Hester Bateman was one of the pre-eminent woman silversmiths of the 18th century and the most distinguished of the Bateman family silversmiths.  Born in London, Hester Bateman was the youngest daughter of Thomas and Anne Booth Needham.  In 1732, she married John Bateman, a man well-trained as a goldsmith, gold chain maker, watch chain maker and wire drawer.  Together they raised six children, all of whom became involved in the silver industry, especially sons, Peter and William.  In 1760 John Bateman died and bequeathed his tools to his wife.   Thus, Hester followed the pattern of many widows who carried on their late husbands businesses, and registered her maker’s mark, a script HB, with the London Goldsmiths in 1761.  Hester Bateman stayed active as a silversmith for the next 31 years.  The range of goods and styles the Bateman family business produced and worked around is worthy of recognition.  Initially, flatware such as spoons and forks, were heavily produced, but larger domestic objects later became popular.  The diversity of influences and styles are apparents in the estimated 11,000 works bearing her maker’s mark.  Bateman used her extraordinary craftsmanship mixed with an elegant simplicity of clean geometric lines to create her distinguished reputation as an 18th century silversmith.

(1709 – 1794)