The Sherburne House: Ceramics and Trade in Portsmouth

     The Sherburne house occupies a unique position in the history of Portsmouth. Being the oldest building at Strawbery Banke Museum still standing, the items recovered from Sherburne act as a historic cache for one of the earliest periods of Euromerican colonial history here in New Hampshire. Some of the greatest evidence of this early period are the ceramics found during various archaeological digs at Sherburne and the maritime records of John & Joseph Sherburne. 

    John Sherburne (1615-1698), a mariner and one of the earliest European colonists of the original Strawbery Banke settlement, purchased the land Sherburne was built on from Mary and Samuel Penhallow in 1695. The house was built between 1695 and 1698 (1698 being the year John died), but was never lived in by John and his wife Mary. They instead lived in their home at Newcastle. The house was first passed on to John's wife Mary, along with all his possessions. Mary then passed on the house to their son Joseph, who was a merchant and mariner himself. 

    John, and then Joseph, owned a warehouse (or counting house) in the area which was probably used to house goods for their shipping and merchant activities. According to an article written by Faith Harrington on the Sherburne lot, Joseph Sherburne traded in textiles, clothing, building materials, grains, and other foodstuffs, which he sold out his shop in Portsmouth. 

Nathaniel Barrel Shipping Papers give a glimpse into trade on the Piscataqua in 1725; courtesy of the Portsmouth Athenaeum   

    Considering the nature of Portsmouth as a maritime community and the Sherburne's position as both mariners and merchants, it is no wonder there has been such a diverse selection of ceramics recovered from the digs at the Sherburne house. Some of the oldest include various types of coarse earthenware artisanally produced during the earliest periods of colonial history. These include North Devon earthenware (Pro. 1600-1775),  Staffordshire type Slipware (Pro. 1680-1750), and some type of Iberian/Spanish green lead glazed earthenware which is, as of yet, unidentified regarding the specific type (Pro. ? links above show potential types). 

 

North Devon Gravel Tempered Coarse Earthenware

Complete or nearly complete pieces of North Devon Sgraffito; part of the Demers Collection at the New Castle Historical Society

Mended sherds of North Devon Sgraffito found at the Sherburne House at Strawbery Banke

Staffordshire type Slipware; Picture demonstrates the multi-colored layering of the clay and slip done to achieve the line pattern

'Pie Crust' rim piece of Staffordshire type Slipware

The various sherds of green lead glazed Iberian ware; the glaze color is indicative of Spanish make, but the specific type is still unclear at this moment

    The Navigation Acts, which were passed in order to enforce British Mercantilist policy, restricted trade so that it could, largely, only be conducted within British territories. This is why the Iberian ware was especially interesting to me, as it possibly indicated that the Sherburnes were participating in some sort of smuggling. This may not be the case in a direct sense, as both Joseph & John made consistent trips to and from the Caribbean, which would have given them opportunities to engage with other merchants who directly partook in the smuggling of Spanish goods. Officially, the Sherburnes often imported sugar and cotton back from Barbados and Antigua to Portsmouth, while exporting staves, shingles, boards, timber, and fish to plantations located in Barbados and Antigua. However, the presence of Iberian ware indicated that they had contact with Spanish wares, whether that was in a more passive or direct sense.

British Shipping logs of John Sherburne's voyage to Barbados in 1694. The log indicates he was transporting staves, timber, shingles, and fish among other goods. On a return voyage from the Caribbean to Portsmouth in 1695, he would bring back cotton and sugar. (Courtesy of the Portsmouth Athenaeum)   

In 1725 Joseph Sherburne brought back cotton, sugar, and messages from Antiqua. An incomplete log of his departing journey from Portsmouth in 1724 indicated that he was carrying timber. Evidently he was, like his father, transporting supplies to plantations in the Caribbean. (Courtesy of the Portsmouth Athenaeum)

In 1743 Joseph was transporting supplies to Barbados, which included boards, staves, shingles, and shad fish. (Courtesy of the Portsmouth Athenaeum)

The findings at the Sherburne home, the records kept here in Portsmouth, and the research done in the past paint a complex and fascinating view of the Sherburne Family and Portsmouth maritime community. Both the ceramics and maritime records of John & Joseph indicate an extensive participation in the Triangular Trade that defined much of the colonial maritime practice and the goods that were traded. I am extremely excited to see what Strawbery Banke Museum does with the Sherburne home in the future, whether that's more archaeology or a new exhibit!

            

I am but a student in this field, so I would encourage anyone who may have more information to comment, correct, and/or add to this post in the comments below!