Pitcher, 6.5 inches tall. Black transfer with polychrome clobbering. Unknown maker, but possibly Worthington & Harrop of the Dresden Works in Hanley, Staffordshire, England. The registry diamond dates the pattern registration to 25 January 1869. This pattern illustrates a pivotal moment in the legend of Dick Whittington, a poor boy who came to London to seek his fortune. Disappointed, he meant to leave the city but was stopped by the sound of the bells of Bow church, which seemed to tell him he would one day be Lord Mayor of London. Another part of the story concerns his cat, who was so proficient at catching rats that Dick was able to sell him for a good price and made his fortune. The real Richard Whittington (1354-1423) came from a well-to-do family and was a successful merchant. He served four terms as Lord Mayor and was also a well known philanthropist. It is not known how these stories came to be associated with him but were told and retold, in ballad and prose, over several centuries.