The Norfolk Island museum has a good collection of ceramics with marks
scratched on the base (viewed during a ASHA Conf field trip).  These are
associated with the Pitcairn Islanders that were resettled to Norfolk
Island.  Apparently the use of personal marks continues today on Pitcairn
Island but has died out among the Pitcairn Islanders that make their home on
Norfolk Island.

The custom has been traced back to the Bounty mutineers.  A registery of 150
personal marks dating to ca 1893 survives on Pitcairn Island.  A copy of one
page from the register is included in Kingston Ceramics (Erskine 2003).  The
Bounty decendants still use marks from the register.   Erskine (2003) notes
that the use of marks was not limited to ceramics.  Marks were used to
indicate ownership of  trees, bottles, crockery, cutlery and tools.  I have
sighted a reference that related to British soldiers marking their cutlery.
(I'm still looking for the reference).


You may want to obtain the following:

Erskine, Nigel
2003      Kingston Ceramics.  Norfolk Island Museum, Kingston, Norfolk
Island.

Contact:   [log in to unmask]
(or)
Norfolk Island Museum
Norfolk Island
South Pacific 2899

Erskine also noted in Kingston Ceramics that plates scratched with personal
marks have been recovered from the HMS Pandora which wrecked on the Great
Barrier Reef in 1791.

The museum may have Nigel's current contact details in Tasmania.

Cheers- Alexy


----- Original Message -----
From: "Laird Niven" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Saturday, February 28, 2004 5:34 AM
Subject: incised marking on ceramics


Hello all,
I have just been shown a collection of ceramics recovered by divers near the
naval dockyards in Halifax Harbour, Nova Scotia. The ceramics are almost
exclusively nineteenth century and there are many examples of regimental or
Royal Navy pieces. However, there are also quite a number of non-military
vessels that have been deeply inscribed with Roman numerals (usually on the
foot). There are also a couple of examples of regimental vessels with the
inscriptions as well, but they do not correspond with the transfer-printed
regimental number. I was wondering if anyone else has seen similar examples
from naval/military contexts?
Thanks.
Laird Niven
Dartmouth, Nova Scotia