# H.R. PRENTICE 1873



## ROBBYBOBBY64 (Mar 19, 2021)

I just acquired my first saltglazed bottle. I never owned one before so I was surprised to see how large it actually is. It is grey colored outside and brown glazed inside. Blue colored debossed HR, PRENTICE 1873. It was found in the eaves of a Coventry, RI farm house built in the 1790's. (Joseph Briggs House) The farm was converted into the town poor house. It was renovated into a 2 family house in 1985 when it was found in the attic. Impurities in the stoneware caused a defect to form when fired. It has no crazing, cracks or chips. I put a link to some information on Coventry and the Joseph Briggs House.
ROBBYBOBBY64.








						Joseph Briggs House - Wikipedia
					






					en.m.wikipedia.org


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## J.R. Collector (Mar 19, 2021)

The Blue embossing Robby is very nice. Also the size and story are fantastic. Nice addition to the collection. Very cool


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## ROBBYBOBBY64 (Mar 19, 2021)

Sarasota941 said:


> The Blue embossing Robby is very nice. Also the size and story are fantastic. Nice addition to the collection. Very cool


Thanks for your  comments. Can't find information on Prentice. Only down side. I have a spot right next to my 1870's saltglazed beer mug. I have put a link to informative information about saltglazed history.
ROBBYBOBBY64.








						Salt glaze pottery - Wikipedia
					






					en.m.wikipedia.org


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## TxBottleDigger (Mar 19, 2021)

ROBBYBOBBY64 said:


> I just acquired my first saltglazed bottle. I never owned one before so I was surprised to see how large it actually is. It is grey colored outside and brown glazed inside. Blue colored debossed HR, PRENTICE 1873. It was found in the eaves of a Coventry, RI farm house built in the 1790's. (Joseph Briggs House) The farm was converted into the town poor house. It was renovated into a 2 family house in 1985 when it was found in the attic. Impurities in the stoneware caused a defect to form when fired. It has no crazing, cracks or chips. I put a link to some information on Coventry and the Joseph Briggs House.
> ROBBYBOBBY64.
> 
> 
> ...


Gotta love the backstory. Great bottle with a significant history being that it's from a house that is listed on National Register of Historic Places and has a Wikipedia page.


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## ROBBYBOBBY64 (Mar 19, 2021)

TxBottleDigger said:


> Gotta love the backstory. Great bottle with a significant history being that it's from a house that is listed on National Register of Historic Places and has a Wikipedia page.


The Joseph Briggs house was placed on the national historical registery in 1987. I'm not worthy! I did not realize it was going to be so big or beautiful. Just the bottom is 3/4" thick! They probably made bigger, I don't know.  I'm totally hooked on stoneware bottles now and want more. 
ROBBYBOBBY64.


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## TxBottleDigger (Mar 19, 2021)

ROBBYBOBBY64 said:


> The Joseph Briggs house was placed on the national historical registery in 1987. I'm not worthy! I did not realize it was going to be so big or beautiful. Just the bottom is 3/4" thick! They probably made bigger, I don't know.  I'm totally hooked on stoneware bottles now and want more.
> ROBBYBOBBY64.


I bet you lived in the UK because there are *TONS* of them over there.


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## ROBBYBOBBY64 (Mar 19, 2021)

TxBottleDigger said:


> I bet you lived in the UK because there are *TONS* of them over there.


New Jersey my whole life buddy.
ROBBYBOBBY64.


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## treeguyfred (Mar 19, 2021)

Sweet get Robby! I've got a few, all from N.J. I've dug several, bought two. I dug one out of Greenwood Lake, it's a Paterson example either Pfannebecker or WT Allen, I can't remember, it's packed away currently. I did find some old photos from 2015.
I can post them if there's interest..
~Fred


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## ROBBYBOBBY64 (Mar 19, 2021)

treeguyfred said:


> Sweet get Robby! I've got a few, all from N.J. I've dug several, bought two. I dug one out of Greenwood Lake, it's a Paterson example either Pfannebecker or WT Allen, I can't remember, it's packed away currently. I did find some old photos from 2015.
> I can post them if there's interest..
> ~Fred


I've seen the Wm T Allen before. Here is the hutchinson I have of his. Seen a nice stoneware Twitchell too. Thanks Fred.
ROBBYBOBBY64.


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## treeguyfred (Mar 19, 2021)

So, here's a couple of snaps from 2015. The one that was dug out of Greenwood Lake in 2012 is in the first pic (third stoney from the left)The white one was dug in a stone liner in Jersey City 2006- 2007.. I can't remember too many other details...


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## RIBottleguy (May 2, 2022)

Nice stoneware beer!  Henry R. Prentice started brewing beer in Providence, RI but had moved to Seekonk, Mass by the 1870s.


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## jwpevahouse (May 2, 2022)

Stoneware mead bottles date from 1840 to 1870s. The NJ examples I've seen were dated 1846, 1854 and one Trenton example from the early 1870s. After 1880 they apparently lost popularity like the "squat bottle" and were to never return. I've read mead, a beer made with honey, was one of the first fermented alcoholic drinks in Europe. For that reason I suspect the choice of a crude stoneware bottle emphasized it's deep historical significance.


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