On Nov 20, 1812, John Liston appeared at Covent Garden as Lubin Log in the then new play Love, Law and Physic written by James Kenney. Lubin Log is a conceited, ignorant, mean and rather vulgar cockney, He inherits a fortune and sets out to York to marry a yound lady. The suitor she prefers plots to outwit Log.The wording on the figure draws from the play. Alighting from the coach, mean-spirited Log takes his time giving the coach man a sixpenny tip, impressing on him that it is quite optional on his part. Liston superbly personified cockneyism and his success inspired future cockney characters.
Aside from the V&A's hidden print, there are other design sources for this figure. Apparently Richard Dighton's caricature of Liston as Lubin Log dates to 1819. Also, there was a print published by Ingrey & Madeley circa 1825. There seems little doubt that the figure is indeed Lubin Log personified.
And just when it was all settled in my mind, I found this in my archive!
![Picture](/uploads/1/0/8/9/1089253/7310028.jpg)
And this lovely example is ready to join your collection. From the stock of Andrew Dando, where it is correctly described at John Liston in the role of Lubin Log.