Checking Ohio letterheads and billheads, the term "queensware" is invariably qualified as in "Rockingham, Yellow, and Variegated Queensware," emphasizing George Miller's point.  In East Liverpool, some potteries would use Rockingham and Yellow Queensware at the same time others would use Rockingham and Yellow Ware.  In Akron, Whitmore Robinson used Rockingham and Yellow Ware but its successor, used Rockingham and Yellow ware.  Interestingly, the Akron Queensware Co. in 1892 was making only Iron stone China and Decorated Ware (white earthenware or semi-vitreous china)and in 1901 the American Queensware Co. of East Liverpool manufactured only "fine semi-porcelainand decorated ware."  

Jim Murphy

----- Original Message -----
From: "George L. Miller" <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Wednesday, March 15, 2006 1:43 pm
Subject: Re: Queensware

> Interesting discussion of the use of the term “Queensware.”   I 
> remembergiving a paper at an SHA meeting back around 1970 on some 
> ceramics from the
> Franklin Glass Works site (1824-1832) in which I used the term 
> “Queensware”to describe the creamware from the site.  Jay 
> Jefferson Miller II, the then
> Curator of Ceramics at the Smithsonian, pulled me aside after my 
> paper and
> complemented me on the presentation after which he set me straight 
> on the
> use of creamware, pearlware, and whiteware.  I always appreciated 
> that, and
> have absorbed a great deal on information on the subject since then.
> 
>      Queensware became a generic term in the nineteenth century 
> for all
> earthenware and is often seen in advertisements in newspapers, city
> directories and other such sources dating as late as the early 
> twentiethcentury.  However, there is a regional bias in the usage 
> when it comes to
> the printed billheads that pottery importers and jobbers used to 
> write out
> the invoices to their customers.  After Mark’s initial posting on 
> this I
> went through the billheads I had for New York and Boston, and 
> found that
> none of them used the term Queensware.  For Philadelphia however, 
> aboutnine out of ten seemed to use the term.  The New York and 
> Boston merchant
> billheads often read “Dealers in Crockery, China and Glass” while the
> Philadelphia ones most often read “Dealers in Queensware, China 
> and Glass.”
> The latest one I found using Queensware in the billhead was from 1910.
> Although the term Queensware occurs in the bill heading, none of the
> ceramics in the invoiced wares are described as Queensware.  Thus, 
> the term
> is a generic for all earthenware.
> 
>      I find the terms Queensware and “soft paste” ware useful 
> because they
> send up a flag that the person using these terms has a thin 
> glazing of
> ceramics knowledge with not much in the way body or depth.
> 
>      By the way Ron, the Queensware that you seem to be referring 
> to is
> “Queens Pattern” that was pressed, not poured into a mold.
> 
> Peace,
> George L. Miller
> URS Corporation
> 437 High Street
> Burlington, New Jersey 08016
> 
>                                                                   
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