American Toby Jug Museum 

Mine Host John toby jug produced by Westminster Pottery of Hanley, England, circa 1950. Mine Host is the proprietor of the popular local inn and pub. An innkeeper is someone who owns or manages an inn. When you arrive at an inn, the innkeeper might be the person who checks you in and gives you a key to your room. The earliest innkeepers ran inns in Europe during medieval times. These inns provided lodging, food, and a place for travelers to leave their horses, and an innkeeper managed all of these details. Mine Host John sits on a large keg of ale with his faithful dog at his side. A pipe forms the handle of the jug.