File:Medieval ceramic Midlands Purple Ware vessel fragments (FindID 138615).jpg

English: A collection of four wheel-thrown ceramic Midlands Purple body sherds (one of which is slightly glazed) and two rim sherds, dating to the late 14th/ 15th century, between AD 1350 – 1500 (varying thickness from 5.5 - 10mm; collective weight: 100.2g). The vessel sherds are in a slightly worn and fair condition. They form part of a large collection of vessel sherds found by the finder including Iron rich sandy ware and Midlands White Ware vessel sherds (see related records). Altogether, these sherds highlight a 13th/ 14th century domestic collection that appears to have been thrown into a midden dump or pit, possibly close to a settlement.

The fabric of these sherds consists of an iron-rich clay containing common fine quartz grains, occasional larger quartz grains and rare to moderate subrounded iron ore fragments. The fabric is a partially oxidised/ reduced very hard fired earthenware or even a stoneware, varying in colour from dark ornage/ red to dark grey or bluey grey.

In the publication listed below, D. Ford has detailed the following information:

This fabric is very hard fired and continues in manufacture until the 18th century AD. The fabric consists of an iron-rich clay containing common fine quartz grains, occasional larger quartz grains and rare to moderate subrounded iron ore fragments. The fabric is a partially oxidised/ reduced very hard fired earthenware or even a stoneware, varying in colour from mottled salmony pink to dark grey or bluey grey. This ware is wheelthrown.

Midlands Purple ware comes in a variety of forms, including pitchers, jugs, barrel-shaped storage jars, bowls as the main forms, as well as smaller jugs, bottles, cisterns, urinals, dripping pans, chafing dishes, skillets, pipkins, kiln furniture and crucible and mortar fragments. Where present, the glaze is usually patchy and sporadic and appears green on the oxidised fabric and vitrified purple on the reduced. Strap handles are generally joined to the body of the pot with heavy thumbing. Decoration is uncommon.

It is generally accepted that the earliest appearance of Midlands Purple ware is in the late 14th – 15th centuries. In North Staffordshire, dating is provided by well-stratified deposits at Swan Bank, Burslem. Even though there have been no medieval kilns producing this ware uncovered in Staffordshire, an extensive pottery production centre was established at Ticknall, Derbyshire in the late 15th century. At Oakeswell Hall in Wednesbury, it is also thought that wasters of Midlands Purple indicated a kiln very close by. Other wasters have been found at a different location in Burslem as metioned above, Hanley and Hulton Abbey, and at Bradwell Farm, Newcastle-under-Lyme. Midlands Purple ware is commonly found throughout Staffordshire and other parts of the Midlands. Distinctive products of the Wednesbury industry have been found in south and mid Staffordshire and north Warwickshire.

Ref: Ford, D, A, 1995, ‘Medieval Pottery in Staffordshire, AD 800 – 1600: A Review’, pages 35-6.