A Victorian silver-mounted Parian ware claret jug, Hunt & Roskell, London, 1883

The so-called maker’s mark on the mounts of this jug is that of Robert Roskell (1805-1888), his son, Allan Roskell (1839-1910) and John Mortimer Hunt (1845-1897), trading as Hunt & Roskell. Robert Roskell was in partnership from December 1843 with John Samuel Hunt (1786-1865), his son, John Hunt (1811-1879) and Charles Frederick Hancock, trading as Hunt & Roskell, late Mortimer & Hunt, formerly Storr & Mortimer, the partners of which were Paul Storr and John Mortimer. C.F. Hancock withdrew from the partnership in January 1849. John Mortimer Hunt, whose father was John Hunt, and Allan Roskell joined Robert Roskell as partners in the firm in 1882. Following R. Roskell’s death on 22 July 1888, A. Roskell and J.M. Hunt dissolved their partnership on 1 May 1889. Thereafter, Hunt & Roskell was sold to J.W. Benson, watchmakers, &c. of 62 & 64 Ludgate Hill, City of London and elsewhere. Hunt & Roskell was converted into a limited liability company in 1897 and continued to trade until the mid 1960s.