Henrywood's Highlights
Transferware from a British Perspective

Number Eleven of an Ongoing Series by Dick Henrywood

The object of this series of articles is to record and hopefully expand our knowledge of transferware patterns, and previous pieces have produced quite variable rates of response, the last attempt drawing almost a complete blank, so let’s see if we can do any better this time.

For this outing I have chosen to feature a remarkably elusive series of views of the Americas of which very little seems to be known:

Caribbean Views series

I have adopted this title for an uncommon series of views by an unknown maker featuring islands in the Caribbean, predominantly Jamaica, supplemented by one of Canada. The central scenes appear within a somewhat fussy floral border relieved by small vignettes of island views. The printed title mark is of simple oval form. All examples recorded to date are dinner wares printed in either blue or brown.

The source for several of the views appears to be James Hakewill’s A Picturesque Tour of the Island of Jamaica (1825). The rogue Canadian view is copied from an engraving after Robert Sproule.

Despite trawling all the usual transferware literature I have managed to find only three illustrations although I have unearthed four other views from my own records. Hence I know of just seven different views:

“Montego Bay, Jamaica” *
            Small handled dish 6.7in

“Port Maria, St. Mary’s” *
            Platter 13in

“St. George’s, Grenada”
            Platter 21.5in
            Platter 20in

“View in Clarendon, Jamaica” *
            Soup tureen

“View in St. George’s, Jamaica”
            Dinner plate 10.6in
            Soup plate 10.4in

Illustrations: FOB63 (plate)

“View of Montreal”
            Stand for sauce tureen

Illustrations: Collard 13, 17 and 18 (source print, stand and watercolour)

Unidentified Scene A
            Platter 15in

Illustrations: FOB62 (platter)
The illustration of this scene in the Friends of Blue bulletin is none too clear and there is no mention of a mark, but it is possible that it is based on Hakewill’s aquatint “Monument of the late Thomas Hibbert, Esq. / at Agualta Vale, St. Mary’s”.

As usual an asterisk indicates a title that is unconfirmed. It can be seen that my records cover only four platters, the soup tureen, two stands and the common dinner and soup plates.  There must be other plates and platters, a sauce tureen, probably a drainer or two, and other dinner wares.  Where are they all?  Come on TCC members, I challenge you to turn up all the pieces I have missed!  Any contributions should be sent to, Dick Henrywood, via email: henrywoodshighlights@transferwarecollectorsclub.org with images particularly welcome.

“St. George’s / Grenada”, 20in platter in blue.

Typical printed title mark.

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