serving spoon, Hester Bateman

Archive Label 2003:
For more than 25 years, the Millers have significantly contributed to the Spencer’s collection of decorative arts, most recently with silver flatware created by the Bateman family in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Hester Bateman, the matriarch of a dynasty of silversmiths, flourished in a predominately masculine trade. She assumed the responsibility of the family silver business upon her husband’s death. With her sons and their wives, she built one of the most respected firms of the period by concentrating on the needs of the new middle classes.