Mid-18th Century jars (1740-1760) New York
Among the large number of ceramic objects recovered in the wreck of the Machault excavated in the 1970’and 80’s in the Restigouche River in Quebec, Canada were 8 early oyster jars. Archaeologist at Parks Canada cross mended one of the jars into the example shown below. The form of this jar is predictably the simplest version of an oyster jar that could be produced, with no ornamentation and just a hint of a recessed area surrounding the opening to help retain the sealing wax around the cork.
While it was originally believed that these jars were English in origin, like many of the other ceramic vessels recovered in the wreck, work I conducted with Dr. Clara Chang at the Lamont Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University using pXRF to source the clay used to make the jars, lends considerable weight to the face that these were almost certainly made in New York. The Analysis compared ceramics produced in New York, England and Germany with a fragment of one of the jars recovered from the Machault. Principal component analysis conducted by Dr. Chang indicated that this fragment grouped with examples from New York and not at all with European wares.
In addition to this, a less scientific and more subject comparison of the paste (clay body) of the fragment bears a striking resemblance to a jug produced in Manhattan circa 1740 as well as the base of a New York oyster jar (see below).
Machault fragment compared to inside of a circa 1740 NYC Kemple jug.
Machault fragment compared to 18th century NY oyster jar.
The logic of how a New York (which was at the time still under British control) oyster jar found its way onto a French frigate are easily explained by the fact that the Machault had been cruising the North Atlantic and taking prizes. One of these could very well have been a ship recently sailing from New York. It was common practice for French privateers to take the captain’s private cabin stores when a ship was captured and many reports in New York papers mention this fact.
This practice would continue during the American Revolution when Captain Barry, a founder of the fledgling American Navy, sent George Washington, then encamped at Valley Forge, a jar of pickled oysters and a wheel of cheese captured from the British schooner The Alert, which he had captured on the Delaware River just below Philadelphia. The jar and cheese were proof that the enemy ship had been taken as a prize.
“Tis with the Greatest Satisfaction Imaginable I inform You of Capturing two Ships and a Schooner of the Enemy…the Schooner is a Most Excellent Vessel for Our Purpose…By the Bearer Mr. John Chilton have sent You a Cheese and a Jar of Pickled Oysters which Crave Your Acceptance.”
Captain John Barry, March 12, 1778.
