Click on
Thumbnails
below

Description — clicking on underlined text brings up extra full size images of each piece

Stock number

12 George III Old English Feather edge shoulders dessertspoons Edinburgh 1776 Patrick Robertson

A set of 12 George III Old English pattern dessertspoons with shoulders and feather-edge borders made in Edinburgh in 1776 by Patrick Robertson, crested for Gordon.

Price: £825.00

 

 

9386

 

Edward VII christening set London 1908 Carrington and Company Tsar Russia Crown

An Edward VII dessert knife, fork and spoon in King's Shape with rope borders made in London in 1908 by Carrington and Company (on all three pieces) engraved with the Crown of the Tsars of Russia.

Price: £750.00

Carrington and Company of Regent Street was believed to have been founded in 1780 but the earliest record of them is in 1873. John Bodman Carrington's business is recorded in that year and the firm was re-styled Carrington & Co in 1880. By the early 1890s Carrington were advertising themselves as jewellers, diamond merchants, dealers in precious stones and manufacturing silversmiths.  At this time the partners were John Carrington, William Carrington Smith and George Bruford. They were awarded the Royal Warrant by Queen Victoria and would go on to gain the warrants of Prince Albert, Edward VII and George V.  In 1893 they created the beautiful Dorset bow brooch for Queen Mary and in 1911 they set the famous Cullinan diamonds numbers III and IV into a brooch/ pendant for her, a jewel inherited by Queen Elizabeth II who affectionately referred to them as ‘Granny’s chips’.

Carrington and Company also held a number of international Royal warrants- including Tsars Nicholas I and II of Russia as well that of Nicholas II's wife Empress Alexandra of Russia. The appearance of the Russian Imperial Crown on these pieces could relate to a senior member of the Romanov dynasty. This leaves a number of possibilities as in the period between 1900 and 1914 a number of the senior members of the Russian Imperial family were living outside the empire. A possible candidate for these pieces is Grand Duke Mikhail Mikhailovich (1861-1929) who was exiled in 1891 and set up a permanent home in England in 1900. However the Tsar himself is also a strong possibility as he, the Tsarina and all 5 of their children visited Britain in August 1909 for Cowes Week (photographic images from this visit are in the Royal Collection).

 

 

9285

 

Six William IV Rose pattern dessertspoons London 1834 John Henry Charles Lias

A set of six William IV Rose pattern dessert spoons made in London in 1834 by John, Henry and Charles Lias, crested with a bull's head out of a ducal coronet.

Price: £725.00

 

 

9274
George III Old English Bright-cut dessertspoons London 1798 Peter Ann Bateman

A set of six George III Old English pattern dessertspoons with bright-cut decoration made in London in 1798 by Peter and Ann Bateman.

Price: £595.00

 

8869
six George III Hourglass dessert spoons London 1829 Benjamin Durban William Theobalds

Six George IV Hourglass pattern dessertspoons, by William Theobalds London 1829, crested for Sir Benjamin D'Urban (1777-1849) .
Price: £495.00

Sir Benjamin D'urban (1777-1849) was a career soldier who joined the 2nd Dragoon Guards as a cornet in 1793. He made rapid progress through the army and distinguished himself in the Penninsular War (1807-1814). During this conflict, during which he served in almost all of the major actions and requested no leave, he was seconded to the Portuguese army and served as Quartermaster General and Chief-of-Staff to General Beresford. By 1812 Brigadier-General D'Urban was in command of the Portuguese Cavalry Brigade at the Battle of Salamanca. He came home laden with honours from Britain- Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath, Knight Commander of the Royal Guelphic Order, the Army Gold Cross with five clasps- and he received the prestigious Order of the Tower and the Sword from Portugal.

In 1819 D'Urban was appointed Governor of Antigua and in 1824 of Demerera-Essequibo. When this territory was merged with that of Berbice to form British Guiana, an action spearheaded by Durban, he remained as Governor of British Guiana until 1833. In 1834 D'Urban was further promoted to the Governorship of the Cape of Good Hope, a post he held in conjuction with that of Commander in Chief there. It was during his tenure that the Dutch settlers migrated from their lands in what became known as 'the Great Trek' and he also had to contend with the Cape Frontier Wars of 1833-1834. Other actions undertaken by his administration were the abolition of slavery under his jurisdiction and the consolidation of British influence in Natal.

When, in 1835, a new city was planned in Natal the settlement was named after D'Urban and retains that name (Durban) today.

 

7986
Six George III Old English Feather edge dessertspoons London 1783 Stephen Adams

A set of six George III Old English pattern dessertspoons with feather-edge borders made in London in 1783 by Stephen Adams, engraved with the arms of Ingram, Seckford or Whatton with another in pretence (possibly Some of Suffolk).

Price: £450.00

 

 

 

 

8982
dessert spoons Eight Old English dessert spoons, by Samuel Eaton London 1762, crested with a pineapple for Perryn/Perrin.
Price: £450.00
Old English pattern flatware is not normally found before 1770. The earliest reported mention of 'turn-down flatware' is thought to be in the early 1760s.
5468
dessert spoons A set of six Britannia standard feather-edge dessert spoons, by Charles Boyton London 1893, crested with a demi griffin.
Price: £425.00
5281

 

George IV Bacchanalian pattern dessertspoon and dessert fork London 1822 William Eley William Fearn

A George IV Bacchanalian pattern dessert spoon and fork made in London in 1822 carrying the maker's mark of William Eley and William Fearn.

Price: £395.00

 

 

9178z
5 dessert spoons

Five fiddle, thread and shell dessertspoons, London 1885 by Aldwinckle and Slater, crested with a demi griffin.
Price: £340.00

 

3511
George III Old English dessertspoon silver gilt London 1762 Paul Callard Duke  Chandos Buckingham Stowe

A George III silver-gilt Old English pattern dessertspoon, by Paul Callard London 1762, crested for James, 2nd Duke of Chandos (1708-1771) and his grandson-in-law Richard , 1st Marquess of Buckingham and later 1st Duke of Buckingham and Chandos (1776-1839).
Price:SOLD

This spoon was originally purchased by Henry Brydges, 2nd Duke of Chandos (1708-1771) who was described by George II as "a hot headed, passionate, half-witted coxcomb". Chandos inherited an estate deeply in debt due to the losses the family had suffered in the falling stock market of the 'South Sea Bubble'. As a result the family's home, Cannons Place in Middlesex, which had only been completed in 1724 at a cost of £200,000. had to be demolished in 1747. The resulting architectural elements and stonework were sold as building materials and the site is now occupied by North London Collegiate School.

Chandos married three times- firstly to Lady Anne Bruce, daughter of the Earl of Ailesbury, and thirdly to Elizabeth Major, daughter of Sir John Major, Baronet. His second marriage, however, was less conventional. In 1744 he married Anne Wells who had been a chambermaid in Newbury. They met when she was being sold by her then husband in the yard of the Pelican Inn at Newbury where Chandos was staying. Chandos, taken with her beauty, bought her and subsequently married her (following the death of her first husband).

The second crest on this spoon is that of Richard Temple-Nugent-Grenville (1776-1839), 1st Marquess of Buckingham and later 1st Duke of Buckingham and Chandos, who married the 2nd Duke of Chandos' granddaughter and heiress in 1796. Buckingham was part of the Grenville political dynasty (his grandfather serving as Prime Minister from 1763-1765, his cousin held the same office from 1783-1806 and his uncle from 1806-1807). He inherited all of the remaining Chandos estates and property, including this spoon through his wife and many other estates from his many relations. As the crest on the reverse of this spoon is underneath the gilding and accompanied by a Marquesses' coronet both the engraving of that crest and the gilding must have happened between 1813, when Buckingham inherited his Marquessate, and 1822 when he received his Dukedom.

However the wealth was short lived as nine years after Buckingham's death his son went bankrupt, with debts totalling over 1 million pounds, and the contents of the great house at Stowe (now the site of Stowe School) were sold by Christie's in 1848. This spoon appears to have been sold to Mr. Wells as part of lot 285, 286 or 287 of the seventeenth day of the sale- each lot contained 'Twelve plain [silver gilt] dessert spoons' (Wells bought all three lots).

 

.

7441
six George III Old English beaded dessertspoons London 1784 George Smith

A set of six George III Old English dessertspoons with beaded borders made in London in 1784 by George Smith, crested for Bullock.

Price: £375.00

The hallmarks on these spoons show that they were hallmarked between between 30th May and 1st December 1784 as they do not carry the Duty mark instituted during that assay year.

 

 

8975
dessert spoon

An Admiralty pattern dessertspoon with die cast crowned anchor, by Hunt and Roskell London 1865.
Price: £275.00

2 spoons available

5553
dessert spoons Six Old English pattern dessert spoons, by John Shiels Dublin 1802, crested with an elephant's head .
Price: £265.00
6225
George I Hanoverian rattail dessertspoon London 1719 Andrew Archer

A George I Hanoverian dessertspoon with rat-tail made in London in 1719 by Andrew Archer, initialled {S}

Price: £220.00

5 spoons available

 


8638
Victorian Admiralty pattern dessertspoon London 1840 William Theobalds

An Admiralty pattern dessert spoon with die-cast crowned anchor crest, by William Theobalds London 1840 .
Price:SOLD

Admiralty pattern (Old English pattern with the die-cast crest of the Royal Navy) is rare and was supplied exclusively to the officers and wardrooms of Royal Navy ships and to the Admiralty from the late 1830s (the earliest recorded pieces are teaspoons of 1838. It seems to have been discontinued by the outbreak of the World War One. Each piece also carries the Broad Arrow mark to denote official issue.

7494
6 George VI grapefruit or ice cream spoons Sheffield 1940 Roberts and Belk Six George VI grapefruit or ice-cream spoons, by Roberts and Belk Sheffield 1940 (also struck with the Roberts and Belk trademark of an oil lamp), initialled {S} .
Price: £195.00
7221
Silver-gilt Fiddle Thread and Shell dessert spoon fork London circa 1775 George Smith

A George III silver-gilt fiddle thread dessert fork and spoon, by George Smith (III) London circa 1775-1780, crested for ELLIS
Price:SOLD

These unusually early examples of fiddle, thread and shell carry two different GS maker's marks (the spoons with the GS in script registered by George Smith in 1774 and the forks with GS in capitals that is believed to appear in the mark registers missing from Goldsmiths' Hall). The appearance of these two marks on different parts of a flatware service using identical dies indicates that the GS mark in capitals was a second mark used by George Smith III (possibly registered between the end of his partnership with Thomas Evans in 1772 and the beginning of the new largeworkers register in 1773).

6851
Christening set A three-piece christening set with pressed foliate handles, Birmingham 1823 by Joseph Taylor.
Price: £195.00
3724
Scandinavian spoon A Scandinavian spoon with pear shaped bowl, flat stem and engraved flower; unmarked circa 1750, the back of the bowl engraved in the customary manner with initials {PRS} {ABD}.
Price: £190.00
1903
dessert spoon A Hanoverian scrollback dessertspoon, London 1772 by WP (perhaps William Portal).
Price: £175.00
4204

Victorian Vine and Riband pattern dessert spoon London 1851 George Adams Chawner silver-gilt

A Victorian Silver gilt 'Vine & Riband' pattern dessert spoon made in London in 1851 by George Adams (for Chawner and Company), crested with a griffin's head in beak a mullet above the initials {JET}.

Price: £165.00

Although this pattern does not appear in Ian Pickford's Silver Flatware a pattern called 'Vine & Riband' does appear in an internal document for Chawner and Company. The design of this pattern, containing Vines and ribbons suggests that the pattern of this spoon is the one referred to. The dies for 'Vine & Riband' pattern were returned to Garrards in 1886- indicating that the pieces were made by Adams for Garrards under Licence.

Interestingly the design is actually a copy of the flatware produced by George Wickes, the 18th century business that would become Garrards, in 1749 for the 1st Duke of Leinster. The majority of this service was sold by the 7th Duke in 1918 and was then owned by Sir Harry Mallaby-Deeley and Walter P. Chrysler before coming up for sale at Christie's in London in 2012.(when it sold for just over 1.7 million pounds).

 

9286
dessert spoon and fork A dessert spoon and fork in an unrecorded pattern with neoclassical inspiration, by George Adams London 1872 and 1874.
Price: £165.00
4813
dessert spoons A pair of Hanoverian dessert spoons made in London in 1747, crested with a demi lion .
Price: £160.00
 
5870
dessert spoons

Two fiddle, thread and shell pattern dessertspoons, London 1894 by Slater, Slater and Holland crested with a demi griffin.
Price: £155.00

3514

 

George III Old English dessert spoon London 1801 William Eley William Fearn inscription christening

A George III Old English dessert spoon made in London in 1801 by William Eley and William Fearn engraved {George Wombell, born Nov. 10 1801, Baptized July 20th 1804, Sponsors: Thomas Kingston, Charles Atkins, Sophia Ragsdale'}.

Price: £145.00

The engraved inscriptions on christening gifts come in many forms. The majority have initials and perhaps a date but this example is of a rarer form (especially for a piece this size) as it carries much more information about the child and even the sponsors.

The genealogical records show that George Wombell was born, as the spoon records, in Newark in 1801. He was the son of John Wombell and Matilda Ragsdale and was christened in 1804 (again in Newark) with his aunt Sophia as his godmother. George is listed as a chymist (sic) in Penistone, Yorkshire in a trade directory of 1828 and married Anna Maria Turner there on the 17th of February of that year. The couple went on to have 7 daughters and one son all born in Yorkshire. In 1841 George was listed in the census as a chemist in Ecclesfield, Yorkshire and in 1851 as a veterinary surgeon resident in Hope in Derbyshire. He died in Ecclesfield in 1860 and Anna Maria died in 1864 (also at Ecclesfield).

Provenance: A. B. L. Dove FSA

9168
George III Fiddle pattern dessert spoon Paul Storr London 1813 A George III Fiddle pattern dessertspoon with unusually pronounced heel, by Paul Storr London 1813, crested with a unicorn's head .
Price: £145.00
7390

 

George III Hanoverian dessert spoon shell back London 1762 James Tookey

A George III Hanoverian pattern dessertspoon with a shell back made in London in 1762 by James Tookey, initialled {IA}.

Price: £110.00

 

 

9398
George IV Rose pattern dessertspoon London 1827 Lias

A George IV Rose pattern dessertspoon made in London in 1827 by John, Henry and Charles Lias.

Price: £110.00

 

 

 

9051
William IV Scottish Fiddle variant dessertspoon  London 1835 William Eaton

A William IV 'Scottish Fiddle' variant dessertspoon made in London in 1835 by William Eaton.

Price: £130.00

The unusual shape of this dessertspoon would seem to suggest that it was made to expand a service or replace a missing piece. The original service is likely to have been of Continental manufacture.

 

 


8769
George III Fiddle pattern dessertspoon Edinburgh 1799 Robert Wilson Duke of York's Own Light Infantry

A George III Fiddle pattern dessertspoon made in Edinburgh in 1799 by Robert Wilson (of Canongate), engraved with the badge of the Duke of York's Own Light Dragoons.

Price: £130.00

The 28th, or Duke of York's Own Light Dragoons was raised in 1795 to counter the threat of the French Revolutionary government and was disbanded in 1802 following the declaration of peace between the two nations heralded by the Treaty of Amiens. Although this peace lasted for only one year, the regiment was not reformed when hostilities restarted.

 


8676
dessert spoon A Hanoverian pattern dessert spoon hallmarked on the front, by Walter Tweedie London 1778, crested with a lion rampant.
Price:SOLD
6143

 

George III Hanoverian dessertspoon Dublin 1760 John Laughlin

A George III Hanoverian pattern dessertspoon made in Dublin circa 1760 and carrying two maker's marks IL (for John Laughlin, John Lloyd or John Locker) and another unidentified one, crested with an arm holding a cutlass (Irish families with this crest are Bruce of Kilroot, County Antrim and Wall of Johnstown, County Carlow).

Price: £125.00

The second mark, to which there is no apparent reference in the literature, is possibly an alternative mark for Francis Jones of Dublin, active 1761-1765, or Francis Taylor of Cork, active from 1761, for whom no mark is apparently recorded.

 

9177
George III double struck wrigglework dessertspoon London c. 1780 Crossley Sumner crest Co(o)ke

A George III Old English pattern dessertspoon with wrigglework engraving on both sides of the stem, by William Sumner and Richard Crossley London 1775-1781, crested with an ostrich on a chapeau for Co(o)ke .
Price: SOLD

 

7685
Victorian Hanoverian rat-tail dessertspoon London 1898 William Hutton and Sons Private Die Inns of Court Volunteers

A Victorian Private Die Hanoverian pattern dessertspoon with rat-tail with the arms of the Inns of Court Rifle Volunteers on the front made in London in 1899 by William Hutton and Sons Limited.

Price: £120.00

Although the judges, lawyers and law students had occasionally been called upon to undertake military service in times of crisis since mediaeval times this was only given permanent regimental structure when The Inns of Court Rifle Volunteers were founded in 1859. This was arguably due in part to the realisation of the failings that had been revealed in the British Army during the Crimean War. In 1881 the battalion became part of the Rifle Brigade and in 1889 was renamed the 14th Middlesex (Inns of Court) Rifle Volunteer Corps. The regiment served in the Boer War (1899-1901) and became part of the newly formed Territorial Force in 1908. At this time it was effectively redesignated as an officer training unit. World War One saw a great expansion of the unit and around 11,000 officers were commissioned and later transferred to other regiments. Following the war the regiment returned to its former size and from 1941 to 1943 formed part of the 9th Armoured Division, served as the reconassaince asset in Northern Europe from 1944 to 1945 and on D-Day C Squadron landed on Juno beach. In the second half of the 20th century the unit went through a number of name and organisational changes and still exists today as part of 31 (Middlesex Yeomanry and Princess Louise's Kensington) Signal Squadron. The regimental museum is at 10 Stone Buildings. Lincoln's Inn, London, WC2A 3TG.

 

 

9058
Feather edge spoon hook back pierced bowl London 1907 Francis Higgins olives pickles An Edward VII feather-edge dessertspoon with an integral hook on the back and single hole pierced in the bowl (probably for olives or pickled onions), by Francis Higgins London 1907 .
Price: £120.00
6914
dessert spoon A fancy-back Hanoverian dessert spoon, by Ebenezer Coker London 1749, initialled {BIM}.
Price: £120.00
5256
George III silver-gilt Feather edge dessertspoon London circa 1770 by William Fearn

A George III Silver-gilt Old English pattern dessertspoon with Feather-edge borders made in London circa 1770 by William Chawner.
Price: £115.00

 


8452
George IV Agate handled dessertspoon Birmingham 1823 Joseph Taylor A George IV dessertspoon with agate handle, by Joseph Taylor Birmingham 1823 .
Price: £115.00
7830z
2 dessert spoons A pair of fiddle pattern dessert spoons, by James Barber, George Cattle and William North York 1827, crested with a demi-lion rampant holding a flag, Azure on which a cross Or.
Price: £110.00
5097z
dessert spoon A Hanoverian dessertspoon, London 1731 possibly by Caleb Hill, initialled {EG}.
Price: £110.00
4694

George II Hanoverian dessertspoon London 1730

 

A George II Hanoverian pattern dessertspoon made in London in 1730 by Joseph Smith I , crested with a eagle on a coronet.

Price: £100.00

 

 

 

9117
George III Old English dessert spoon London 1765 Viscount Lifford

A George III Old English pattern dessertspoon made in London circa 1766, crested for James Hewitt, 1st Viscount Lifford (1712-1789).

Price:SOLD

James Hewitt (1709 or 1712-1789) was the son of William Hewitt, a mercer and subsequently Mayor, of Coventry. James served his articles as a clerk to an attorney, James Birch and subsequently entered the legal profession himself. Hewitt was called to the Bar in 1742, became a Serjeant at law in 1754 and was King's Serjeant in 1759. He also served as Member of Parliament for Coventry between 1761 and 1766 (where his few speeches were almost inaudible- the words jury and liberty being sometimes audible) and as a Justice of the King's Bench from 1766-1768.

In 1767 his focus was moved to Ireland where he was made a Privy Councillor and Lord Chancellor (a post he held until he died in office 22 years later). In 1768 Hewitt was created Baron Lifford (also serving as Speaker of the Irish House of Lords) and in 1781 he was promoted to be Viscount Lifford. During his time as Lord Chancellor he is believed to have 'amassed a considerable fortune, the emoluments of the office in his time being estimated at £12,000 per annum'.

In 1774 Sir John Blaquiere wrote of Hewitt 'at all times affecting popularity.. He has in a variety of circumstances opposed in council, and when assisted, his support has been so lukewarm and ineffectual as to bring neither strength nor advantage with it to the Crown'. The Earl of Clonmel stated that the only memorable comment of Hewitt's was "never give offence to any man, he will have power to resent it' and that 'fear was the prudence of his life, caution his shield, and temper his fort'. There are mixed reports of his time as Lord Chancellor- in 1789 the Lord Lieutenant wrote that 'upwards of 100 cases are now before the Court of Chancery, accumulated by the indolence of Lord Lifford, who in the last two years has only given two decrees'. However lawyers practicing during his tenure were complimentary- John Philpot Curran fondly recalled the "The Great Lord Lifford" and cited him as a model judge and John Hely Hutchinson, not often complimentary wrote of Hewitt in 1773 that:

'In answer to your question about the chancellor ... he does his business very ably and expeditiously and to the general satisfaction of suitors and practisers in this country where he is much respected and a very popular character, and is in his private and public deportment a most worthy, honest and amiable man'.

On Hewitt's death in 1789 the children of his two marriages (five sons and two daughters) "all plead poverty, and swear that the old man only left them £4,000 [just over £300,000 in 2017], which is a gross untruth, as I [John Hobart, Earl of Buckinghamshire and Lord Lieutenant of Ireland from 17776-1780] know from the mouth of the old Chancellor (who told me) that he had made in this country [Ireland] £120,000 [just over £9,000,000 in 2017]".

 

8947

 

William IV Fiddle dessert spoon London 1837 Mary Chawner crest Hilaire Countess Duchess Nelson

A William IV/Victorian Fiddle pattern dessertspoon made in London in 1837 by Mary Chawner, crested for Hilaire Knight (nee Barlow, formerly Barlow and Nelson), wife of William Nelson, 1st Earl Nelson and 2nd Duke of Bronte and then of George Thomas Knight).

Price: £95.00

3 spoons available

Hilaire Barlow (1791-1857) was the daughter of Admiral Sir Robert Barlow and married her cousin Captain George Ulric Barlow of the 4th Light Dragoons in 1817. Captain Barlow (born in 1791) died in 1824 and in 1829 Hilaire married William Nelson (born 1757) , brother of Admiral Horatio Nelson, who was 1st Earl Nelson and 2nd Duke of Bronte. Earl Nelson died in 1835- this made Hilaire dowager Countess of Nelson and dowager Duchess of Bronte. When, on 1st February 1837, Hilaire married her third husband George Thomas Knight (born 1795) of Goodnestone Park (the nephew of Jane Austen). It is clear from these spoons that Hilaire retained her higher aristocratic status on her third marriage as she combined the coronets of her previous rank with the crest of her new husband. She died in Paris in 1857.

Further details about her can be found on this site.

 

9169
George II Hanoverian dessertspoon London 1751 Richard Pargetter

A George II Hanoverian pattern dessertspoon made in London in 1751 by Richard Pargetter, crested with a pike's head.

Price: £95.00

 


8595
George III Hanoverian pattern dessertspoon London 1770 William Fearn

A George III Hanoverian pattern dessertspoon made in London circa 1770 by William Fearn, crested with a stag's head erased ducally gorged.
Price: £95.00

 


8453
George III Hanoverian dessertspoon Dublin 1792 Michael Keating Marquess of Headfort

A George III Hanoverian dessertspoon, by Michael Keating Dublin 1792, crested for Thomas Taylour (1757-1829), Viscount Headfort (he was 2nd Earl Bective from 1795 and 1st Marquess of Headfort from 1800) .
Price:SOLD

Thomas Taylour was born in 1757 as the son of Sir Thomas Taylour, 4th Baronet (future 1st Baron and Viscount Headfort and Earl of Bective). From 1766 to 1795 he was styled Viscount Headfort (the title formerly used by his father between 1762 and 1766) and followed his father to Trinity College Dublin and into the Irish Parliament for Kells (1776-1790). He then changed seat and represented Longford from 1790-1794, served as Sherriff of Meath from 1786 and also as Governor of the same County. From 1801 Taylour, who had been 2nd Earl of Bective from 1795 and 1st Marquess of Headfort from 1800, was one of the original representative peers sent to London when the Irish parliament was united with that in London. In 1806 Taylour was made a member of the Order of St. Patrick, a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London in 1808 and a Lord of the Bedchamber to George III from 1812 to 1820. In 1778 he had married Mary Quin, daughter of George Quin of Quinsborough (d. 1842) but in 1803 eloped with the wife of the Reverend C. D. Massy and lost a law suit for Criminal Conversation (adultery) and £10,000 (approximately 5 million pounds in 2016) damages to her husband (who was represented by noted jurist John Philpot Curran).

 

8089
dessert spoon A Hanoverian dessertspoon, by Edward Bennett London 1747, crested with a male head and shoulders.
Price: £95.00
5395
China Trade Fiddle Thread and Shell dessertspoon Canton c. 1830 Yat Shing An Emperor Daoguang Fiddle Thread and Shell pattern dessertspoon, by Yat Shing of Canton circa 1830 (additionally struck with a Dutch import mark for unhallmarked or foreign goods between 1813-1893), crested with a bird on a coronet.
Price: £85.00
8108
William IV Fiddle pattern dessertspoon rat-tail Dublin 1834 Power Twycross Cavan Grand Jury

A William IV Fiddle pattern dessertspoon with rat-tail, by Edward Power (retailed by Twycross) Dublin 1835, engraved {Cavan Grand Jury} .
Price: £85.00

County Cavan, an area once forming part of the Kingdom of Breifnie, came under Norman influence from the late 12th century and since the early 17th century has been part of Ulster.

A Grand Jury is a group of citizens empowered by law to conduct legal proceedings, investigate potential criminal conduct, and determine whether criminal charges should be brought. A Grand Jury is separate from the courts, which do not preside over its functioning. In Ireland Grand Juries were active from the mediaeval period onwards and mainly functioned as local government authorities at the county level (the jurors were usually drawn from the larger landowners and appointed by their peers).

From 1691 to 1793 Roman Catholics in Ireland were excluded from membership of a Grand Jury, irrespective of wealth, and from in 1840 the Municipal Corporations Act (Ireland) weakened the power of the traditional membership. When the Local Government Act (Ireland) was passed in 1898 and saw the creation of democratically elected County Councils these took over many of the former functions of the Grand Juries. They were discontinued in Southern Ireland in 1922 and Northern Ireland in 1969.

7849z
William IV Fiddle pattern dessertspoon rat-tail Dublin 1834 Power Twycross Cavan Grand Jury

A William IV Fiddle pattern dessertspoon with rat-tail, by Edward Power (retailed by Twycross) Dublin 1834, engraved {Cavan Grand Jury} .
Price: £85.00

County Cavan, an area once forming part of the Kingdom of Breifnie, came under Norman influence from the late 12th century and since the early 17th century has been part of Ulster.

A Grand Jury is a group of citizens empowered by law to conduct legal proceedings, investigate potential criminal conduct, and determine whether criminal charges should be brought. A Grand Jury is separate from the courts, which do not preside over its functioning. In Ireland Grand Juries were active from the mediaeval period onwards and mainly functioned as local government authorities at the county level (the jurors were usually drawn from the larger landowners and appointed by their peers).

From 1691 to 1793 Roman Catholics in Ireland were excluded from membership of a Grand Jury, irrespective of wealth, and from in 1840 the Municipal Corporations Act (Ireland) weakened the power of the traditional membership. When the Local Government Act (Ireland) was passed in 1898 and saw the creation of democratically elected County Councils these took over many of the former functions of the Grand Juries. They were discontinued in Southern Ireland in 1922 and Northern Ireland in 1969.

7848z
George III Hanoverian dessertspoon William Tant London 1759 A George III Hanoverian dessertspoon, by William Tant London 1759 .
Price: £85.00
7169
Hanoverian dessert spoon A Hanoverian dessertspoon, by Thomas and William Chawner London 1769 .
Price: £85.00
6400

 

William IV Fiddle pattern dessertspoon John Munro St. john New Brunswick circa 1830

A William IV Fiddle pattern dessertspoon made in St. John New Brunswick by John Munro circa 1830, crested with a stag.

Price: £85.00

4 spoons available

9192
dessert spoon A dessert spoon of unrecorded pattern, by Mary Chawner London 1837, crested with a shell.
Price: £85.00
       
5016

 

George IV Old English dessert spoon London 1818 Sarah John Blake

A George IV Old English pattern dessertspoon made in London in 1818 by Sarah and John Blake, initialled JD or TD below an Earl's coronet.

Price: £75.00

In 1818 the initials JD or TD below an Earl's coronet could relate to three men- John Dalrymple, 6th Earl of Stair (1749-1821), Thomas Douglas, 5th Earl of Selkirk (1771-1820) and James Duff, 4th Earl of Fife (1776-1857).

The Earl of Stair served in the American War of Independence and was mentioned in Dispatches by General Sir Henry Clinton for his part in the attack on New London and Griswold in 1781. He then served as Minister Plenipotentiary to Poland from 1782 to 1784 and Envoy Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Berlin from 1785 to 1787. At this time he also served as First Commissioner of the delegation sent to invest the Landgrave of Hesse-Cassel with the Order of the Garter in 1786.

The Earl of Selkirk travelled extensively in Scotland and on the continent in the late 18th century and from 1803 to 1804 he visited Canada. While there he founded several settlements and in 1811 founded another on land granted to him by the Hudson Bay Company. This last settlement is the site of the city of Winnipeg. He visited his settlements, substantially populated by Scots who were disenfranchised by the incoming modern agricultural techniques, again between 1815 and 1819.

The Earl of Fife was a career soldier and served in the Spanish army during the Peninsular War (being wounded at Talavera in 1809 and again at Fort Matagorda in 1810). He rose to the rank of Major General and was invested with the orders of San Fernando (by Spain) and the Sword (by Sweden). In 1823 Britain honoured him with the Grand Cross of Hanover (Civil). In civilian life he held, among other posts, those of Grand Master of the Freemasons from 1814 to 1816, Lord Rector of Marischal College (1820-1824) and Vice President of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland.

 

9220

 

Victorian Old English pattern dessert spoon London 1878 George Adams Magdalene College Cambridge

A Victorian Old English dessertspoon made in London in 1878 by George Adams, engraved Coll. Magd Cantab for Magdalene College Cambridge.

Price: £75.00

Magdalene College was originally founded in 1428 by the Abbey of Crowland as a hostel for the Benedictine order. This institution came under the patronage of Henry Stafford, 2nd Duke of Buckingham and became known as Buckingham College. Following Henry VIII's break with the Roman Catholic church and the subsequent dissolution of the monastic houses and abbeys, including that at Crowland, the college was renamed Magdalen College in 1542 and was re-endowed by the wealthy Thomas Audley (who had purchased some of the lands originally used to endow the college).

Former alumni of Magdalene College include the diarist Samuel Pepys, Arthur Cohen (the first practising Jew to graduate from Cambridge), A. C. Benson (the librettist of Land of Hope and Glory) and, following the admission of women in 1986, the actress and broadcaster Clemency-Burton Hill. The current master of Magdalene College is Rowan Williams, formerly Archbishop of Canterbury.

Provenance: A. B. L. Dove FSA

9191
George II Hanoverian dessert spoon London circa 1755 Paul Callard

A George II Hanoverian pattern dessertspoon made in London circa 1750 by Paul Callard (maker's mark four times) crested with 'out of a mural coronet a demi lion rampant regardant' and engraved with a star cadency mark (for a 3rd son).

Price: £75.00

 

 

 

 


8813
dessert spoon A Hanoverian dessertspoon, probably by William Tant, London 1765, engraved with complex monogram.
Price: £75.00
4354

Victorian Old English Feather edge dessertspoon Britannia standard London 1893 Charles Boyton

 

A Victorian Old English pattern dessertspoon with feather-edge borders made of Britannia Standard silver in London in 1893, crested with a demi griffin.

Price: £70.00

Six further dessertspoons from this service can be found as stock number 5281

From the early 1880s onwards there was a gradual increase in interest in the use of what had become known as Britannia standard silver (958 parts per thousand of silver rather than Sterling's 925) among goldsmiths and their clients. This higher standard, originally called 'New Sterling' had been instituted, and made compulsory, in 1697 to avoid people clipping the coinage, and was compulsory until 1720 (after which it remained in use on relatively rare occasions). It was not until the early part of the 1890s the London Assay Office cut new punches for the higher standard (those seen on this dessertspoon).

9073
dessert spoon A dessertspoon with unusual brightcutting and cartouche made in London in 1784 (pre-duty) by William Chawner. The reverse is initialled {INM}.
Price: £70.00
4090b
Victorian Old English beaded dessert spoon London 1854 Aldwinckle and Slater

A Victorian Old English pattern dessertspoon with beaded decoration made in London in 1854 by Aldwinckle and Slater, crested with a demi figure holding a dagger and scales.
Price: £68.00

 


8410
George III Old English pattern dessertspoon Edinburgh 1791 Robert Gray (of Glasgow) A George III Old English pattern dessertspoon, by Robert Gray (of Glasgow) Edinburgh 1791, initialled {JH} .
Price: £68.00
7895z
Celtic point dessert spoon Dublin 1803 John Smyth A George III Celtic point dessertspoon, by John Smyth Dublin 1803, crested with a pelican in its piety (on a nest with young) .
Price: £65.00
7620
dessert spoon A brightcut dessertspoon, by Charles Hougham London 1790, initialled {JW JB}.
Price: £65.00
4936
dessert spoon An Old English dessertspoon, London 1770, crested with a bird on top of a tower.
Price: £65.00
3407
George III Old English dessertspoon London 1800 Thomas Wallis

A George III Old English pattern dessertspoon by Thomas Wallis London 1800, initialled {EC}.
Price: £60.00

8173
George III Old English pattern dessertspoon London 1781-1784 Stephen Adams

A George III Old English pattern dessertspoon, by Stephen Adams London c. 1785 , initialled {WEM} .
Price: £60.00

This dessertspoon can be dated to after 1781, when the marks were moved to the top of the stem. It is interesting to note that the workman in the assay office left the space for the full stub including the date letter (and the duty mark if the spoon was manufactured post 1784) but appears to have applied the part stub in error.

8011
dessertspoon 1778 Eley and Pierrepoint

An Old English dessertspoon, by William Eley and George Pierrepoint London 1777, initialled {MAC} .
Price: £55.00

William Eley and George Pierrepoint were only in partnership for a short time — between 11th November 1777 and 3rd November 1778 (when William Eley registered a new mark on his own).

6751
dessert spoon

A fiddle pattern dessert spoon, by James Barber George Cattle and William North, York 1827, crested with a demi-lion rampant holding a flag, azure, on which a cross Or.
Price: £55.00


5098z
dessert spoon An engraved fiddle pattern dessert spoon, by James Barber, York 1854, initialled {JGN}.
Price: £50.00
5104z
George III Fiddle pattern dessertspoon London 1809 Crossley Smith A George III Fiddle pattern dessertspoon, by Richard Crossley and George Smith London 1809, initialled {RP} .
Price: £52.00
8057
dessert spoon A King's pattern dessert spoon, by George Adams London 1868, initialled {CA}.
Price: £48.00
5501
Crested dessert spoon A fiddle and thread dessertspoon by William Eaton London 1839, crested with an eagle with pheon in beak.
Price: £48.00
2577b

William IV Fiddle pattern dessertspoon Calcutta George Gordon and Company

A Fiddle pattern dessertspoon made in Calcutta by George Gordon & Company circa 1830.

Price: £45.00

 

 

9253
dessert spoon A feather-edge dessertspoon by Sumner and Crossley, London 1774 initialled {W}.
Price: £45.00
1913
dessert spoon An Old English dessertspoon, by William Welch Exeter 1812, crested for Hunter .
Price: £30.00
6298