Hester Bateman

Perhaps more than any other, Hester Bateman is the silversmith who has managed to touch the hearts of successive generations of silver collectors. The considerable success she enjoyed in her lifetime can be attributed to keen business instincts, but her posthumous achievements are even greater and their reasons are more complicated, although, no doubt the most important of these is her unusual status as a superb lady silversmith in an industry dominated by men.

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	j0653 - Georgian Sterling Silver Serving Spoon: Hallmarked in London, 1789 by Hester Bateman, this attractive, George III, antique silver serving spoon, features brightcut engraved decoration on the stem and bowl. The serving spoon measures 12.25 inches (31cm) in length.	£495	sold! 2009-10-23
	j1707 - Georgian Sterling Silver Marrow Scoop: Hallmarked in London, 1779 by Hester Bateman, this simple, handsome, George III, antique silver marrow scoop is very plain in style, and weighs 1.49 troy ounces. The marrow scoop measures 9 inches (23cm) in length.	£525
	d0632 - Georgian Sterling Silver Serving Spoon: Hallmarked in London, 1771 by Hester Bateman, this handsome, George III, antique silver serving spoon, is very plain in style. The serving spoon measures 11.5 inches (29cm) in length.	£645	sold! 2010-03-16
	j6179 - Georgian Sterling Silver Pair Of Salt Cellars: Hallmarked in London, 1779 by Hester Bateman, this attractive pair of George III sterling silver salt cellars have delicate bead borders and each stands on three feet. The salt cellars measure 2.75" (7cm) in diameter and are 1.25" (3cm) tall. Without the blue glass liners they weigh 2.5 troy ounces.	£775
	d2813 - Georgian Sterling Silver Pepper Pot: Hallmarked in London, 1783 by Hester Bateman, this attractive, George III, antique silver pepper pot, features reed borders, a pedestal foot, and a pierced and engraved removable lid. The pepper pot measures 6 inches (15cm) tall, and weighs 2.76 troy ounces.	£975	sold! 2010-02-10
	d9663 - Georgian Sterling Silver Sauce Boat: Hallmarked in London, 1777 by Hester Bateman, this handsome, George III, antique silver sauce boat, features a scalloped border, flying scroll handle with acanthus detailing, three acanthus decorated hoof style feet, and an engraved crest. The sauce boat measures 4 inches (10cm) to the top of its handle, by 5.5 inches (14cm) from handle to lip, and weighs 4.05 troy ounces.	£975	sold! 2010-02-08
	j1691 - Georgian Sterling Silver Pepper Pot: Hallmarked in London, 1781 by Hester Bateman, this very handsome, George III, antique silver pepper pot, features a pedestal foot, with engraved banding, and a pierced and engraved removable lid. The pepper pot measures 6 inches (15cm) tall.	£1,175
	d3117 - Georgian Sterling Silver Pepper Pot: Hallmarked in London, 1784 by Hester Bateman, this pretty, antique silver pepper pot, features bead borders, an acorn finial, and an engraved and pierced lid. The pepper pot measures 5.75 inches (14.5cm) tall.	£1,275
	j1692 - Georgian Sterling Silver Pepper Pot: Hallmarked in London, 1780 by Hester Bateman, this handsome, George III, antique silver pepper pot, features a pedestal foot, engraved rope borders, and an engraved and pierced removable lid. The pepper pot measures 5 inches (13cm) tall, and weighs 2.23 troy ounces.	£1,275	sold! 2010-08-03
	j0444 - Georgian Sterling Silver Cream Jug: Hallmarked in London, 1784 by Hester Bateman (incuse duty mark), this stylish, George III, antique silver cream jug, is Helmet shaped, and features a square pedestal foot, bead borders around the lip and on the base, and reed detailing on the loop handle. The cream jug measures 6.5 inches (16.5cm) tall, by 5.25 inches (13.5cm) from handle to lip, and weighs 5.01 troy ounces.	£1,275
	d4546 - Georgian Sterling Silver Goblet: Hallmarked in London, 1788 by Hester Bateman, this pretty, antique silver goblet, featues later chased floral and scroll decoration, and reed borders. The goblet measures 6 inches (15.5cm) tall, by 3.25 inches (8.5cm) in diameter.	£1,295	sold! 2009-10-25
	j5881 - Georgian Sterling Silver Wine Funnel: Hallmarked in London, 1787 by Hester Bateman, this very handsome, bead bordered, antique silver wine funnel is in first class condition. It is 4.75" (12cm) high and the diameter is 3" (7.5cm) and it weighs 2 troy ounces. The wine funnel carries a pretty crest shown in the associated images.	£1,675	sold! 2010-07-20
	j6022 - Georgian Sterling Silver Goblet: Hallmarked in London, 1787 by Hester Bateman, this elegant brightcut engraved, George III, antique sterling silver goblet measures 7" (18cm) in height and has a diameter of 3.75" (9.5cm) at the top of the bowl. The antique goblet is in very fine condition. The goblet weighs 8 troy ounces.	£1,695	sold! 2010-06-28
	j1688 - Georgian Sterling Silver Sugar Basket: Hallmarked in London, 1785 by Hester Bateman, this pretty sterling silver basket carries a swing handle and features swag floral detail around the body, bead borders and a pedestal foot, measuring 7.75 inches (19.5 cms) in height and 7 inches (18 cms) in length.	£1,745	sold! 2010-03-15
	j1694 - Georgian Sterling Silver Wine Funnel: Hallmarked in London, 1789 by Hester Bateman, this handsome, George III, antique silver wine funnel, features redd decoration, and is otherwise very plain in style. The wine funnel measures 4.75 inches (12cm) tall, by 3.25 inches (8.5cm) in diameter, and weighs 2.31 troy ounces.	£1,765
	j5435 - Georgian Sterling Silver Goblet: Hallmarked in London, 1782 by Hester Bateman, this very attractive, antique silver goblet, features engraved decoration and bead borders around the foot and stem. The goblet measures 6.5 inches (16.5cm) tall, by 3.25 inches (8.5cm) in diameter, and weighs 6 troy ounces.	£1,845
	d8024 - Georgian Sterling Silver Pair Of Sauce Boats: Hallmarked in London, 1780 by Hester Bateman, this striking pair of antique silver sauce boats, feature punch bead borders, acanthus detailed flying scroll handles, and an engraved crest. The sauce boats measure 4 inches (10cm) tall, by 6.25 inches (16cm) from handle to spout.	£2,475
	j0927 - Georgian Sterling Silver Chamberstick: Hallmarked in London, 1784 by Hester Bateman (incuse mark), this wonderful, George III, antique silver chamber stick, features bead borders around the rim, removable sconce and removable extinguisher, and an engraved crest. The chamberstick measures 6.5 inches (16.5cm) wide from handle to rim, by 3.5 inches (9cm) tall, and weighs 9 troy ounces.	£2,475	sold! 2009-12-14
	j0815 - Georgian Sterling Silver Teapot: Hallmarked in London, 1786 by Hester Bateman, this striking, George III, antique silver teapot, features shaped sides, with engraved bands and engraved floral decoration, a vacant cartouche on each side, and a wooden handle and finial. The teapot measures 6 inches (15cm) tall, by 10 inches (25.5cm) from handle to spout.	£2,795	sold! 2010-08-31
	j1690 - Georgian Sterling Silver Set Of Four Salt Cellars: Hallmarked in London, 1786 by Hester Bateman, this attractive set of four antique silver salt cellars, feature pierced and floral engraved work on the sides, blue glass liners, bead borders and four cast and applied feet. Each salt cellar measures 2 inches (5 cms) tall, by 3.5 inches (9 cms) wide and 2.35 inches (6 cms) deep.	£2,975
	j1686 - Georgian Sterling Silver Teapot: Hallmarked in London, 1781 by Hester Bateman, this simple, George III, antique silver teapot, features delicate bead borders around the base, foot and lid, an engraved crest, and a wooden handle and finial. The teapot measures 5.25 inches (13.5cm) tall, by 10 inches (25.5cm) from handle to spout.	£3,785
	d1280 - Georgian Sterling Silver Teapot And Stand: Hallmarked in London, 1782 by Hester Bateman, this simple, rare, George III, antique silver teapot and stand, feature bead borders and a wooden handle and finial. The teapot without stand measures 5.5 inches (14cm) tall, by 10 inches (25.5cm) from handle to spout, and the stand measures 6.5 inches (16.5cm) wide, by 1 inch (2.5cm) tall.	£4,350	sold! 2010-08-04
	d7222 - Georgian Sterling Silver Cruet Set: Hallmarked in London, 1780 by Hester Bateman, this pretty antique silver cruet set measures 9 inches (23cm) tall, by 8 inches (20cm) wide, and contains eight bottles. The cruet set features engraved and pierced decoration, and four cast and applied feet.	£4,795
	j5982 - Georgian Sterling Silver Tea Caddy: Hallmarked in London, 1784 by Hester Bateman, this fine quality, oval, antique George III, sterling silver tea caddy measures 5" (12.5cm) long, 3.5" (8.5cm) deep and is 5" (12.5cm) high. The tea caddy bears an incuse duty mark, is clearly hallmarked on the base and the lid and weighs 12 troy ounces.	£4,975
	j6297 - Georgian Sterling Silver Tankard: Hallmarked in London, 1790 by Hester Bateman, this handsome, George III, antique silver tankard, stands on a pedestal foot, and feartures a domed lid, cast and applied thumb piece, and engraved coat of arms. The tankard measures 8.5 inches (21.5cm) tall, by 6.5 inches (16.5cm) from handle to lip.	£5,475
	d2728 - Georgian Sterling Silver Coffee Pot: Hallmarked in London, 1787 by Hester Bateman, this stunning, George III, antique silver coffee pot, features engraved decoration, bead borders around the foot, spout, and lid, a wooden handle, and an engraved crest. The coffee pot measures 12 inches (30.5cm) tall, by 8.5 inches (21.5cm) from handle to spout.	£6,475
	d8559 - Georgian Sterling Silver Tea Urn: Hallmarked in London, 1780 by Hester Bateman, this wonderful, George III, antique silver tea urn, stands at 14.25 inches (36cm) tall, by 6.75 inches (17cm) from handle to handle, by 7.25 inches (18cm) deep including the spout. The tea urn is neoclassical in style, featuring bead borders, four acanthus detailed feet, and a vacant cartouche.	£7,765
	e4106 - Georgian Sterling Silver Basket: Hallmarked in London, 1786 by Hester Bateman, this Sterling silver Georgian basket is oval in shape. It features hand piercing, bead borders and floral engraved decoration. The basket 14" (35.5cm) in length, 10" (26cm) deep, 11.5" (29cm) tall and weighs 28 ozt.	£8,775

More Information On Silver Hester Bateman

Hester Bateman is without doubt the most popular and renowned of all women silversmiths. Yet Hester's career as a silversmith was never intended. Widowed at the age of 51, she inherited her husband's small workshop practice and for the next thirty years, this unlikely shrewd business woman, grew the workshop into a thriving silver manufacturing firm. Hester Bateman was born in 1704 in Clerkenwell, London (England), and married John Bateman (a goldsmith) in about 1725. They had six children; John, Letticia, Ann, Peter, William, and Jonathan. The family lived at 107 Bunhill Row in the Parish of St. Luke in North London for more than a century. John and Hester purchased the houses on both sides of theirs, and two of the children occupied those homes in later years. Although his sons Peter & Jonathan were both doing their silversmithing apprenticeships, when John Bateman died in 1760, he bequeathed all his tools to Hester suggesting that she was already an accomplished silversmith. However, even with the skills of the trade, Hester had no small task ahead of her to continue the business. In these times, women-owned businesses were generally not accepted, and the industry was highly competitive. Unperturbed, Hester registered her mark of a scroll HB at Goldsmiths Hall in 1761 and aided by her son's Peter and Jonathan along with Jonathan's wife, Ann, the business boomed. In 1790, Hester finally retired at the grand old age of 81. Sadly, the following year her son Jonathan died, leaving Peter without his two long term partners. He turned immediately to his sister in law Ann, making her a partner in the business and registering their joint mark in 1791. From then Ann became the driving force in the business until her retirement in 1805. In 1800, Jonathan and Ann's son, William, became a partner in the family business, completing possibly the most famous of all silversmithing dynasties. Unlike most silversmiths who specialised in just one area of production, the Batemans were masters of many, producing fine wares right across the board. The main reason for their success was due to Hester's attention to design, detail and quality. All the pieces that left the workshop would be inspected to the highest standard and with this attitude the business grew. Many pieces of Hester Bateman's silver show identifying characteristics such as bead detailed edges and fine designs of bright-cut engraving. They received many commissions from The City Guilds, various religious establishments, and private individuals.