Introduction

Several thousand ceramic fragments were excavated from two large privy chambers at Numbers 2 and 3 Quality Row, Kingston, Norfolk Island. The material excavated revealed a broad range of material 1840s to 1880s relating in a small part to the occupation of civil officers between 1845 and 1856 and in a large part to the occupation of Driver Christian's family (Number 2 - right side of the Duplex) and that of Philip McCoy (No 3 - left side of the Duplex), descendants of the Bounty Mutineers, 1856 to about the 1880s. Material brought over from Pitcairn Island and discarded in the pits was also identified. The shards were re-assembled resulting in several hundred whole or near whole items such as plates, cups, chamber pots. The washing, soaking, cleaning, labelling and reasembling took several months of intensive work. Up to the present the collection has only been used for museum displays. This is the first step toward bringing the collection to the notice of the public.

This new section is to be dedicated to the ceramic types excavated as an aid to dating ceramic assemblages of the 1840s to 1880s period. This work would be applicable to any country in the world where English ceramics were imported.

The challenge is how to present this material without taking up a huge amount of web site and computer space and without loosing the detail on the ceramics. Partial views have been considered as one way to present a broader cross-section of the collection.

Criticism is welcome. Requests for the clarification of particular or diagnostic details are also welcomed but it should be remembered that there is a space limit one has to keep track of.

The collection is housed at the Archaeological Repository, Kingston Museums, Norfolk Island. More of the collection will be photographed a little later in the year.

Pit distribution has been studied to a limited extent, allowing approximate deposition dates to be used in the text. Further work will be done on this aspect as the year progresses. All ceramics are of 'soft paste' and underglaze blue transfer printed unless otherwise stated. Because of the number of photographs on each page, it might take from 30 seconds to 3 minutes for a pages to load.

CERAMICS 1840s -1880s Illustrated New! The below were excavated from a historic long-drop privy pit. A series of mainly transfer printed wares.

Willow Pattern Marked Illustrated

Willow Pattern Unmarked Illustrated

Willow Pattern Platters Illustrated

Asiatic Pheasant Ware Illustrated

Abbey Ruins and Castles 1 Illustrated

Abbey Ruins and Castles 2 Illustrated

Abbey Ruins and Castles 3 Illustated

Patterned Cups and Saucers 1 Illustrated

Patterned Cups and Saucers 2 Illustrated

Patterned Cups and Saucers 3 Illustrated

Scenic Mugs 1 Illustrated

Scenic Mugs 2 Illustrated

Scenic Mugs 3 Illustrated

Scenic Mugs 4 Illustrated

Plain Mugs 5 Illustrated

Scenic Bowls Illustrated

Chamberpots 1 Illustrated

Chamberpots 2 Illustrated

Miscellaneous 1 Illustrated

Miscellaneous 2 Illustrated

1880s-1890s Various Illustrated

Expert Correspondence relating to the above.

Ceramic Links

IDENTIFICATION OF MANUFACTURERS

The following have been used in connection to this work:

Godden, Geoffrey A. Encyclopaedia of British Pottery and Porcelain Marks. (Barrie & Jenkins Ltd). 1982 reprint.

Godden, Geoffrey A. An Illustrated Encyclopaedia of British Pottery and Porcelain. (Barrie & Jenkins Ltd). 1980 edition.

Godden, Geoffrey. Oriental Export Market Porcelain and its influence on European Wares. Granada Publishing 1979.

Copeland, Robert. Spode's Willow Pattern & other designs after the Chinese. Studio Vista/Christie (Cassell Ltd). 1980.

Cushion, J.P. Handbook of Pottery & Porcelain Marks in collaboration with W.B.Honey. Faber and Faber Ltd. 1981 reprint of the fourth edition.

Thorn, C. Jordan. Handbook of Old Pottery and Porcelain Marks. Tudor Publishing Company, New York, 1947.

VARMAN - I have been interested in transfer printed wares since 1974 when I took part in the excavation of an 1860s/1870s site at Hill End, NSW, Australia. I have my own records of past excavations which are sometimes useful in identification: where this is the case, it will be noted in the text.

April 8, 1998. Last updated April 18, 1998. Tweaked April 3, 2006

Dr Robert V J P Varman

Archaeologist & Heritage Consultant

31 Wombat Street

Berkeleyvale Central Coast NSW 2261

Australia

Go to the main index for further addresss details