Expanding the Stowe Collection

With the necessary changes finalised to our governing charitable objectives, the Stowe House Preservation Trust is now set to begin working towards Museum Accreditation. We started the new year on an exciting note with the acquisition of a Temple-Grenville cup and saucer—items that perfectly complement two existing pieces from the same tea set already in our collection.

Exactly four years ago, the Hall Bequest Trust acquired two pieces from the United States, both bearing the Stowe family crest. The milk jug and sugar bowl, part of a tea set adorned with laurel and berries, felt especially fitting for the Christmas season. These exquisite items were crafted around 1810 by the Worcester porcelain factory and feature the coronet and martlet of Earl Temple, along with the family motto, Templa Quam Dilecta (“How Delightful are Thy Temples”). Their origins suggest they may have been commissioned either by the Marquess of Buckingham—Stowe’s owner at the time—or by his son, the Earl Temple, using an earlier family design.

In January, a local antiques dealer presented us with the opportunity to acquire a cup and saucer from the same set. The dealer had purchased them from an Australian seller five years ago—a testament to how far and wide the possessions of the Stowe family have travelled over time.

The tea set does not appear in the sales catalogues from 1848 or 1922, which raises intriguing possibilities. Either it was considered too minor to be listed as a separate item, or it was never put up for sale and instead remained within the family. The true story may forever remain a mystery.

The newly acquired cup and saucer are now on display alongside other Stowe ceramics in the Museum, as we continue our research in collaboration with the Museum of Royal Worcester.

Templa Quam Dilecta – How Delightful are Thy Temples

Temple-Grenville Family Motto

Anna McEvoy, Co-Director and House Custodian