Village Pottery, New London, PEI

 As Village Pottery in New London, PEI has operated since 1973 there have been a number of potters who have worked there. A variety of those potter's signatures have been documented in this blog including:

• Daphne Large - Village Pottery, New London
• Christine Campbell - Village Pottery, New London
• Barb Graham - Village Pottery, New London
• Christopher Dahn - Village Pottery, New London
• Kathy Ethridge - Village Pottery, New London
• Patti Hawkins - Village Pottery, New London
• Suzanne Scott - Potter's Daughter & Village Pottery, New London
• Ian & Jack Scott - Village Pottery - Charlottetown & New London
• Bethany Galbraith-Village Pottery New London
• Maddie Aderson - Maddie Made Pottery & Village Pottery

In the summer of 2025, Suzanne Scott, who is the current owner and daughter of Daphne Large and Ian Scott decided to move to a "smooth bottom" approach as carved signatures can produce a rough surface in some cases. To achieve this she has shifted the production work to a stamped potter's mark using an oxide stamping pad and a rubber stamp which provides a permanent mark once it is fired in the kiln.

It includes the words Village Pottery and Prince Edward Island.

Bethany Galbraith -- Village Pottery

 

This short interview was published by Village Pottery in New London, PEI on both Instagram and Facebook in August 2022.

Bethany Galbraith is one of our newest potters to join the Village Pottery team after graduating from @nbccdlive. Let’s get to know her with a short Q&A: 

Where are you from?

- I'm originally from Ontario. 

How’d you get into pottery?

-I got into pottery when I attended the New Brunswick College of Craft and Design and chose to specialize in ceramics. 

What’s your favorite thing to make?

- Mugs are my favourite thing to make. 

What do you enjoy doing in your free time?

- In my free time I enjoy reading, watercolour painting, and taking walks on the beach. 

 Bethany Galbraith's potter work currently (2022) is signed with Village Pottery and her initials BG as well as PEI and the year.

Watercolour of Village Pottery

We were pleased to see that a summer visitor had chosen to paint the shop and gardens during her summer vacation and even more pleased to be presented with the finished painting. Thanks Shirley.

Pottery Marks of Prince Edward Island - New London Village Pottery - Patti Hawkins

Patti Hawkins began her pottery career at New London Village Pottery, studying with Daphne Large while she was employed in the shop.

Her work during that time included both the shop name "Village Pottery" - as well as her own initial and name, "PHawkins."



Since establishing Hawkins Pottery Studio in North Granville, her work has been signed with "Patti Hawkins."

Pottery Marks of Prince Edward Island - New London Village Pottery - Barb Graham

Barb Graham grew up around the corner from New London Village Pottery and quickly developed an interest in pottery making. From working within the shop, she quickly progressed to study pottery at the post-secondary level, under Ron Arvidson at Holland College School of Visual Arts, in Charlottetown, PEI.

After graduating from college, she returned to work at Village Pottery before establishing her own with a studio in New London.

During the time she worked at Village Pottery during the 1980's she signed her work with the shop signature as well as her own name "Barb".

Pottery Marks of Prince Edward Island - New London Village Pottery - Christine Campbell

Updated July 6, 2025

The potter with the longest connection to New London Village Pottery, beside the founder, Daphne Large, is Christine Campbell. Christine began work as a summer sales clerk in the 1970s while attending school and would bicycle to work from Kensington on occasion.

Pottery became her passion and she eventually trained with Daphne as a potter. A quick learner, she was able to advance her skill level through self-instruction and practice, and returned to Village Pottery as a studio potter, once her three sons were old enough for her to work full time in the 1990s. She is also a fabric artist and established her own fibre mill to produce wool from raw fleece. 

She relocated to Ontario in the 2020s, but during an extended stay on PEI beginning in 2024 she has returned to Village Pottery once again as a producing potter.

Typically her work is signed with "Village Pottery - PEI - ACC" (being her initials).

Pottery Marks of Prince Edward Island - New London Village Pottery - Large

New London Village Pottery has operated since 1973, and has trained and employed a number of potters over that time. Started by Daphne Large following her graduation from Nova Scotia College of Art & Design, she has typically signed all her work since with "Large - Village Pottery - PEI", as well as including the year.

Staff would find it humourous in the early days when customers would repeatedly pick up items all marked Large and say - "Do you have things in any other sizes ?"

As other potters joined the operation they would also sign their work "Village Pottery - PEI" but often add their own initials or name.

Confusion existed with a business in Nova Scotia which had opened around the same time also called Village Pottery. The addition of New London to the name helped but it was a long name to place on every piece of pottery. The Nova Scotia business eventually changed their business name which solved the issue.

In 1973 all work was in a red earthenware, but in the late 1980's a transition was made to a white clay body. In 2010 some work is made with a reddish clay but the majority is based on white.

Pottery Marks of Prince Edward Island - RLP - Burlington Pottery

Ruth and Leigh Paynter, of Burlington Pottery in Burlington PEI, played a pivotal role in establishing the handcraft industry in the North Shore tourist region during the 1960's. Located on the family farm which was next to Woodleigh Replicas, a British theme park with scaled down castles and gardens which was once the largest tourist attraction west of the Cavendish-National Park region, they had sufficient traffic during the summer to establish a viable business on the family farm with visitor traffic coming and going to Woodleigh.

Young people, seeing the viability of pottery as a career choice discovered that there were new opportunities within the tourist industry. Daphne Large, of Charlottetown began work with the Paynters one summer and decided to switch her major to pottery at Nova Scotia College of Art and Design in Halifax. She graduated in 1973 and opened New London Village Pottery in the same general North Shore region.

The work of the Paynters included both wheel thrown, hand-built construction, and some that was slip cast as well using moulds that they designed. All the work was in a red earthenware clay body, typical of native clay bodies on the Island. Ruth signed her work with both the studio name and PEI as well as her three initials RLP.

Their glaze experimentation was most notable and many of their glazes continue to impress potters today.

Ruth in retirement, was a respected local historian and author of From the Top of the Hill. A chapter of the book was later published in the Island Magazine as Here Comes the Travellin' Man. A talented woman with a rich memory and generous spirit she passed away peacefully in 2009.

PAYNTER - Ruth L. (Moase) of Clinton and formerly of Burlington on Nov 26th, 2009 at age 92. Born in New Annan, the daughter of the late Harry and Mary (Burrows) Moase. Wife of the late Leigh M. Paynter


The property that had housed Burlington Pottery was purchased in recent years by Harry Carr, his son had a strong interest in pottery.

Opening for Season

---- Opening for 2009 on May 1 ---

New London Village Pottery

Come see the new pottery work for 2009 by Christine Campbell & Daphne Large.

Fabric Art by Margaret England, paintings by Geraldine Ysselstein,
felting and weaving by Louise Lortie & Elaine Schuller in gallery.

(902) 886-2473 VillagePottery.ca

Potters of Prince Edward Island

Check out this article on Potters of Prince Edward Island by feature TravelNet writer: Paul Marriner.

It includes an article on New London Village Pottery.

ArtisanPEI.com Launches

It is official the new ArtisanPEI.com launched this week. Representing 36 Prince Edward Island artisans the site celebrates the finest studio artisans in the province as we celebrate Craft Year 2007 in Canada.

Check out the profile for New London Village Pottery on the site.

Opened May 1 - 2007

It is official we are open again for a new season - and while it seems hard to believe - this is season 35 so please come and help us celebrate, at our New London, PEI location.

Opening in May for our 35th Season

Welcome to New London Village Pottery

Sure there are lots of places called New London -
a city in Connecticut and towns in Ohio and New Hampshire but we are pleased to send greetings from the tiny village of New London, Prince Edward Island. Once known as Clifton - where author LM Montgomery author of Anne of Green Gables was born. It is a fishing port on New London Bay and home of New London Village Pottery -- check it out.
http://villagepottery.ca/