FRANK Thomas I

See the Potteries List section for the Redcliff Back Pottery 1.

He succeeded ‘John Frank’ at the Redcliff Back Pottery 1. However, ‘John Frank’ may be a mistake for Thomas Frank I, as the latter was exporting earthenware from at least 1705.

c1709-38	Thomas Frank I ran the Redcliff Back Pottery 1.
1738-c44	Thomas Frank I and his son, Richard Frank, ran the Redcliff Back Pottery 1.

From c1744 Richard Frank was operating the Redcliff Back Pottery 1 alone.

 

The son of Thomas Frank of London, tailor, deceased.  He was the father of Richard Frank.

1689	8 Aug. He was apprenticed to Edward I and Deans Ward. 40 shillings to be paid to apprentice at the end of his term (A, Ar).
1696	He was living with the Ward family in Temple parish (Ralph & Williams 1968, 253).
1697	25 Mar. A gallypotmaker of Bristol he married Hester Martine (QR).
1698	11 Jun. He became a free gallypotmaker (F).
1700	19 Jul. ‘Esther Frank, Philip’s parish, wife of Thomas of Bristol, buried’ (QR).
1701	23 Jun. A gallypotmaker of Bristol he married Elizabeth Collins, daughter of Richard Collins, late of Bath, Somerset (QR).
1705-26	From at least 1705 until 1726 (the Port Books studied to date) Thomas Frank was regularly exporting earthenware to Nevis, Montserrat, Jamaica, Antigua, Barbados, St Kitts, Boston, Carolina, Pennsylvania, New York, Philadelphia and ports in Ireland (PB-EXP).
1707-27	He was described as a gallypotmaker (A, Ao, Ar).
1721	3 Apr. He was named as an executor in the will of Mary Orchard, potter (BRO Will 1732/82).
1722	Potter, St Mary Redcliffe parish (P).
1726	Apr. ‘By Tho. Franks for Tiles for the Parish house £1.8s.0d’ (BRO P/St Aug/ChW/1(b)).
1726	May. A deed of settlement mentions a pothouse occupied by Thomas Frank, St Mary Redcliffe parish, as a tenant of Abraham Lloyd, merchant (BRO Whiting MSS).
1728-38	[Otherwise undated] Thomas Frank of Bristol, gallypotmaker, and Elizabeth, his wife paid £30 for a 99 year lease of a messuage and garden in Broad Street [Bath] … on the lives of Elizabeth Frank, and Hannah and Mary Frank their daughters.  He to pay the money due from his late father-in-law, Richard Collins, to the Corporation (Bath Council Book No.5 – information from Marek Lewcun).
1733	A gallypotmaker, Redcliff Back (A, Ao, Ar).
1733	16 Aug. ‘Ended … Joseph Thrall agt John Robins at Mr Frank’s pothouse, Redclift Backs’ (C).
1734	Gallypotmaker, St Mary Redcliffe parish (P).
1736	Potter, Redcliff Back (A, Ao, Ar).
1736	4 Nov. John Barton, potter, stated to be at ‘Mr Frank’s pothouse, Redcliff Backs’ (C).
1737	27 Jun. ‘Thomas Franks, quaker, potter, Redcliff Backs’ (JB) and again on 3 Jul 1738.
1739	Gallypotmaker, St Mary Redcliffe parish (P).
1740	10 Jul. ‘Elizabeth Horler spst. agst. John Mearne works at Mr Frank’s potthouse’ (C).
1745	28 Sep. The Corporation of Bristol paid Thomas Frank £3.16s.0d ‘for Chimney Tile’ used in the New Exchange (G).
1746	5 Dec. Possibly the Thomas Frank of St Leonard’s parish, gentleman, who was granted a licence to marry Mary Williams, widow, of St James’s parish at St James or St Leonard (M).
1746	7 Dec. Thomas Frank married Mary Williams (LPR).
1754	Gallypotmaker, St Philip and Jacob parish (P).
1757	17 Mar. Of St Philip and Jacob parish he was buried at Redcliff Pit (QR).
1757	21 Mar. ‘Bristol, March 19th … Monday morning died suddenly, Mr Thomas Frank Sen. one of the People call’d Quakers’ (Bath Chronicle – information from Marek Lewcun).
	Apprentices: With wife Hester: Peter Griffiths, 11 Jul 1698 (A, Ar)-28 Apr 1707 (F,G) With wife Elizabeth: Galfridus Pinnell, 24 Nov 1707 (A, AR) Thomas Taylor I, 18 Mar 1709 (A, Ao, Ar)-22 Mar 1718 (F, G) James Lewis, 5 Apr 1709 (A, Ao, Ar) James Gane, 17 Aug 1709 (Ao, Ar) William Arney, 27 Sep 1712 (A, Ao, Ar) Joseph Taylor I, 17 Jul 1714 (Ao, Ar)-14 Mar 1722 (F, G) James Gaynard, 13 Nov, 8 or 13 Dec 1714 (A, Ao, Ar)-14 Mar 1722 (F) Joseph Griffiths, 23 Mar 1720 (A, Ao, Ar) Hugh Taylor, 27 Jun 1720 (A, Ar)-24 Jul 1747 (F, G) Joseph Cherry, 15 Apr 1721 (A, Ao, Ar)-12 Aug 1728 (F, G) Henry Farr, 16 Apr 1724 (A, Ao, Ar) Richard Frank, 9 Feb 1727 (A, Ao, Ar)-23 Mar 1734 (F, G) Richard Taylor, 7 Apr 1733 (A, Ao, Ar) Thomas Taylor II, 13 Oct 1733 (A, Ao, Ar)-26 Jun 1747 (F, G)Alone: Joseph Flower, 14 Aug 1736 (A, Ao, Ar)-12 Mar 1744 (F, G) Henry Mearn apprenticeship date unknown- 6 Aug 1713 (F)
	Rate and tax book entries: Property 1: St Anne’s Mill, he took over this property from Edward Ward I 1704 ‘Tho Franck for ye Mill’ (Brislington-Ch)Property 2: Redcliff Back Pottery 1 1709-25 Mar 1738] Thomas Frank Dwellinghouse/pothouse/warehouse Redcliff Back (SMR-W,L,LS,PR) [25 Mar 1738-25 Dec 1744 Thomas and Richard Frank, Dwellinghouse, Pothouse, etc. Redcliff Back (SMR-L,LS)Property 3: 25 Mar 1736-29 Sep 1738 Thomas Frank for a Warehouse Redcliff Back (SMR-L) Property 4: [29 Sep 1736-25 Mar 1757 Thomas Franks garden (Locks garden) Guinea Street (SMR-L) Property 5: 25 Dec 1728-25 Dec 1740 Ths. Frank (SMR-LS) 25 Dec 1742 Thos. Frank Redcliff Hill (SMR-LS) Property 6: [25 Mar 1738 Thomas Frank Cathay (SMR-L) Property 7: [21 Dec 1746-21 Dec 1747 Thomas Frank Head of the Key (St Leonard’s-LS)
	Children: Hester, born 27 Sep 1699 (QR), Mary, born 21 Jan 1702 (QR), Thomas, born 20 May 1703, buried 15 Mar 1707 (QR), Hannah, born 26 Feb 1705 (QR), Elizabeth, buried 21 Jun 1708 (QR), Richard, born 13 Nov 1711 (QR)