Case Study of Clay Tobacco Pipes
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The dynamics of regionalisation and trade: Yorkshire clay tobacco pipes c1600-1800 3: Methodology such as the Humber Archaeological Partnership in Hull, the York Archaeological Trust in York, and English 3.0 Introduction Heritage at Helmsley, were contacted. Finally, there are This chapter describes the sources of both the a number of private collections, the location of which was documentary and artefactual evidence used in this study. discovered through contact with pipe researchers in the It outlines the methods employed in the recording and area. Although the majority are quite small, two are quite analysis of the artefactual evidence together with details substantial. The first belongs to Mr P Rayner of Beverley of how this present study links in with the National Clay near Hull and contains a very large number of pipes Tobacco Pipe Stamp Catalogue (NSC). The chapter collected from fields near Beverley. The second belongs concludes with sections describing how the pipe bowl to Mr R Raines of Acaster Malbis near York and contains forms have been illustrated and dated. approximately 500 pipes from his farm. In addition to museum and private collections from Yorkshire there are 3.1 Documentary sources a small number of larger national collections which It was intended that this thesis be an artefact-based study include Yorkshire material, such as the National Clay of the clay tobacco pipe industry in Yorkshire during the Tobacco Pipe Archive (NCTPA), which is currently period c1600-1800. Unpublished manuscripts and notes housed in the University of Liverpool, and the private compiled by pipe researchers such as John Andrews collections of Dr D Higgins and S D White, both of (1980s, 1987a, 1987b, 1987c, 1987d 1988, 1991 and which are also based in Liverpool. 1993) and Adrian Oswald (1991) have been consulted. Although the author has carried out no systematic survey The initial approach to these institutions and individuals of the primary documentary sources, it was possible to was made by letter, which outlined the nature of the make a limited search of records relating to Yorkshire research and also sought to ascertain the range of material pipe-makers held at Wakefield Record Office and the that each collection had. These letters were followed up Local Studies Library in Rotherham. with a phone call. In some instances the institutions approached did not have any clay tobacco pipes in their Specialist publications relating to clay tobacco pipe collection. For example, the Cannon Hall Museum, studies, including unpublished manuscripts and research Barnsley only had two porcelain bowls of German origin notes were consulted. These publications included the and no English clay tobacco pipes. In other cases, for BAR series The archaeology of the clay tobacco pipe example the Yorkshire Museum, York, collections of clay together with the Society for Clay Pipe Research tobacco pipes had been dispersed. In such instances these Newsletter and their occasional monograph series. The museum could be eliminated from the list and the enquiry next stage was to locate references to clay tobacco pipes was taken no further. Where institutions did hold clay that were specific to Yorkshire. This was achieved by tobacco pipes of seventeenth- and/or eighteenth-century consulting local archaeological and historical journals. date, an appointment was made to go and record the The national bibliographic database compiled by the material. It was possible to borrow some groups so that Medieval Pottery Research Group they could be studied in more detail in Liverpool. These (www.medievalpottery.org.uk) was also consulted. This latter groups included excavated material from the York database holds references to all types of ceramics from Archaeological Trust, the pipes excavated at Sandal the British Isles and includes references to later material Castle and held by Wakefield Museum and Art Gallery, such as clay tobacco pipes. A full list of all the sources together with the private collections of Mr Rayner of used in this study is given in the bibliography. Beverley and Mr Raines of Acaster Malbis. Finally, it was necessary to locate where the objects Relevant material has been recorded from the following themselves were housed in order that a detailed record of collections: - them could be made. The Guide to museums and galleries of Yorkshire and Humberside lists all the Museums and other public bodies museums and galleries, alphabetically by town, and gives Abbey House Museum, Leeds a summary of what each museum holds in its collections. Beck Isle Museum of Rural Life, Pickering By looking at this guide it was possible to identify all Bowes Museum, Barnard Castle those museums in Yorkshire that were likely to have clay Craven Museum, Skipton tobacco pipes in their collection thereby creating a list of Dales Countryside Museum, Hawes museums to contact. Doncaster Museum & Art Gallery Dorman Museum, Middlesborough 3.2 Sources of artefactual evidence Kelham Island Industrial Museum, Sheffield The clay tobacco pipes used in this study come from Manor House Museum, Ilkley three main sources. The first, and the one that accounts Mercer Art Gallery, Hartlepool for the majority of the material, comprises the museum National Clay Tobacco Pipe Archive, Liverpool collections that contain material from Yorkshire. Second, Newark Museum the archaeological stores of Units operating in Yorkshire, Pontefract Museum 16 Susan D White Richmondshire Museum, Richmond abroad, particularly to the east coast of America. Rotherham Museum Impressions of Yorkshire material were identified in the Ryedale Folk Museum, Hutton-le-Hole following collections from this source: - Scarborough Borough Council, Scarborough Scunthorpe Museum and Art Gallery, Scunthorpe Abbott Hall Art Gallery & Museum, Kendal, Sewerby Hall, Bridlington Cumbria Sheffield City Museum Adrian Oswald Collection Thirsk Museum Association for the Preservation of Virginia Tolson Memorial Museum, Huddersfield Antiquities, Jamestown, USA Wakefield Museum & Art Gallery Austin Collection, Lampeter Whitby Museum Bassetlaw Museum, Retford, Nottinghamshire Wilberforce House Museum, Hull Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery, Birmingham York Castle Museum Carlisle Archaeological Unit, Carlisle Yorkshire Dales Lead Mining Museum, Earby Carlisle Museum & Art Gallery, Carlisle Central Excavation Unit, English Heritage Archaeological units Colonial Williamsburg, Department of Archaeological Research and Consultancy, Archaeological Research, Williamsburg, University of Sheffield (ARCUS) Virginia, USA Central Excavation Unit (HMBC) Dagnall Collection, Rainford, Lancashire English Heritage Archaeological Store, Helmsley Department of Archaeology, University of Sheffield Humber Archaeology Partnership, Hull Elkins Collection, Acton, London Lampeter Archaeological Unit Flowerdew One Hundred, Virginia, USA North West Archaeological Trust Fox Collection, Lutterworth, Leicestershire South Yorkshire Archaeological Unit Grosvenor Museum, Chester, Cheshire Tees Archaeology Historic St. Mary’s City, Maryland, USA West Yorkshire Archaeological Services Jennings Collection, York Wood Hall Archaeological Trust, Womersley North West Archaeological Trust, Liverpool, York Archaeological Trust Merseyside Lampeter Archaeological Unit Private collections Lancaster City Museum, Lancaster, Lancashire Akerhagen Collection, Sweden Maryland Archaeological Conservation Laboratory, Austin Collection, Lampeter Jefferson Patterson Park and Museum, Brackenridge Collection, Sheffield Maryland, USA Butterfield Collection, Glusburn Royal Albert Memorial Museum, Exeter, Devon Dagnell Collection, Rainford St John’s Church, Hampton, Virigina, USA Davey Collection, Isle of Man Salford Museum & Art Gallery, Salford Denham Collection, Wakefield Somerset County Museum, Taunton, Somerset Higgins Collection, Liverpool South Yorkshire Archaeology Unit Mayfield Collection, Potovens Stocks Collection, Wallasey, Merseyside Raines Collection, Acaster Malbis, Nr. York Virginia Department of Historic Resources, Rayner Collection, Beverley, Nr. Hull Richmond, Virginia, USA Richardson Collection Virginia Foundation for Archaeological Research, Stothard Collection, Hull Virginia, USA Tierney Collection, Nr. Skipton York Excavation Group White Collection, Liverpool Summaries outlining the material held in each collection The third, and final source of study material, were those recorded, together with 1:1 drawings showing the range groups of pipes that have already been published. The of forms are given in Appendix 3. level of recording is variable and, in many cases not as detailed as for the rest of the material in this thesis. As a The second source of study material comprises the series result the published material is not directly comparable. of plaster blocks compiled by Dr D A Higgins as part of What these published sources do provide, however, are the National Clay Tobacco Pipe Stamp Catalogue (NSC) details of the bowl forms and stamp marks recovered (see below). These blocks contain impressions of all the from sites in Yorkshire that give valuable information stamped marks from approximately two-thirds of regarding the development and distribution of Yorkshire England as well as groups from overseas including sites products. on the east coast of America. By studying these blocks it was possible to locate marked Yorkshire pipes that had found their way to other parts of the country as well as 17 The dynamics of regionalisation and trade: Yorkshire clay tobacco pipes c1600-1800