A George III lead pump hopper
the box top with leafy ornament and cylindrical spout raised on a tapered up-pipe
£375
These characterful spouts were the means by which water was raised from a cistern, well or trough. They can still be found mounted on out-buildings and service light-wells in larger houses – complete with an iron armature at the side and a paddle mechanism inside the raise the water. They were usually encased within a timber cabinet. often is is only the lead hopper that survives the centuries.
Most early Georgian rain-water goods and plumbing and cisterns in houses of note were made from lead (Pb) – hence the term “plumber”.