Plate, Delftware, 1742, Dutch, Thomas and Mary Bingham, Yarmouth, 1742, Suffolk

The inside centre decorated with the inscription, "Thomas and Mary Bingham In Yarmouth 1742", inside a medallion. The rim decorated with six artemisia leaf reserves, with trellis borders interposed. The rim brown. Restoration to a rim glaze chip. Decorated in blue on a white glaze. Probably Dutch, second quarter of the 18th century.

Provenance: Thomas Bingham was christened in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, on November 14, 1697. Thomas Bingham married Mary Dent at Woodbridge in Suffolk on 24th August, 1721. Thomas and Mary Bingham had a daughter Ann christened in Yarmouth on December 17, 1727. Thomas Bingham was buried in Great Yarmouth on July 6, 1774. Thomas, a son of Thomas and Mary Bingham, was christened in St. John Maddermarket, Norwich, on December 3, 1775.

In the Universal British Directory of 1793-8, Woodbridge is described as a maritime town situated near the River Deben on the turnpike road leading from London to Yarmouth. It is about 77 miles from London and as Great Yarmouth is 123 miles from London, the distance by road between the two places is about 50 miles. The River Deben, on which the town is situated, is stated to have been navigable up to the town where there were two quays. There is no-one named Bingham listed in Woodbridge in the entry for the town in the Universal British Directory.

In the printed Freemen of Yarmouth, a John Bingham is the only entry under the surname. He became a freeman in 1721, having been an apprentice of John Cooper. There is no mention of the surname in the three volume Perlustration of Great Yarmouth by C J Palmer (1872). In the first printed poll in the College of Arms collection, that of the 1807 election, there is no entry of the surname Bingham. Further research needs to be undertaken at the County Record Office.

This plate was purchased from the same collection as the Great Yarmouth plate, see image.