English Bell-Metal Mortar, inscribed ‘IOSEPH LANE 1672’. Manufactured at the Whitechapel Bell Foundry, London

Description

English bell-metal mortar, inscribed ‘IOSEPH LANE 1672’, manufactured by Anthony Bartlet (master founder, 1640-1675) at the Whitechapel Bell Foundry, London in 1672.
The waist is inscribed in Roman letters: ‘IOSEPH LANE 1672’. Joseph Lane is presumably the name of the apothecary who commissioned the mortar.
The rim has one plain band, and below this another band decorated with trefoil (3-leaved) flowers.
The waist, below the inscription, has two moulded rings. The base is solid.

Fact

The Whitechapel Bell Foundry was the oldest manufacturing firm in Britain.
Established at Essex Street, Whitechapel in 1570, in the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, the foundry relocated to 34 Whitechapel Road in 1738. It closed its Whitechapel Road site in 2017, having been in continuous business for nearly 450 years.
The foundry cast many famous bells, including the Liberty Bell in 1752 and Big Ben for the Houses of Parliament in London, in 1858.

The Society’s collection includes mortars cast by the following Whitechapel master founders:
Robert Mot (master founder 1574-1606), Thomas Bartlet (master founder 1616-1632), Anthony Bartlet (master founder 1640-1675), James Bartlet (master founder 1675-1700).

Anthony Bartlet, the maker of this mortar, was the master founder of the Whitechapel Bell Foundry from 1640-1675 during a very turbulent time in the history of London. This period saw the English Civil Wars (1642-1651), the Restoration of the British monarchy (1660), the Great Plague of London (1665-166