_Conclusions_
Almost no exclusively 17th century artifacts were found at Marlborough;
at least, there were very few sherds or objects that could not have
originated equally well in the 18th century. The exceptions are the
following: Westerwald blue-and-white stoneware with gray-buff paste;
several sherds of delft and other tin-enameled ware, late 17th century
in type, and an early 17th-century terra cotta pipestem. Otherwise, we
find a scattering of things belonging to types that occurred in both
centuries: North Devon gravel-tempered ware, which was imported both in
the late 17th and early 18th centuries; yellow-and-brown "combed" ware,
which elsewhere occurs most commonly in 18th century contexts; pewter
trifid-handle spoons, the form of which dates from about 1690 but which
may have been cast at a later date in an old mold (a wavy-end spoon in
the style of 1710 may also have been cast later). Fragments of an
onion-shaped wine bottle may date from the first decade of the 18th
century, but the presence of such bottles in the Rosewell trash pit
shows that bottles, being too precious to throw away, were kept around
until they were broken--in the case of Rosewell for 60 or 70 years. Thus
the Marlborough sherds cannot be excluded from the Mercer period. The
same may be said of a late 17th-century type of fork. Thus, there is
virtually no evidence of the Port Town occupation, especially as the few
17th-century artifacts that were found may well have belonged to the
Mercers rather than to Marlborough's previous occupants.
The ceramics and glass are the most readily datable artifacts, and
these coincide almost altogether with the period of John Mercer's
lifetime. Common earthenwares are predominantly Tidewater and Buckley
types, with a scattering of others, most of which are recurrent among
other Virginia and Maryland historic-site artifacts. No distinct type
emerges to suggest that there may have been a local Stafford potter.
Common stonewares occur in such a variety of types that no source or
date can be attributed, although there is some evidence of the work of
William Rogers' shop in Yorktown. Westerwald stonewares are
predominantly of the blue-and-gray varieties commonest in the second
quarter of the 18th century.
There is only a small quantity of delftware, but a great deal of Chinese
porcelain. Evidences are that the first kinds of English refined wares,
such as drab stoneware, Nottingham stoneware, and agateware, were used
at Marlborough, thus pointing to an awareness of current tastes and
innovations. The large quantity of white salt-glazed ware suggests that,
although it was a cheap commercial product, it was regarded as handsome
and congenial to the environment of a plantation house that was
maintained in formal style.
Except for the white salt-glazed ware, which was probably acquired in
the 1760's, most of the table ceramics date from about 1740 to 1760.
Bottles and the few datable table-glass fragments are also primarily
from this period. Creamwares and late 18th- and early 19th-century
whitewares diminish sharply in numbers, reflecting a more austere life
at Marlborough in its descent to an overseer's quarters. Later
19th-century wares are insignificant in quantity or in their relation to
the history of Marlborough. Tool and hardware forms are less diagnostic.
Most of them correspond to ledger entries and to the 1771 inventory, so,
without contradictory evidence, they may be assumed to date from John
Mercer's period.
In general, the artifacts illustrate the best of household equipment
available in 18th-century Virginia, and the tools and hardware indicate
the extensiveness of the plantation's activities and its heavy reliance
on blacksmith work.