Their story was told in James Thomson’s Seasons published c.1805. Palemon was a wealthy landowner and indeed his stately home appears on the jug pictured above. He happened across Lavinia helping with the harvest and fell helplessly in love offering his all in exchange for her hand. When the episode was satirised by Gillray, Palemon was shown as a hick farmer of doubtful aesthetic judgement, and Lavinia of a size which would make it highly unlikely that she could negotiate the stile between them.
Transferring knowledge
Cheffins will sell a Suffolk collection of printed creamwares in their June 25-26 sale. Specialist George Archdale has made many personal discoveries during the cataloguing of the £30,000 collection, including the origin of the popular transfer Palemon and Lavinia.
