The marriage between these two families occurred between George Hurst and Isabella Lee in 1741 in England. According to English tradition, the children inherited only the father's coat of arms meaning this plate was likely made during their lives.

This is a wedding crest, split to represent the two families. The left side of the coat represents a branch of the Hurst family, while the right side represents a branch of the Lee family. This is a different branch from Robert E Lee's ancestors and a variant can be seen in his coat of arms.

I found this plate at a rummage sale last year for one dollar! This is a high-end example of Chinese porcelain made for the European and American markets between the 16th and 20th Centuries.

Been doing some lab work. Here's some sprig painted whiteware sherds from the mid- 19th century, with a complete example from my collection for comparison!

All artifacts tell a story! This object was made by the Whitman & Barnes Mfg co in 1906-1920, originally a wrench. It likely broke at some point, but instead of disposing of it, the owner (my grandparent or great-grandparent) reused it as a hammer.

The standard Rechabite crest has been modified with a tree growing from the shield. The recurring tree motif on the teapot is likely a reference to the 'Tree of Temperence.' The earliest example of this symbol that I could find is this lithograph from 1849.

Let's start with one of my favorites, this cute little porcelain 🫖 teapot! The crest is (albeit slightly altered) from The Independ Order of Rechabites, a temperence fraternal organization founded in 1835 in Salford, England.