Notes
According to PHMF Curator Edith Poindexter, the donors claimed that the pitcher had belonged to Elvira McClelland Henry (1808–1875), wife of John Henry (1796–1868), a son of Patrick Henry.
The pitcher was, at one time, paired with a matching washbasin to be used to clean oneself. Although no written documentation confirms John and Elvira's ownership, there are several listings of washbasins in an estate inventory of Red Hill taken after John's death in 1868. For example, "1 Wash Bowl & pitcher" valued at $1.00 appear in the nursery of the main house. This entry may refer to this pitcher.
An estate sale of John's possessions was held on February 12, 1868 at Red Hill, and included the sale of "1 White wash bowl & pitcher" to C. R. Berkeley for $1.00. It is possible this is the same pitcher (and washbowl) listed in John's inventory, and it may explain how the pitcher left the Henry family. No written provenance confirms this, however.
This pitcher was donated to the Patrick Henry Memorial Foundation by Mr. And Mrs. Edwin Lynch on April 23, 1976. Mr. Lynch served as president of the board of the Patrick Henry Memorial Foundation.