This is an earthenware chamber pot with a lead glaze inside dating from around the late 18th to the early 19th century.
The chamber pot has a rounded rim, a loop handle and was made by Verwood Potteries in Dorset. Verwood was the primary pottery making area in Dorset, with some kilns in the area able to be traced back to the Medieval period. There were many pottery companies in the area, the most successful being Cross Roads Pottery which closed its last kiln in 1952. Verwood is situated on the edge of the New Forest, near the border between Dorset and Hampshire.
Chamber pots originated in Ancient Greece since the 6th Century BC and were used as portable toilets, mainly for night time use in the bedroom. During the late 18th and early 19th century it was disposed of by the wealthy people’s servants tipping it outside or in cesspits and outhouses. It was often stored in cupboards, under beds, or in specialized furniture like commode. Housemaids and scullery maids often did the more difficult and undesirable jobs like carrying water, emptying chamber pots, and keeping fires lit. Chamber pots were made from pewter (a malleable metal alloy mainly made up of tin or copper), stoneware (a type of pottery, fired at hot temperatures, to create a durable, non-porous ceramic material). It was also made of earthenware (a type of pottery to make it porous and not fully vitrified to absorb liquids through tiny holes), and porcelain (strong durable clay that's often translucent).
Towards the end of the late 1800s plumbing was invented and people stopped using chamber pots due to changing expectations around waste disposal and hygiene. Some chamber pots were used for display for aesthetic purposes and the disposal of them contributed to public health issues, which then led to more advanced sanitization systems.
This object was audited and researched by Rufus Smith, a work experience volunteer as part of the Heritage Fund Data Hunters and Story Gatherers project.
