(known as Mary Orchard’s Pottery)
Temple Street, Temple parish.
Summary of operating dates and proprietors
| c1696-c1721 | Mary Orchard. |
The first reference to Mary Orchard in connection with pottery production was on 15 May 1696 when she exported 123 pieces of earthenware to Dublin. After that she was regularly exporting ‘English earthenware’ (presumably tin-glazed earthenware) to Cork, Dublin, Madeira, Nevis, Jamaica, Barbados, Antigua, Montserrat, Carolina, Boston and Newfoundland.
Mary Orchard took her first apprentice with her ‘co-partners’ in May 1698 and took a further nine apprentices in her own right between 1702 and 1720. In the apprenticeship records she was described variously as a potmaker, mugmaker, gallypotmaker or potter and her apprentices were to be taught the art of gallypotmaking, potmaking, mugmaking and glass or white glass making. The work of glass and white glass making probably refers to the production of ‘frit’ for glazing the wares.
In March 1701 Mary Orchard leased a property for ten years in Temple Street on which she could build ‘one or more pothouse or pothouses’ from John Knight of New Sarum in Wiltshire and William Andrews, a merchant of Bristol, and described as ‘All that messuage or tenement of him the said John Knight scituate lyeing and being in Temple Streete in the parish of Temple … Together with all the garden stable pothouse and warehouse thereto belonging thereon lately erected and built And alsoe all and singular roomes kitchens halls parlours chambers sollars shopps lofts lights pavements wayes water easements … And alsoe liberty for them the said William Andrews and — Orchard … to erect in some part of the said garden one or more pothouse or pothouses …’.
Mary Orchard made her will in April 1721 but lived for almost another ten years, her burial being recorded at St Mary Redcliffe church in December 1730. She was still exporting earthenware in December 1721 but in the Port Book studied for 1726 no exports were recorded in her name. It is assumed she had given up the Temple Street Pottery sometime between 1721 and 1726.
Wares produced
Tin-glazed earthenwares.