Evidence for The Early 16th-Century Surrey-Hampshire Border Ware Industry from the City of London

An early 16th-century phase of redware production in the pottery industry of the Surrey-Hampshire borders is proposed on the basis of the unique find of a considerable quantity of fine, glazed redware cups from a single site at Cripplegate in the City of London. Following petrological examination and comparison with the products of various contemporaneous ceramic industries supplying London, the term Early Red Border ware is proposed for this previously unrecognised fabric, a typology is presented and reasons are suggested for the deposition of a single type of pottery in such large numbers in one area of the City alone. An early 16th-century phase of fine whiteware production in the Border industry is also proposed as intermediate between the manufacture of ‘Tudor Green’ ware and the introduction of Border ware proper in the mid 16th century.