To the Collingtons. A boy and a girl



      Two more delightful pieces of social history in the form of a pair of family christening mugs for William and Susanna. The mugs were both bought in Suffolk so we assume that the Collingtons were a family who were local to the Bury St. Edmunds area where we found them.
      The two small tankards, they are both about the size of a half pint measure, celebrate the arrival of a son in 1850 and a daughter in 1851. Imagine the excitement in the Collington family. As always you can't help but wonder what happened to the little boy and girl, where they went and what they did, perhaps they kept the tradition of a christening tankard going themselves with their own children.


      Both of these celebratory tankards follow a 'style' which we presume is that of a local china shop or the ceramic artist who painted and fired a standard tankard form. Give the painter some well deserved credit though, he could certainly handle a brush to produce his copperplate decorations.
      Sadly over the years they have, understandably, accrued some damage but somebody has lovingly glued them back together and in a way this damage and the repairs makes them all the more charming. No doubt when they were damaged some strong language was used.
      Did they wet the respective babies heads with with local beer or Suffolk cider? We'll never know so I'll have a beer now to complete the circle.




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