American Toby Jug Museum 

Mr. Bounderby toby jugs in two colorways produced by William Kent of Burslem, England, circa 1920. From Charles Dickens' novel "Hard Times" set in the Industrial Revolution comes Mr. Bounderby. Although he is Mr. Gradgrind's best friend, Josiah Bounderby is more interested in money and power than in facts. Bounderby's inflated sense of pride is illustrated by his oft-repeated declaration, "I am Josiah Bounderby of Coketown." This statement generally prefaces the story of Bounderby's childhood poverty and suffering, a story designed to impress its listeners with a sense of the young Josiah Bounderby's determination and self-discipline. However, Dickens explodes the myth of the self-made man when Bounderby's mother, Mrs. Pegler, reveals that her son had a decent, loving childhood and a good education, and that he was not abandoned, after all.