Sweet Little Cherub That Sits Up Aloft, Will Look Out a Good Birth for Poor Jack – Sunderland

The line comes from a popular song by Charles Dibden titled 'Poor Jack'.   In the contemporary print, c1790, Jack holds a club and points to a cherub clinging to the top of the mast.  Several variations of this subject appear on creamware ovoid jugs, from the late 18th century, and are most often attributed to Liverpool. The North Eastern examples below were made 1800–1840.

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Attributed to J Phillips & Co, Sunderland Pottery

Photo Anderson and Garland

Below, a trimmed down version of the transfer on a Waterloo commemorative jug, inscribed with the date 1815.

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Attributed to Dixon, Austin & Co, Sunderland Pottery

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Attributed to J Phillips & Co or Dixon, Austin & Co, Sunderland Pottery

A different rendering of the subject, similar to the print at the top of this page, on a creamware jug also attributed to the Sunderland Pottery.  The title has been trimmed off to make the transfer fit.  In this version, there is a fort on the left and the cherub clings to the ship's mast.

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Attributed to Dixon, Austin & Co, Sunderland Pottery

Below, the same transfer on a larger jug from the 1830s, but again with the title trimmed off.

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Sweet Little Cherub That Sits Up Aloft, Will Look Out a Good Birth for Poor Jack – Tyneside

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Attributed to Newcastle Pottery, Addison, Falconer & Co

This tankard is attributed to the Newcastle Pottery on the basis of the frog, which is very similar to those found on marked Newcastle items.

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Attributed to Bird & Co, North Shields

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Attributed to Cornfoot, Carr & Co, North Shields