This silver teapot topped with a leek, the national symbol of Wales, was presented to Mary Ashby Lewis of Llanerchaeron house by the residents of nearby Aberayron in Ceredigion, Wales. After the death of her husband in 1855, Mary continued to manage the Llanerchaeron estate for 62 years until her own death, aged 104 in 1917. The engraved inscription on one side of this teapot states that it was given as a token of appreciation to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Mary’s residence at Llanerchaeon, and was presented to her at a ceremony held on July 16th 1891. The other side includes an inscription of a Welsh couplet in cynghanedd, a strict system of alliteration and rhyme often followed in Welsh poetry. It translates as ‘She is highly regarded in the land; and her love is her crowning glory’. The mention of a crown is significant in Welsh poetry and here states that her love for the area and its people is her greatest virtue, reinforcing the admirable reports of Mary’s management, who looked after her staff, tenants, and neighbours extremely well. Llanerchaeron is now managed and cared for by the National Trust.
