Was the Toby jug of an actual person?

Question

The Toby jug of a character wearing a tricorn hat from the 17th century,and that some people kept on their shelves. Was the Toby jug of an actual person?

Answer 1

The origins are unclear but some say it was modelled on Sir Toby Belch, a character from Shakespeares Twelfth Night.

Toby Jugs show the full body of the subject, many people get them confused with jugs that just depict a head, these are actually called Character Jugs and represent figures from history.

Answer 2

The figure of a round seated man wearing a tricorne hat and holding a mug of beer has been around since at least the mid-18th century, when it was made popular by Staffordshire potter Ralph Wood. The origins of the figure are unclear, but it is certainly associated with conviviality and is perhaps named after Shakespeare's Sir Toby Belch in Twelfth Night. Another possible source is a popular print of the 18th century of a similar figure with a comic verse about "Old Toby Fillpot."