The Family World War II Teapot

A member of the HNJJ crew, while going through boxes of her late parent's belongings came across a teapot that she didn't remember...

The teapot is not in great shape with some obvious repairs, but it is an unusual World War II memento. The lid reads For England and Democracy...

...while the bottom is decorated with a Staffordshire Knot and the words World War II Made in England Escorted to U.S.A. by Royal Navy...

Some Internet research identified this teapot as made in Stafford County, England, circa 1939 to 1945. The United States and Canada were shipping cargo to England and the ships returned with loads of English ceramics that not only served as ballast, but were sold to raise money for Britain.

The family story of this pot is lost. A grandparent or parent may have bought it and the purchase probably strained the family budget, but many family members were still back home in Wales and England...so it was personal.

This was a time when mom would ship parcels to family wrapped in pieces of sheets - instead of paper - with the address and return address written on the material. Why? Because the family needed everything, even pieces of material with writing on it had value.
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Information about these teapots was found in a Press of Atlantic City article and on the Kovels website.