate, “Why / Will
pottery in upstate New York,
You / Die,” which has been
a technique that was already
published, and was owned
practiced in down-state New
for many years by retired
York and later embraced by a
New York State archaeolo-
number of potters employed
gist and museum specialist
in Western New York and even
George Hamell, later owned
a business in Northern New
by New York City ceramic
York. But he clearly manu-
specialist Garrison Stradling,
factured a lot of wares while
and owned today by Robeso-
employed in Clinton for about
nia, Pa., antiques dealer Greg
20 years, ca. 1810-29. The most
Kramer. Other notable objects
notable of those objects to-
of interest include a slip-dec-
day are the wares that were Here is the site of the John Betts Gregory Pottery in Clinton, N.Y.
orated vase with two eagles,
decorated with slip, but he The Owens-Pavlot Funeral Home took over the property and the
a slip-decorated pitcher with
must have produced simpler house in 1868.
eagles inscribed “Clinton
decorated pottery in the same
Ware,” as well as another plate
manner. Much of this produc-
inscribed, “Made / By J B G /
tion was also likely intended
Oct 18 1823 / Clinton,” which
for local consumption.
is consid-ered one of the ear-
Unfortunately, not much is
liest examples of dated and
left of the Clinton Pottery to-
signed red earthenware from
day, since the Owens-Pavlot
New York.
Funeral Home was built on top
In Retrospect
of the pottery in the 19th cen-
Upon arriving back in Nor-
tury, which also occupies Bet-
walk, Conn., in 1831, Gregory
ts’ home, having been estab-
continued to produce red
lished in 1867. While visiting
earthenware with appar-en-
the area, we walked around
tly a large focus still given
this building in search of any
to slipware. Examples of his
artifacts, and did find some
pro-duction from this period
broken red earthenware, but
seem to have been exported
nothing significant.
to the New York City market,
Interestingly, the person-
based on some examples re-
alities of most early Ameri-
covered in various archaeo- My nephew Jason and niece Alexis with artifacts they collected
can potters are not known;
logical contexts, including ar- around the site of the Clinton Pottery.
how-ever, author, Amos Delos