This page gives brief details some of the main characters involved in English drinking glass making and selling 1642 - 1702. Alphabetical E - J.
Ewens. The Redcliffe Backs glass house was probably under the ownership of Thomas Ewens from 1700 to about 1717 and he had apprentices bound to him in 1700 and 1710.
Farsy. A Christopher Farsy (Forcio) was recorded in Scotland in 1635 as being a Glassmaker.
Fox. The South Yorkshire glass house at Bolsterstone was operated by the Fox family. There is some doubt over which of the family were first involved, John or George. It seems more likely to be George, sometime before his death in 1692. A Richard Dixon came from Worcester to manage the glass house in the late 17th Century, but left in 1702 to found his own glass house, in the same year that Mary Fox, George's widow married Robert Blackburn.
Gillis. A David Gillis was recorded in Scotland in 1682 as being a London Glassmaker.
Hannie. A John Hannie was recorded in Scotland in 1682 as being a London Glassmaker.
Harris. A James Harris went from London to be a glassmaker in Philadelphia USA.
Henzey. The Henzey family were well established as window glass makers. A John Henzey was involved in the Woolwich glasshouse, propably as a vessel glassmaker. A Moses Henzell was recorded in Scotland in 1681 as a window glass maker from Newcastle.
Holden. A glass house at the Savoy was run by Henry Holden. He was a glass maker of considerable experience, having been a partner to the netherlandish glass maker John Colenet in 1662, and in late 1682 or early 1683, he received an appointment as glass maker to the King and authority to put the royal arms on all the glasses made by his orders. In the London Gazette 16 April 1683 Holden advertised that he did not use any noxious ingredients in making all sorts of glass.
Holmes. Obadiah Holmes was a glassmaker in Salem, USA and was the subject of much religious persecution there. He was born to Robert Holme and Katherine Johnson, but records are ambiguous about where and when. His year of birth ranges from 1603 to 1607 and the place was either Reddish, Manchester or Preston. Reddish is five miles southeast of the centre of Manchester in Northern England and very close to the site of the excavated Haughton Green, (Denton) glass house. References differ as to when this glasshouse started work, with opinions ranging from 1605 - 1615. It is probable that the Holmes family were connected with this glass house, since members of the Holme family are recorded at Eccleshall in Staffordshire from 1581 (other well-known glass making families also appear in the parish records from 1582) where a glass making site at Bishop's Wood has been identified. Obidiah was christened at Didsbury (about three miles from Reddish) in 1609 and married Catherine Hyde in Manchester in 1630. They are recorded as having a son Obadiah, in Manchester/Reddish, but once again the dates are uncertain, and this was probably shortly before they sailed for America. In March 1640, after arriving in Salem, Obadiah and Catherine became members of the church. He sold his holdings in Salem by 1645, removing himself and his family to Rehoboth the same year. There were marriages between Holmes and members of the Tyzack glass-making family at Stourbridge in 1681 and Newcastle in 1673.
Two members of the Holmes family were recorded as fathers of children christened in Christ Church, Southwark, near the Falcon glasshouse. These were John (& Margaret) in 1691 and Will in 1695. Members of the Holmes family are also recorded as fathers in St Olave's church records, including William(s) in 1626 &1655, Richard 1642-1655, Thomas 1652-1657, John (& Mary) 1688-1691, (& Sarah) 1690-1693, (& Jane) 1699, and Daniel 1703. St Olaves is close to the Stoney Street & Bear Garden glass houses in Southwark.
on 24th November 1670 the Glass Sellers ordered that a number of people should be prosecuted for selling glass. One of these was Thomas Holmes, for selling glass at the White Lion by Guildhall on 22nd April 1670.
Horsebury. A Joseph Horesbury was recorded as being a glassmaker and emigrating to Hamburg in 1690.
Hudson. A George Hudson was mentioned in the Glass-Sellers records from 1666 to 1691 (he died 18th June that year), including being involved in keeping apprentices.
Hutchinson. Samuel Hutchinson, a glass maker, occupied a glass house at Stoney Street, Southwark in 1688 and this was taken over in 1699 by Hutchinson's former associate Francis Jackson,
Jackson. In the London Gazette on 27th February 1693/4, Francis Jackson and John Straw advertised that they had "Glass Houses near the Faulkon in Southwark and at Lynn in Norfolk Francis Jackson gave evidence to Parliament against the imposition of a 'war tax' on glass in 1695. It is interesting to note that a Thomas Bristow married Ann Jackson at Southwark St Olaves in October 1691. Francis Bristow was a noted glass maker at Greenwich earlier in the century. The Jackson family are recorded at the same Southwark church from 1643 and Francis Jackson was said to have worked at the Stony Street glass house before starting his partnership with Straw.
Jeston. A John Jeston was recorded as being a glassmaker in Stourbridge in 1695.