Dave:
Your wife is my kind of shopper! I wish I had found that bread pan before
she did. The only bread pans I use are terracotta 8"x4.5" ones, wonderfully
seasoned from years of use. I bought them from LL Bean at least a decade,
perhaps two decades, ago. They, too, have the exact same inscription
printed in black ink on the sides, but they are made by the Henry Watson
Pottery, founded in 1800. There is no imprint on the bottoms. I wonder if
your wife found a miniature pan that predates the Watson Pottery, which is
still in business as far as I know. I would try using the pan for a mini
loaf and see how it turns out. If the interior doesn't feel a bit slick,
season it before use by greasing it very lightly with solid vegetable
shortening and putting it in a 275-300 degree oven for about 45 minutes,
then repeat two or three times. These pans aren't glazed, so I think you
don't have to worry about lead content. My guess: "an English loaf" refers
to any bread that the English might make. Since my ancestry is 100% British
Isles, I figure it means anything I want to bake in it.
Ellen