An early 19th Century Staffordshire political commemorative ...

Estimate

£120 - £140

An early 19th Century Staffordshire political commemorative jug, circa 1810, black transfer printed with an image of Sir Francis Burdett to a yellow ground with named and annotated portrait 'The Determined Enemy of Corruption and the Constitutional Friend of his Sovereign', 'Burdett For Ever', and on the reverse details of his committal to the Tower on the 6th April 1810, height 12cm.

Sir Francis Burdett, 5th Baronet (1770–1844), was a prominent British politician and reformer known for his radical views and opposition to government corruption. As a long-serving Member of Parliament, he advocated for civil liberties, freedom of speech, and parliamentary reform at a time when such ideas were controversial and often suppressed.

Burdett famously clashed with the government over its harsh treatment of political dissenters. In 1810, after criticizing the House of Commons for imprisoning a radical publisher, he was himself arrested and imprisoned in the Tower of London—an event that sparked public protests. He was also a vocal critic of the suspension of habeas corpus and supported Catholic emancipation and the eventual passage of the Reform Act of 1832, which expanded the British electorate.

Though born into aristocracy and holding the title of baronet, Burdett often sided with the working class and reform movements. His legacy continued through his daughter, Angela Burdett-Coutts, a famous philanthropist.

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Restoration to the collar, nibbles around the foot, otherwise condition commensurate with age and wear.