The history of toby jugs

It is believed that the first toby jug was inspired by Toby Philpotts, a character in a old English drinking song. The potters of the 18th century were captivated by this convivial character and modeled him puffing on his pipe, with his tankard of foaming ale. They have continued to be made ever since and the famous British china firm of Royal Doulton is responsible for some of the most collectible designs.

We stock a good selection of Royal Doulton toby jugs from their Lambeth and Burslem studios, including the popular 'Doultonville' collection, representing typical characters from an English village in toby jug form.

These distinctive jugs have been produced by Royal Doulton along with the ceramic figurines, the famous British china company, since the late 19th century and we carry a wide range of designs in our inventory. You will find some of the early stoneware models which were made at their factory in Lambeth, London, especially the most collectible models designed by Harry Simeon in the 1920s. Royal Doulton's other factory in Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent began making these character jugs in the early 1900s and many of these models were based on much earlier Staffordshire tobies.

Many collectors use the name toby to describe all types of Royal Doulton jugs but strictly speaking it is modeled in the form of a full seated or standing figure as opposed to character jugs, which feature the head and shoulders only. There are several theories about the origins of the Royal Doulton toby jugs, but the most plausible is that early potters were inspired by the character in the old English drinking song.