The Doctor's Pie-Plates by Alice Morse Earle

Many of my cherished china treasures, having no historical association and being of comparatively coarse ware, would be of little value on the shelves of a collector, and also of little interest to the general observer; but they are endeared to me by the remembrance of the circumstances under which they were found, or by some story connected with their past owner or their past history.

I have a set of dark-blue Staffordshire plates, known as the "Doctor's Pie-plates," which are resplendent with an interest that does not come from their glorious color, rich as it is, nor from the wit of the humorous scenes they represent. The plates, named, respectively, "Dr. Syntax's Noble Hunting-party," "Dr. Syntax Upsets the Beehives," "Dr. Syntax Painting the Portrait of His Landlady," "Dr. Syntax Taking Possession of His Rectory," and "Dr. Syntax Star-gazing," are printed from a set of pictures drawn by Thomas Rowlandson, one of the most celebrated designers of humorous and amusing subjects of his day. They were drawn and engraved to illustrate a book published by William Combe, in 1812, called "Dr. Syntax's Tour in Search of the Picturesque. " A second tour, "In Search of Consolation," appeared in 1820. This was also illustrated by Rowlandson. A third tour, "In Search of a Wife," was printed the following year. These books had an immense and deserving popularity. Not only did these blue Staffordshire plates appear, copying the amusing designs from the Dr. Syntax illustrations, but a whole set of Derby figures were modelled -- Dr. Syntax Walking, In a Green-room, At York, At the Bookseller's, Going to Bed, Tied to a Tree, Scolding the Landlady, Playing the Violin, Attacked by a Bull, Mounted on Horseback, Crossing the Lake, Landing at Calais, etc., and also were sold in large numbers.