Anyone know what this is, please?

[Michael]

http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll54/ChileNoseJam/IMG_0932.jpg

The inscription reads "To Miss Wills, from her S.S. class and fellow teachers at Heigham, January 1st 1878"; the Miss Wills in question was my 2g-grandmother Clara Mary Wills, but I don't know what the object itself is. Any ideas?

[kiterunner]

How big is it, Michael?

[Olde Crone]

A biscuit barrel?

OC

[Michael]

How big is it, Michael?

Sorry, I should have mentioned that! It's about 10 inches high (to the pointy bit) and about 5 across.

Thanks for the suggestion OC, that sounds plausible.

[Uncle John]

A Useful Pot To Put Things In.

[Joan of Archives]

I have no idea, where is Heigham? My 3 x great grandmother was a Wills & also a Schoolteacher, originally from Devon :)

[Nell]

Don't know what it is but it looks very attractive. Tea caddy?

[Carolyn P]

There is a Heigham near Norwich, Norfolk, used to be a separate area but now part of the City, did she have any connection to Norwich?

[Michael]

Yes, that's the Heigham in question - I've no idea whether it was made locally, though.

Joan - when I first mentioned this thing someone suggested that the "S.S." in the inscription signified "Sunday School", which I think may be correct - she never listed teacher as her occupation on any census, which would in that case have been because it was a voluntary position. It would have been useful if they'd thought to include the name of the school/church in the inscription rather than just the village!

[Uncle John]

Difficult to say from the photo what it's made of, though the lid looks a pewter sort of colour. Any marks on it? And does the pictorial part look printed or hand-done?

Could be useful to look for family baptisms, to see whether they were C of E or something else.

[Janet in Yorkshire]

As it has a handle, I would rule out tea caddy - usually kept in the kitchen, within easy reach of the kettle, teapot.
I would go with biscuit barrel, which was quite often kept on the sideboard and picked up and passed around when cups of tea were offered.

Jay

[tenterfieldjulie]

I have a biscuit barrel, minus the lid unfortunately. The decoration looks interesting Michael. Is it flat paint or enamel?

[Uncle John]

I'd also go with biscuit barrel as first choice. Bath Olivers rather than HobNobs, I fancy.

[Phoenix]

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/DOULTON-LAMBETH-FAIENCE-BISCUIT-BARREL-MARY-ARDING-1880-/400182656641

I think the biscuit barrel might have it!

[Michael]

Difficult to say from the photo what it's made of, though the lid looks a pewter sort of colour. Any marks on it? And does the pictorial part look printed or hand-done?

Could be useful to look for family baptisms, to see whether they were C of E or something else.

It looks printed.

Her baptism is on the IGI (https://www.familysearch.org/s/recordDetails/show?uri=http://pilot.familysearch.org/records/trk:/fsrs/rr_875245246/p1&hash=HloWXpZgU9zB10k5M56iYku8TUc%253D), but again that just says 'Heigham' rather than the name of the church.

Biscuit barrel appears to be the consensus, then - thanks everyone!

[Michael]

A postscript to this one - Mum reports that she was recently talking to Grandma, who wanted to check as to the whereabouts of certain of her possessions after we cleared out her flat over Christmas, and asked "What happened to the biscuit barrel?". So it appears that she was rather more with it than we thought - we'd assumed that she didn't know half of what she'd hoarded, but in fact she not only knew that she had it, but what it was. Fortunately we were able to assure her that the biscuit barrel is now on display on our mantelpiece, and we're certainly not going to get rid of it.

[Janet]

Doesn't this one (no. 208) look fairly similar?
http://www.the-top-table.co.uk/ceramics.htm
But this one is silver plated. Your Grandma's does look more like pewter.
Michael, I don't know if you've already tried to clean it up but I would be very careful to find out what material you're dealing with first. Not cleaning would be safer if you're not sure.

[Rachel]

Doesn't this one (no. 208) look fairly similar?
http://www.the-top-table.co.uk/ceramics.htm
But this one is silver plated. Your Grandma's does look more like pewter.
Michael, I don't know if you've already tried to clean it up but I would be very careful to find out what material you're dealing with first. Not cleaning would be safer if you're not sure.

Wonderful :D
The pattern is spot on. Is yours made of earthenware too ?

[brenmac]

what is its lining?it could also be for ice if led lined.brenda xxxx

[Michael]

Thanks for spotting that Janet - the pattern looks identical (and the date is also spot on), although I think ours may be slightly taller. We haven't tried cleaning it, but thanks for the warning! Yes, ours is ceramic, glazed inside but with no lining.