This page gives brief details some of the main characters involved in English drinking glass making and selling 1642 - 1702. Letter 'R' only.
Racket. Rackett is the anglicised version of the Italian name Rachetti; one of the twelve noble glass-making family names from the important glassmaking centre of Altare in north-eastern Italy. Members of the Racket family are first recorded in parish records of English glass making areas in the late sixteenth century. From that time on, until the end of the period covered here, they appear to have played at least three different roles in the drinking glass industry: owner, gaffer or "vitrerius" (dealer in glassmaking materials).
Michael Rackett took over ownership of the Goodman's Yard London glasshouse in 1677 or 1678 and was described as "Master of a Glass house … for making white and green glasses in the Minories without Aldgate". On 1 April 1678 he was one of two glassmakers who made an agreement with the Glass Sellers' Company of London for the supply of white (i.e. clear) glass. He, with others, petitioned for the formation of a joint stock company in 1691 and again in 1692-3. He may have finished working about then, since he was not involved in petitions against the excise act of 1695 and was not connected with the glass house in 1699. From 1661, this glasshouse supplied the newly-formed Royal Society with glassware and it was one of two glass houses mentioned by the scientist Robert Hooke in his diary. He visited it on Thursday December 4th 1673 and again on Tuesday January 1st 1677/8, but on the latter occasion the fire was out (probably due to Michael taking over the lease). Michael Rackett had children christened in St Mary Whitechapel (close to Goodman's Yard glass house) in 1660, 1662, 1671, and 1673. He had married Mary in Strood, near Rochester in 1659 and she was the mother of the first two (or three) children. She probably died between 1662 and 1671, possibly as a result of the plague, since the mother of the last two is listed as Grace. Another Rackett, Caesar, had had two sons christened at St Mary Whitechapel in 1649 and 1653, so it is quite possible that he was Michael's elder brother. A Michael Rackett married at St Martin's-in-the-Field, London in 1700, so it is probable that he was Michael's eldest son, probably born between about 1664 and 1669. The move of churches suggests the family may have moved away from glass making by then, to the more fashionable end of the city. Thus it seems probable that Michael started working as a gaffer alongside Caesar in Goodman's Yard in the 1650s and stayed there for about forty years, becoming significantly wealthier in the process, possibly as a result of both hard work and marriage. Part of this wealth would have come from supplying a booming export trade. He is recorded as shipping drinking glasses to Jamaica (almost certainly one of many shipments to Port Royal) in 1680.
Caesar Racket, glass maker. The first sign of Caesar's involvement in English glassmaking is in the parish records of St Mary Whitechapel, London. He may have arrived there in about 1648, since his eldest son Julius Caesar was probably born about 1647 and is not shown as being christened in the same church. The whole family had moved to Old Swinford (Stourbridge) by about 1666, since Julius Caesar married Meriall Tyzack (daughter of glassmaker Paul Tyzack) there about that date and they had son Paul christened there in 1667. Julius Caesar's brother Charles also married into the same family (Mary) in 1670 and they had a son Caesar christened the following year. It is probable that the glassmaking members of the family worked at Holloways End (also called 'The Hooe') glasshouse, then owned by Thomas Rodgers. This was the only drinking glass house in Old Swinford at that date and was close to the glass house jointly owned by Paul Tyzack in 1670. Julius Caesar had a son of the same name christened in 1676. It is very likely that he was the third generation 'Caesar' glass maker since he is recorded as having children christened at Christ Church, Southwark, London from 1700. The Falcon Glasshouses were in Christ Church parish and they had opened about 1688.
In 1581, Richard had daughter Agnes christened at Rogate Sussex. Rogate church is about five miles from the site of a vessel glass house that appears from archaeological evidence to have been working at this time [4]. It is noteworthy that Rogate was not the nearest Parish church to the glasshouse. This is a feature common to many of the references to individual Rackett families in parish records. The date matches a period when a glass house was known to have been working; the place nearly matches the glasshouse, but not quite. Often the place is the nearest larger town. For example, the next known glass house to the west of Rogate was that at Buckholt near the Hampshire/Wiltshire border. This was operating at a similar period and there is a record of Mary Rackett getting married - in Salisbury NN miles away - in 1575. This suggests that these Racketts were living at the glass-house site and not using the local church, or they were living close-to, but not at the glass house site. The latter seems more likely and suggests that these people were trading in glass-making raw materials rather than actually making glass.
There are records of a John Racket getting married in Newcastle in 1643. An Edward Racket married in the nearby church to Stoney Street Southwark in December 1656. The Racket family of vessel glass makers occur regularly in Oldswinford parish registers from 1649 to 1684. Caesar Racket had a son Charles in 1649 who married into another glass making family, the Tyzacks in 1670, having children Caesar and Rebecca in 1671 and 1673. Julius Caesar Racket also maarried a Tyzack, Meriall, about 1667 in Kingswinford and they had children Paul, Rebecca, Julius Caesar and John christened between 1667 and 1680. Ajar Racket had daughter Jane in 1684.
Ravenscroft. George Ravenscroft is widely recognised as 'inventing' lead crystal glass. He obtained a patent for its manufacture and had glass houses at the Savoy in London and at Henley on Thames. Ravenscoft set up his glass house in the Savoy (at the riverside) in July 1673. In August 1676 Francis Ravenscroft of London, gentleman, signed a lease with Henry Killigrew, Master of the Savoy for part of the master's lodgings. Francis was George's brother. In February 1682, this part of the master's lodgings was said to be 'late in the occupation of George Ravenscroft, gent'.
Rawlins. A John Rawlins owned the Redcliffe Backs glass house for a period. This is a common name in the area and it is difficult to trace any more details. He is said to have been a glass maker and to have had an apprentice in 1692. In 1696 he may have been living in Tucker Street in St Thomas's parish.
Richards. A John Richards was recorded in Scotland in 1678 as being a London principal glassmaker.
Rousi. A John Rousi (Rushaw) was recorded in Scotland in 1635 as being a Glassmaker.