Rights Holder: National Museums Liverpool
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Unique ID: LVPL-947772
Object type certainty: Certain
Workflow
status: Awaiting validation
An incomplete clay pipe of modern date, 1820-1850. The object consists of the bowl of a clay pipe and a small fragment of the stem. The mouth of the bowl is incomplete due to recent damage and is decorated with a circumferential ridge where visible. There is a small round spur at the base of the bowl measuring 4mm in length which is incomplete. The bowl has an internal diameter of 16.5mm.
The back of the bowl facing the smoker is decorated with a shield within which are the letters JM. Scalloped decoration comprising of five moulded ridges with rounded terminals run the length of the bowl on each side with the furtherst from the smoker being the longest, gradually getting shorter as they get nearer the smoker. There is a line of stars above the scalloped decoration and there also appears to be the remains of a symbol mark comprising a single star on each side of the spur. The remaining stem measures 10mm in length, 8mm in width and the stem bore has an internal diameter of 3mm.
Dimensions: 42mm in length, 25mm in width, 6.6g.
Dr David Higgins comments: Stylistically the pipe bowl dates from around 1820-50 and it was almost certainly made by a member of the Morgan family, since the Morgans were one of the principal pipemaking families in Liverpool during the early nineteenth century. Furthermore, this mark has previously been recorded from Liverpool and there are not any other recorded Liverpool pipemakers with the initials JM who are not members of this family. If the bowl was made by one of the Morgans, then it is likely to date from the 1820s or early 1830s, since the family appears to have given up pipemaking by 1840. There are four or five members of the family working during the early nineteenth century with the initials JM as follows: -
James Morgan, recorded working in 1803
John Morgan, recorded working 1800-1804 and 1827-1834 (possibly two different individuals)
Joseph Morgan, recorded working 1815-1817
Judith Morgan, recorded working 1810-1832
Given the date of the bowl and mark type, then this is most likely to be a product of either John or Judith Morgan and to date from c1820-35.
Subsequent action after recording: Returned to finder
Broad period: POST MEDIEVAL
Subperiod from: Late
Period from: POST MEDIEVAL
Subperiod to: Late
Period to: POST MEDIEVAL
Date from: Circa AD 1820
Date to: Circa AD 1850
Quantity: 1
Length: 42 mm
Width: 25 mm
Weight: 6.6 g
Date(s) of discovery: Tuesday 1st December 2015 - Wednesday 20th January 2016
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Primary material: Other
Manufacture method: Cast
Completeness: Complete
Grid reference source: GPS (from the finder)
Unmasked grid reference accurate to a 1 metre square.
No references cited so far.