Hester Bateman Silver

Hester Bateman, the “Queen of silversmiths” - See Hester Bateman Silver at Regent Antiques

Hester Bateman (1708–1794) is often referred to as the ‘Queen of British Silversmiths.’ She was, without doubt, a world-renowned silversmith of the Georgian period. 

A family business that changed the history of English silver

In fact, the business and tradition of the Bateman family was begun by her husband, John Bateman, who died after only a relatively short marriage to Hester, probably as a result of tuberculosis, which was a common cause of death at the time.

When her husband died, he left his tools to Hester. She continued to operate and develop the family business, located in Bunhill Row in central London, for the next thirty years or so. The business thrived not only because of her skills as a silversmith but also because she invested in new machinery to enable her and her colleagues to work fine detailing into sheet silver. The Bateman family specialised in classically-inspired household silverware, which included items such as tea caddies, all manner of cutlery, salt and pepper pots, and another frequently found accessory of the time, inkwells.

Hester Bateman is considered one of the finest English silversmiths ever, and she worked from her workshop with her sons in Bunhill Row in London in the late 18th century. The Bateman family specialised in particular in items of household silverware made in the NeoClassical style which features flowing lines and fine beading.

After her own successful career was over, Hester Bateman was succeeded in the business by her sons, her grandson and her great-grandson, and their very successful business ran until the middle of the nineteenth century. 

Regent Antiques bring Hester Bateman silver to you from our London HQ

Hester Bateman was a London-based silversmith and it is appropriate therefore that we continue to seek out her work and present it to you from our North London warehouse and showrooms.

We are always on the lookout for items by Hester Bateman or other members of her famous family workshop. They are highly sought after pieces and do not crop up as often as we would like. At the time of writing we have some fine Hester Bateman silver items available for sale including antique silver sugar baskets, salt dishes, and a striking coffee pot dating from 1777.

If you are a collector of Hester Bateman’s work then you would not want to miss any opportunity to assess items as they become available. They tend to be spotted by fellow enthusiasts and bought quite quickly. For this reason we urge you to check this category of our website regularly so as not to miss and item that you may have been interested in purchasing.

We also have a free of charge notification service which will automatically alert you when new items are listed in this or any other product category that you have and interest in. You can register for this service, free of charge and without any obligation.

Our North London showrooms are open on weekdays and occasional Saturdays. You can see details of our opening hours and dates on which we are having a Saturday opening on the homepage of this website. We are very easy to find being located only yards from Manor House tube station on the Piccadilly Line and on several bus routes. We have car parking onsite for those of our customers who prefer to come by car.

Worldwide shipping service for Hester Bateman silver

Of course we recognise that a trip to London is not always possible and we do offer an online service for those not able to make the trip. Please be sure to study the gallery of photographs that accompanies every listing as well as the dimensions of the piece before making your decision.

If you would like to ask questions or need further information you are welcome to contact us. You will find the details on almost every page of this website, remembering to quote the item reference in order to avoid confusion.

If you decide to buy an item from the website then please request a shipping quotation for any location outside of mainland UK. Those living in the UK mainland will receive free of charge shipping.