American Toby Jug Museum 

Drake character jug produced by Sterling Pottery of Fenton, England, circa 1950 being purchased by Ridgway in 1950. The greatest Elizabethan seaman, Sir Francis Drake (1540-1596), was born in Devon, England, and is probably best known for being the first explorer to circumnavigate the globe. His exploits against the Spaniards, which included the seizure of large amounts of goods, made him extremely popular in England. In 1580, despite Spanish protests, he was knighted on his ship, "The Golden Hind", by Queen Elizabeth I for his circumnavigation feat. Eight years later, as vice-admiral of the fleet, Drake helped defeat the Spanish Armada. He is famed for continuing his game of bowls on "Plymouth Hoe" as the mighty Spanish fleet approached, saying "We have time to finish the game and beat the Spaniards afterwards." Sir Francis Drake died of dysentery while on an ill-fated expedition to the West Indies in 1596. This is the largest of three known sizes.