Part 3 (1/2)

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIGURE 17.--Views of North Devon harvest jug used in Suss.e.x County, Delaware. This jug, 11 inches high and dated 1698, is in the collection of Charles G. Dorman. The inscription reads:

”Kind S{r}: i com to Gratifiey youre Kindness Love and Courtisy and Sarve youre table with Strong beare for this intent i was sent heare: or if you pleas i will supply youre workmen when in harvist dry when they doe labour hard and swear{e} good drinke is better far then Meat”]

WESTMORELAND COUNTY, VIRGINIA: SITE OF JOHN WAs.h.i.+NGTON HOUSE.

In 1930 the National Park Service became custodians for ”Wakefield,” the George Was.h.i.+ngton birthplace site on Pope's Creek in Westmoreland County.

About a mile to the west of ”Wakefield” itself, but within the Park area, is the site of Bridges Creek Plantation, purchased in 1664 by John Was.h.i.+ngton, the earliest member of the family in America. It was occupied by John at least until his death in 1677, and probably by Lawrence Was.h.i.+ngton until a few years later. Much artifactual material was dug from the plantation house site, including the largest deposits of North Devon types found outside of Jamestown.[65]

STAFFORD COUNTY, VIRGINIA: MARLBOROUGH SITE.

A short-lived town was built in 1691 at the confluence of Potomac Creek and the Potomac River on Potomac Neck. The town was abandoned by 1720, but six years later became the abode of John Mercer, who developed a plantation there. The site of his house was excavated by the Smithsonian Inst.i.tution in 1956. Two small sherds of North Devon gravel-tempered ware were found there in a predominantly mid-18th-century deposit.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIGURE 18.--Gravel-tempered pan (top) and cooking pot with cover, all from Jamestown. The pan has a height of 4-1/2 inches and a diameter of 15 inches. The pot is 6 inches high and 9-1/2 inches in diameter; the diameter of its cover is 10 inches. Colonial National Historical Park.]

CALVERT COUNTY, MARYLAND: ANGELICA KNOLL SITE.

Since 1954 Robert A. Elder, Jr., a.s.sistant curator of ethnology at the United States National Museum, has been investigating the site on the Chesapeake Bay of a plantation or small settlement known as Angelica Knoll. This investigation has revealed a generous variety of gravel-tempered utensil forms, including both 17th and 18th century styles. The range of a.s.sociated artifacts points to a site dating from the late 17th century to about 1765.

KENT ISLAND, QUEEN ANNE COUNTY, MARYLAND.

A small collection of late 17th-century and early 18th-century material--gathered by Richard H. Stearns near the sh.o.r.e of Kent Island, a quarter-mile south of Kent Island Landing--includes both North Devon types. The collection was given to the United States National Museum.

LEWES, SUSs.e.x COUNTY, DELAWARE: TOWNSEND SITE.

The Townsend site was excavated by members of the Suss.e.x County Archeological Society in 1947. This was primarily an Indian site, but a pit or well contained European artifacts, including a North Devon gravel-tempered jar (fig. 25). The village of Lewes, originally the Dutch settlement of Zwaanandael, was destroyed by the British, who occupied the area in 1664.[66] The European materials from the Townsend site were given to the United States National Museum.

PLYMOUTH, PLYMOUTH COUNTY, Ma.s.sACHUSETTS: ”R.M.” SITE.

A site of a house believed to have been Robert Morton's, located south of the town of Plymouth, was excavated by Henry Hornblower II. It contained North Devon gravel-tempered sherds. The collection is now in the archeological laboratory of Plimoth Plantation, Inc., in Plymouth.

ROCKY NOOK, KINGSTON, PLYMOUTH COUNTY, Ma.s.sACHUSETTS: SITES OF JOHN HOWLAND HOUSE AND JOSEPH HOWLAND HOUSE.

The John Howland house was built between 1628 and 1630; it burned about 1675. The site was excavated between September 1937 and July 1938 under supervision of the late Sidney T. Strickland.[67] Several gravel-tempered utensil sherds were found here, as well as a piece of an oven (see fig.

26). Artifacts from this and the following site are at the Plimoth Plantation laboratory.

The foundations of the Joseph Howland house, adjacent to the John Howland house site, were excavated in 1959 by James Deetz, archeologist at Plimoth Plantation. This is the only New England site of which we are aware that has yielded North Devon sgraffito ware. Two successive houses apparently stood on the site. Statistical evidence of pipe-stem-bore measurements points to 1680-1710 as the first princ.i.p.al period of occupancy.[68]

MARSHFIELD, PLYMOUTH COUNTY, Ma.s.sACHUSETTS: WINSLOW SITE.

This site, excavated by Henry Hornblower II and tentatively dated 1635-1699, yielded considerable quant.i.ties of gravel-tempered ware.