The Poor Potter of Yorktown

The Poor Potter of Yorktown. Historic Yorktown. , "There is one poor Potter's work of coarse earthen Ware, which is of so little Consequence, that I dare say there hath not been twenty Shillings work less of that Commodity imported since it was sett up than there was before." , Lieutenant Governor William Gooch to the Lords of the Board of Trade, London, 1732, Although Yorktown is best known for its pivotal role during the American Revolution, a much quieter revolution was taking place by 1720. At that time, entrepreneur William Rogers built one of America's first and most complex pottery factories to supply the needs of colonists typically dependent on British wares. As the British Crown generally prohibited colonial manufacture of domestic goods, Rogers's factory is among the first American attempts to gain economic independence from Great Britain., Despite operating his pottery contrary to laws and regulations, Rogers apparently had the approval of Virginia's royal governor, who was responsible for protecting British trade interests. Beginning with a series of official reports to the Lords of the Board of Trade in 1732, Lt. Governor William Gooch referred to a "poor potter" in Yorktown. Gooch may have used the term "poor" to minimize the threat of competition with British potters and merchants., William Rogers was anything but poor., (captions) , Only one example of Rogers's signature has been found, written on a 1720 legal document. However, an intriguing pottery fragment discovered in Gloucestertown across the York River, bears the inscription "Rogers" and a close resemblance to his documented handwriting. Courtesy of the Virginia Department of Historic Resources, Courtesy of the Virginia Historical Society