The original toby jug or mug was in the form of a jolly stout man wearing a cocked hat that was named after Toby Fillpot, a drunken character in the song Little Brown Jug that was popular in England and America in the 1700's.
A large number of 19th and 20th century toby jugs were modelled after story characters (ie Charles Dickens works) and famous characters of their day such as Winston Churchill.  Most toby jug manufactures discontinued producing them, although a few are still being produced.

Some manufacturers issued toby jugs in a series which were popular with collectors.  For exampl,e Roy Kirkham issued separate Dickens, Robin Hood and the Poorman, Beggarman etc. series of characters.

View our Links page for linkage to a detailed history of toby jugs and mugs.