CIRCA 1792, BLUE CROWNED SCRIPT FLIGHT AND OPEN CRESCENT MARKS, PAINTED BY JOHN PENNINGTON

Comissioned by the Duke of Clarence, later William IV (1765-1830) in January 1790, the entire Hope Service, of which this is part, took a year to produce and cost *GBP*700. It proved to be decisive for the Worcester factory, helping to establish its reputation as a manufacturer under Royal patronage after what had been a difficult period. the comission was won in competition against Derby; the Duke selected the design from five samples provided by John Flight. Four of these were painted with figures en grisaille by John Pennington, of whom little is known; related to the family of Liverpool porcelain manufacturers of the same name, he had been employed at the Wedgeweed decorating workshops in London, prior to being taken on by John Flight to replace the recently departed and previously most important decorators, the Chamberlains. His early work is generally characterised by figure-painting in monochrome, this comission probably the high point of his career.
The later erroneous and romantic association of the service with Admiral Lord Nelson was perhaps prompted by the somewhat nautical appearance of the decoration, which, although iconographicaly typical of late 18th Century representations of Hope, came to be viewed in the 19th Century as being portraits of Lady Hamilton. This association was then reinforced when at the Christie's sale of 1839 the service was proclaimed as being that which had belonged to Nelson, this information having been derived from Lord Frederick FitzClarence's will.