A LARGE GEORGE III SILVER SALVER by Hester Bateman, London 1780, circular, with a beaded rim above a fluted cavetto, raised on three ball and claw feet. 31.5cm diameter, 30.1 troy ounces Hester Bateman (1708-1794) is the most well-known of all women within silver, with the Bateman workshop covering a broad area of objects. Formerly, Hester Neden married John Batman on May 20th 1732, a ‘chain-maker’, whereupon his death in 1760, she took hold of the workshops, registering her first mark on April 16th 1761. Although Hester, or ‘ester’ as known to her family, was illiterate, as seen in the often-cited register entry for her mark showing a naively initialled H and B instead of a signature, the business grew significantly. The Bateman business, through her entire family, became one of the great success stories of the 18th Century. Her daughter-in-law Anne Bateman registered marks with her sons Peter and William Bateman, and her granddaughter Sarah Clarke married her apprentice Crispin Fuller and registered her mark on April 22nd 1765. The marks are crisp and clear. This silver is an excellent example in very good condition.