Scour the Pewter-ware

 The previous post contains a story about America (Aaric) Mulkey requiring the younger children to “scour the old pewter-ware with brick dust until it shown.”  I was surprised by that because I'd always thought of pewter-ware as having a flat, dull, gray finish. I decided to learn a bit more about pewter.

Pewter is an alloy of tin.  Originally lead was added to make it easier to work but imparted a bluish cast to the objects.  Because of its toxicity, lead was later replaced by copper and antimony.  The latter makes a white and harder alloy. Most pewter-ware was cast in molds of brass and then smoothed on a lathe or  hammered to make it stronger.

By the Middle Ages, this process was being used to produce all sorts of household goods, such as teapots, tankards, spoons and plates, replacing those made of wood.

This tankard was made about 1800 in England, which was a center for pewter-ware. As pewter is a relatively soft metal, dents in pewter-ware this old are common.

The donor's mother said this pewter basin came to Oregon on the Oregon trail.

In addition to these two objects, the Benton County Historical Museum's collection also contains plates, a pitcher, a cream and sugar set, a mug, a whale oil lamp, a fork, an inkwell, and a teapot all made of pewter. Most are relatively plain or like the tankard, decorated with raised bands.

I was also surprised to find that pewter is still being used today, as a base for silver-plated items and to make jewelry and other decorative items, such as this handcrafted egg from the Port Pewter line (1972-2012).

The egg has a nice sheen to it. I image this is what many of the other items looked like when new. At a time when pewter-ware was replacing wood items, an owner would want to display  them, and, like America Mulkey, would polish to keep it looking as much like silver as possible.  I imagine that as porcelain dishes replaced those of pewter, the “old” things were not give the same attention, resulting in a dull finish. Also, over time there is some oxidization which darkens the metal and is more difficult to remove. So, many of the old pewter items would look dull, not shiny.  Only new or well-cared for items would be shiny. 

By Martha Fraundorf, Volunteer for Benton County Historical Society, Philomath, Oregon