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 the most important of these is her unusual status as a superb lady silversmith in an industry dominated by men.

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	d6760 - Georgian Sterling Silver Sugar Tongs: Hallmarked in London, circa 1790 by Hester Bateman, this pretty pair of antique silver sugar tongs, feature brightcut engraved decoration, and carry Hester Batemans mark, the sterling mark and the duty mark only. The sugar tongs measure 5.5 inches (14cm) long.	£165	sold! 2008-05-08
	d6918 - Georgian Sterling Silver Basting Spoon: Hallmarked in London, 1787 by Hester Bateman, this large, antique silver basting spoon, is Old Engish pattern, and features an engraved crest. The basting spoon measures 11 inches (28cm) long.	£365
	d1779 - Georgian Sterling Silver Cream Jug: Hallmarked in London, 1782 by Hester Bateman, this handsome, antique silver cream jug, features a punched bead border, pedestal foot, and acanthus detailed scroll handle. The cream jug measures 5 inches (13cm) tall.	£975
	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
	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
	d9696 - Georgian Sterling Silver Wine Funnel: Hallmarked in London, 1777 by Hester Bateman, this handsome, antique silver wine funnel, features bead borders (see additional images). The wine funnel measures 4.5 inches (11.5cm) tall, by 3 inches (7.5cm) in diameter.	£1,475
	d7635 - Georgian Sterling Silver Sugar Basket: Hallmarked in London, 1790 by Hester Bateman, this pretty, antique silver sugar basket, measures 6.25 inches (16cm) to the top of its handle, by 6 inches (15cm) in width. The sugar basket features reed borders, engraved decoration, a swing handle, and original gilt.	£1,650
	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
	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
	e8615 - Georgian Sterling Silver Pair Of Wine Coasters: Hallmarked in London, 1788 by Hester Bateman, this lovely pair of antique silver wine coasters, measure 1.5 inches (4cm) tall, by 4.75 inches (12cm) in diameter. The wine coasters feature reed borders, pierced slat work, and engraved ribbons and swags.	£4,975

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.