This belongs to a huge group of Nelson commemorative items known as Nelsoniana – itmes relating to Nelson and his battles. Just as items today are made with images of the Queen or David Beckham – calendars, mugs, plates, t-shirts, stickers, cds etc – so they were in Nelson’s time. However, they they were really limited to jugs, mugs, teapots, plates, bowls, platters, dishes, statuettes, figurines and busts. Books, newspapers, prints and paintings formed another group of commemorative items, and a third consisted of ephemera like fretwork, scrimshaw, decoupage etc.

This jug commemorates the battle of Trafalgar in 1805, at which Nelson died. The country went into immediate mourning and souvenir manufacturers went into immediate production, cashing in on Nelson’s death, just as they do nowadays.