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Bateman grew up in a poor family, with no formal education, and married John Bateman, a goldsmith and chainmaker of similar status, in 1730. She inherited her husband’s silver workshop after his death in 1760. Her sons received silversmith apprenticeships, and her daughter-in-law Ann Bateman was also a successful silversmith.
With the help of her family and apprentice John Linney, Bateman registered her mark (the stamp with which smiths “sign” a piece, often seen alongside marks identifying the date and location of the work’s production) at the London Goldsmith’s Hall in 1761. Her workshop produced thousands of pieces until her 1790 retirement. Her descendants helped the workshop continue to thrive through the mid-19th century.
The key to Bateman’s success was the integration of modern technology with classical design, which attracted a solid middle-class market. Using cost-efficient manufacturing processes, the workshop produced domestic items—coffee pots, tea urns, cruets, teapots, salvers, goblets, salts, sugar tongs, and flatware, Bateman’s specialty. Using easily worked sheet silver, the Bateman workshop decorated items with simple yet elegant patterns, such as a thin, precise line of beading or bright-cut engraving.
Hester Bateman inherited her silver workshop after her husband’s death in 1760, and it was only then that the business began to flourish. The Bateman workshop produced domestic items—coffee pots, tea urns, cruets, teapots, salvers, goblets, salts, sugar tongs, and flatware—integrating technological advances with classical design to attract a burgeoning middle-class market. Working in an industry dominated by men, Bateman...
Hester Bateman, George III coffee pot, 1780; Silver, 12 1/4 x 9 1/4 x 4 5/8 in.; National Museum of Women in the Arts; Silver collection assembled by Nancy Valentine, purchased with funds donated by Mr. and Mrs. Oliver R. Grace and family
Hester Bateman inherited her workshop after her husband’s death in 1760, and it was only then that the business began to flourish. The Bateman workshop produced domestic items—coffee pots, tea urns, cruets, teapots, salvers, goblets, salts, sugar tongs and flatware—integrating modern technology with classical design to attract a burgeoning middle-class market.
Bateman’s silver incorporated cost-conscious processes, such as relying on easily worked sheet silver. She also focused...
Hester Bateman, George III cake basket, 1788; Silver, 6 x 16 1/4 x 11 7/8 in.; National Museum of Women in the Arts, Silver collection assembled by Nancy Valentine, purchased with funds donated by Mr. and Mrs. Oliver R. Grace and family; Photo by Lee Stalsworth
