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A George III Hanoverian tablespoon engraved with the arms of Westminster Guildhall and dated 1783, London circa 1760 probably by Paul Callard. The stem is additionally engraved with the name of William Evans Esq.
Price: £1450.00

In 1765 George III gave permission to the Magistrates to wear ‘the Arms of Westminster, with the emblems of Magistracy, on a gold shield’. Badges of this form were worn by the magistrates on a ribbon around their necks but the emblem was also engraved on spoons, accompanied by the name of a magistrate, and (presumably) used when they dined officially. The spoons appear to have been returned, and usually had a new name engraved on them when the magistrate ceased to sit. Further details about the magistrates and these spoons can be found in a recently published article (available on request).

This example is now inscribed ‘William Evans Esq’. The records of the Westminster magistrates include the information that Evans was appointed a magistrate on 18th December 1840 and that he had addresses at 3 Chesham Street, Belgrave Square and in Chertsey.

Evans appears in a number of lists of dignitaries in Victorian newspapers and these show that he was a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries (to which he was elected in 1830). His will was proved in 1857. The most prominent event in Evans’ life was his arrest in parliament on January 21st 1840.

From 1839 to 1840 Evans was one of the Sheriffs of the City of London and in this capacity he was sent to Parliament to claim damages granted to John Joseph Stockdale (the publisher who, in a different case, had been told to ‘Publish and be damned’ by the Duke of Wellington). In this case Parliament had declaried ‘On Diseases of the Generative System’ obscene and Stockdale had argued that the House of Commons could only rule on publications under its authority and then issued to the public. When Evans arrived in Parliament to claim the damages he was held in contempt and briefly detained.

By the end of the year Parliament had passed the ‘Parliamentary Papers Act’, which increased the power of the House of Commons and invalidated Stockdale’s case.

A pair of Victorian parcel-gilt fruit spoons with finials modelled as Athena or Minerva made in London in 1880 by Aldwinckle and Slater.
Price: £650.00

Three George III Old English pattern tablespoons with different decorative borders but all inscribed and dated with reference to members of Clifford's Inn (one of the Inns of Chancery in London that existed from 1344-1903). The first spoon has a Feather-edge border and was made in London in 1777 by John Lambe- it is inscribed as follows: (on the front) A. Kent 1780, (on the reverse) A. Greenwollers 1779. The second spoon has a beaded border and was made in London in 1778 by George Smith- it is inscribed (on the front) Wm Capstack Junr 1773. The third spoon has a threaded border and was made in London in 1793 by Thomas Wallis- it is inscribed (on the front) Jessopp 1799 below the crest of a dove as used by the Jessop family of Doory, County Longford .
Price:

A man with the correct initial and surname, in the case of Greenwollers an unusual one, can be found referred to as being associated with Clifford's Inn in London. On the first spoon both men are called Arthur- a death notice for Arthur Kent of Clifford's Inn features in the October issue of the European Magazine for 1799. He appears again on the list of people who have not claimed their annuity on sums of money invested with the Bank of England at 3% interest in 1800. The name of A. Greenwollers of Clifford's Inn appears in a lease of 1767 (and as 'of London' in one of 1758) and there are ten references to the legal firm of Messrs Greenwollers and Darlington of Clifford's Inn in the newspapers between 1776 and 1779. In the case of the second spoon William Capstack appears in a lease of 1770 as 'of Clifford's Inn'. In the case of the final spoon there is a reference in the Ipswich Journal of 1st December 1798 to a meeting at which John Jessopp will 'receive certificates [relating to the land tax] at his chambers, no. 13, Clifford's Inn, London' and he is recorded again in the Times of 23rd July 1816 at Clifford's Inn.

The Inn was located between Fetter Lane, Chancery Lane and Fleet Street, in the heart of the district of London most associated with the law from the 14th century onwards. As an Inn of Chancery the buildings were used as accommodation and offices by the group of lawyers who specialised in property. Clifford's Inn was the first recorded Inn of Chancery and appears to be have been incorporated in 1344 and it later had a key role in the teaching of juris prudence. Sadly the records of Clifford's Inn are very scant- a small number of items in the National Archives and the library of the Inner Temple- but it is reasonable to assume that the dates on these spoons marked important events in the life of Clifford's Inn and its members.

By 1903 The Inn was no longer deemed to serve a purpose within the structures of the British legal establishment and the extant members voted to dissolve it. On 14th May 1903 the assets of the Inn were auctioned, the site was sold for £100,000 and, apart from the gatehouse, the historic structure was demolished.

Six George III Old English pattern tablespoons, by Robert Cattle York 1806-1807 crested with a stag's head.
Price: £450.00

These six spoons (weighing 10 1/2 Troy ounces) formed part of the only group of pieces assayed by Robert Cattle working alone and were processed by the York assay office on 4th December 1807. Cattle was in several partnerships: with John Hampston and John Prince from 1796-1804, John Prince and George Cattle from 1804-1807 (the last reference to this partnership in the assay office records being on 20th October 1807 and the newspapers recorded the dissolution of the partnership on 6th November 1807). Cattle was then in partnership with William Barber from 1807-1814 (the first reference to this partnership in the assay office records being on 27th December 1807 but it was first advertised in the newspaper on 1st January 1808). From 1814 Robert Cattle was the proprietor of the York Tavern.

In his sole assay between partnerships, which interestingly contains recorded pieces with both the U and the V date letters for 1806 and 1807, Cattle included the following objects: '3 pair buckles, 1 egg frame, 4 skewers, 1 salt, 2 pair clasps, 16 butter ladles, 6 egg cups, 6 tongs, 4 doz. and 10 spoons, 3 boxes, 9 teapots, 6 apple scopes, 1 Chalice and Plate, 2 goblets' (weighing a total of 142 Troy Ounces) and '68 gold rings, 3 gold buttons' (weighing 8 Troy Ounces 17 dwt).

A George II pair of Hanoverian tablespoons, by Daniel Popkins Dublin 1758, crested for Thomas Taylour (1724-1795) while, Viscount Headfort (he was created 1st Earl Bective in 1766) .
Price: £340.00

Thomas Taylour was born in 1724 the son of Sir Thomas Taylour 3rd Baronet. Taylour attended Trinity College, Dublin from 1741 to 1745 and served as Member for Kells in the Irish parliament between 1747 and 1760 (as well as Sherriff of Meath from 1756). In 1754 Taylour married Elizabeth, Viscount Langford in her own right and he succeeded his father as Baronet in 1757. In 1761 Taylour was created Baron Headfort, followed by the Viscountcy of Headfort in 1762 and the Earldom of Bective in 1766. In 1783 Bective was one of the original Knights of the Order of St. Patrick and in 1785 he was made a Privy Councillor of Ireland. Taylour died in 1795 and his widow in 1818.

3 spoons available in total (see also 8088 below)

A George III Fiddle pattern tablespoon marked in Greenock circa 1820 by John Heron (carrying an unusually full set of his associated marks), initialled {JR} and numbered 6.
Price: £325.00

A pair of George IV King's Honeysuckle pattern tablespoons, by William Chawner London 1826, crested for one of the younger sons of George III .
Price:

The heraldic engraving on these spoons could be that of any of the younger sons of George III and by 1826 this leaves five possible contenders. These are the Dukes of York (d. 1827), Clarence (d. 1837), Cumberland (d. 1851), Sussex (d. 1843) and Cambridge (d. 1850). The Duke of York had his own badge and when his silver was sold shortly after his death no King's pattern is recorded (the catalogue is unusually detailed and mentions Cobourg [Coburg] pattern). The Duke of Cumberland inherited the throne of Hanover in 1837 and, due to a lawsuit, engraved EAFS (Ernest Augustus Fidekomiss) on his silver to differentiate it from that of the British Royal family. When Sussex died his silver, like the Duke of York's, was sold at auction and again no King's pattern is mentioned.

This leaves the Dukes of Clarence and Cambridge. Clarence ascended the throne as King William IV in 1830 and there appears to be no record of his plate and, it is to be presumed, it became merged with that of the monarchy. When the Duke of Cambridge's son died in 1904 the family silver was sold, again at auction, and includes as lot 47 a 'King's pattern service' and, as at that time they did not differentiate between variants of patterns, it is reasonable to suggest that these spoons may once have formed part of this service.

A George III French style Hourglass pattern tablefork and tablespoon, by Richard Crossley and George Smith London 1809, crested on the reverse for the 1st Marquess of Anglesey and initialled CP on the front for his son Lord Clarence Paget .
Price:

Henry William Paget (1768-1854), 2nd Earl of Uxbridge and 11th Baron Paget, was a prominent soldier in the British Army during the French Revolutionary, Peninsular and Napoleonic wars. There was a hiatus in his military career following his affair with Lady Cowley, the wife of the Duke of Weliington's brother Lord Cowley, which in 1809 lead to a duel between the two husbands and both marriages ending in divorce. This had made it difficult for Paget to serve under the Duke of Wellington but Paget's skills as a cavalry commander meant that he was recalled to active service when Napoleon regained power after his escape from Elba in 1815. Paget lead the main cavalry charges at the battles of Quatre Bras, on 16th June 1815, and Waterloo two days later (during which he lost his right leg). Following these actions Paget was created Marquess of Anglesey and received the Order of the Garter in 1818 followed by promotion to General in 1819. He went on to be Lord Lieutenant of Ireland from 1828-1829 (a post to which he was appointed by the Duke of Wellington) and again in 1830-1833 and Master General of the Ordnance from 1846 to 1853.

Lord Clarence Paget (1811-1895) was the Marquess's 3rd son (born a year after the latter's second marriage to Lady Charlotte Cadogan, the divorced wife of the Duke of Wellington's younger brother Lord Cowley). Lord Clarence entered the Royal Navy in 1827 and rose to the rank of Captain in 1839. He was MP for Sandwich from 1847 to 1852 and 1857-1866 as well as being Secretary to the Master General of the Ordinance (his father) from 1846 to 1853. Paget saw service in the Crimean War and was promoted to Vice Admiral in 1865.

A George III Old English tablespoon with bright-cut decoration marked on Guernsey circa 1790 by Jean Le Page (carrying both his known marks), initialled {MLN}.
Price:

A pair of George III Old English pattern tablespoons with feather-edged borders made in York in 1783 by Hampston and Prince.

Price: £290.00

A pair of George III Old English tablespoons made in Newcastle circa 1795 by John Langlands and John Robertson, crested for the Surtees family .
Price: £275.00

The Surtees family were recorded in the Pipe Rolls for County Durham in 1174- although they could have been there for some time preceding this date. The Surtees Society, specialising in the publication of manuscripts relating to Newcastle, Durham and the surrounding area, was named after local historian Robert Surtees and was founded in 1834.

Two Bookplates for local surgeons called John Surtees appear in Nigel Tattersfield's 1996 Bookplates by Beilby and Bewick. The bookplate of the first John Surtees (c. 1770-1853) who worked in Stamfordham features the exact crest found on these spoons but the bookplate is not recorded in the extant records for Thomas Bewick. The second John Surtees (1777-1820) who worked in Ebchester and Medolmsley is recorded as purchasing a royal (deluxe) edition of Thomas Bewick's History of Birds (presumably the History of Land Birds published in 1797) and his bookplate by Bewick was in the form of his initials. Thomas Bewick (1753-1828) was an incredibly talented engraver both in wood and on metal (he is known to have worked for the Langlands family of goldsmiths).

A George III Hanoverian pattern tablespoon with Dove back made in London in 1771 by Stephen Adams.
Price:

A George III Hanoverian pattern large dessert spoon/ small tablespoon with Prince of Wales feathers back made in London in 1767 by Thomas Evans.
Price: £250.00

This picture-back is most often found on teaspoons made by Ebenezer Coker and Thomas Hammond who were only in partnership from 1759 to 1760. It is now presumed that those pieces may have expressed support for the faction and proto-court surrounding the Prince of Wales, thefuture George III, rather than those of his grandfather George II. The use of the die in 1767 is an unusual one and less easy to explain (as the Prince of Wales, the future George IV, was only four at the time).

A George III Hanoverian pattern tablespoon with Rose back made in London in 1769 by Thomas Evans and George Smith, initialled {M [over] M R}.
Price: £240.00

A George III pair of King's pattern tablespoons made in London in 1814 by William Eley and William Fearn, crested for Baillie.
Price: £225.00

A pair of George II Hanoverian tablespoons, London 1754 probably by Paul Callard , crested with a demi lion holding a mullet all above a mirror cypher {IS}.
Price: £220.00

The exact crest does not feature in the available reference books but the families of St. Lyz, Stable, Starr or Stewart all have very similar crests.

A Hanoverian tablespoon made in London in 1762 engraved 'Coll. Divi. Joan Cant' for St. John's College Cambridge on the reverse of the handle, 'Ex Don Jac.[obus] Clarke Soc. Commens' [Fellow Commoner] on the back of the bowl and numbered '12' on the heel.
Price: £220.00 4 similar spoons (with different numbers on the heels) available

St. John's College, Cambridge received its charter in 1511 and was founded using the influence of Lady Margaret Beaufort, mother of Henry VII, and funds from John Fisher, Bishop of Rochester, who had been her chaplain. It occupies the site of the Hospital of St. John the Evangelist founded in around 1200. The Fellows of St. John's are allowed to eat unmarked mute swans (a privilege otherwise limited to the Royal family). The College had 874 students in 2018.

It was customary for members of the college to present spoons on their admission. James Clarke (c. 1734-1794, the son of Paris Clarke Esq. of Northampton was educated at Peterborough School (then run by Mr. Mirehouse) and entered St. John's College in 1753. He was re-admitted in 1756 and again in 1767 but never received a standard undergraduate degree. In 1769 he received his Batchelor of Law (LLB), rather unusually, by Royal mandate. Clarke had been ordained as a deacon in 1758 and in 1760 became both a priest and a petty canon of Peterborough Cathedral. In 1769 he was made Perpetual Curate of Eye and Rector of Northborough, both in Northamptonshire- livings he held until his death 25 years later.

A George III Hanoverian pattern tablespoon made in London in 1762 engraved 'Coll. Divi. Joan Cant' for St. John's College Cambridge on the reverse of the handle, 'Ex Don Jac.[obus] Clarke Soc. Commens' [Fellow Commoner] on the back of the bowl and numbered '9' on the heel.
Price: £220.00

4 similar spoons (with different numbers on the heels) available

St. John's College, Cambridge received its charter in 1511 and was founded using the influence of Lady Margaret Beaufort, mother of Henry VII, and funds from John Fisher, Bishop of Rochester, who had been her chaplain. It occupies the site of the Hospital of St. John the Evangelist founded in around 1200 and the Fellows of St. John's are allowed to eat unmarked mute swans (the only people outside the Royal family who are). The College had 874 students in 2018.

It was customary for members of the college to present spoons on their admission. James Clarke (c. 1734-1794), the son of Paris Clarke Esq. of Northampton was educated at Peterborough School (then run by Mr. Mirehouse) and entered St. John's College in 1753. He was re-admitted in 1756 and again in 1767 but never received a standard undergraduate degree. In 1769 he received his Batchelor of Law (LLB), rather unusually, by Royal mandate. Clarke had been ordained as a deacon in 1758 and in 1760 became both a priest and a petty canon at Peterborough Cathedral. In 1769 he was made Perpetual Curate of Eye and Rector of Northborough, both in Northamptonshire- livings he held until his death 25 years later.

A Hanoverian tablespoon made in London in 1762 engraved 'Coll. Divi. Joan Cant' for St. John's College Cambridge on the reverse of the handle, 'Ex Don Jac.[obus] Clarke Soc. Commens' [Fellow Commoner] on the back of the bowl and numbered '8' on the heel.
Price: £220.00 4 similar spoons (with different numbers on the heels) available

St. John's College, Cambridge received its charter in 1511 and was founded using the influence of Lady Margaret Beaufort, mother of Henry VII, and funds from John Fisher, Bishop of Rochester, who had been her chaplain. It occupies the site of the Hospital of St. John the Evangelist founded in around 1200 and the Fellows of St. John's are allowed to eat unmarked mute swans (the only people outside the Royal family who are). The College had 874 students in 2018.

It was customary for members of the college to present spoons on their admission. James Clarke (c. 1734-1794, the son of Paris Clarke Esq. of Northampton was educated at Peterborough School (then run by Mr. Mirehouse) and entered St. John's College in 1753. He was re-admitted in 1756 and again in 1767 but never received a standard undergraduate degree. In 1769 he received his Batchelor of Law (LLB), rather unusually, by Royal mandate. Clarke had been ordained as a deacon in 1758 and in 1760 became both a priest and a petty canon of Peterborough Cathedral. In 1769 he was made Perpetual Curate of Eye and Rector of Northborough, both in Northamptonshire- livings he held until his death 25 years later.

A Hanoverian tablespoon made in London in 1762 engraved 'Coll. Divi. Joan Cant' (for St. John's College Cambridge) on the reverse of the handle, 'Ex Don Jac.[obus] Clarke Soc. Commens' [Fellow Commoner] on the back of the bowl and numbered '5' on the heel.
Price: £220.00

4 similar spoons (with different numbers on the heels) available

St. John's College, Cambridge received its charter in 1511 and was founded using the influence of Lady Margaret Beaufort, mother of Henry VII, and funds from John Fisher, Bishop of Rochester, who had been her chaplain. It occupies the site of the Hospital of St. John the Evangelist founded in around 1200 and the Fellows of St. John's are allowed to eat unmarked mute swans (the only people outside the Royal family who are). The College had 874 students in 2018.

It was customary for members of the college to present spoons on their admission. James Clarke (c. 1734-1794, the son of Paris Clarke Esq. of Northampton was educated at Peterborough School (then run by Mr. Mirehouse) and entered St. John's College in 1753. He was re-admitted in 1756 and again in 1767 but never received a standard undergraduate degree. In 1769 he received his Batchelor of Law (LLB), rather unusually, by Royal mandate. Clarke had been ordained as a deacon in 1758 and in 1760 became both a priest and a petty canon of Peterborough Cathedral. In 1769 he was made Perpetual Curate of Eye and Rector of Northborough, both in Northamptonshire- livings he held until his death 25 years later.

A George III Hanoverian tablespoon with rat-tail made in London in 1771 by Elizabeth Tookey, it is engraved with the arms of Jane Whorwood (nee Bray), d. 1726.

Price:

Jane Bray (c. 1674-1726) was the daughter of Sir Reginald Bray of of Barrington Park, Gloucestershire and married Thomas Whorwood II (1664-1706), Lord of the Manor of Headington, Oxfordshire. Thomas was the 'natural or reputed son' of Brome Whorwood (1615-1684) by his 'servant' (mistress) Katherine Allen but had taken his father's surname 'according to a deed to that purpose made by [his father] to him'. Under his father's will Thomas inherited the manors of Headington and Holton on the death of his elder, legitimate, half sister in 1701. Thomas had served as sherriff of Oxfordshire in 1703-1704 and he and Jane had six sons and one daughter- the second, but eldest surviving, son, Thomas, inherited the family estates. The style of this spoon, combined with the known dates of the owner of the armorial, show that this spoon is an unusual example made to add to an earlier set or replace a lost spoon (one of the original set engraved with Jane's arms as a widow, courtesy of a private collection, was made in London in 1721 by William Petley is illustrated).

A pair of George II Hanoverian tablespoons made in London in 1756 by Ebenezer Coker, crested with a lion's head erased charged with a chevron.

Price: £210.00

In his Silver Flatware (1983) Ian Pickford comments that Old English pattern can be found from around 1760. These spoons are unusually early examples.

A heavy Old English tablespoon, by Hester Bateman London 1790, engraved Aedis Christi (the Latin name of Christ Church Oxford) on the stem and dated 1791 on the heel.
Price: £210.00

Christ Church, Oxford (known colloquially as "The House") was founded by Cardinal Wolsey in 1529 and refounded by Henry VIII in 1532. This College has the second largest endowment income in the University and also houses Christ Church Cathedral Oxford, which serves as its chapel.

A George II pair of Hanoverian pattern tablespoons made in London probably 1753 by Ebenezer Coker, initialled {JAG}
Price: £200.00

2 pairs available

A fiddle pattern tablespoon, by James Pirie of Aberdeen (active 1821-1826) circa 1821-1822 (with otherwise unrecorded additional marks). These are crested for George Thomas John Nugent 8th Earl of Westmeath (1785-1871).
Price: £195.00

In 1822 the 8th Earl of Westmeath was created the 1st Marquess of Westmeath. This title died with him but the Earldom of Westmeath was inherited by his cousin. James Pirie was active from 1821-1826 and the combination of the maker's mark and the engraving suggests that this spoon, and the rest of the set that have come to light, was made between 16th July 1821 when Pirie became a member of the Hammermen's Company of Aberdeen and 12th January 1822 when the Earl was created a Marquess.

A George II Hanoverian tablespoon, by Daniel Popkins Dublin 1758, crested forThomas Taylour (1724-1795) while, Viscount Headfort (before he was created 1st Earl Bective in 1766)
Price: £180.00

Thomas Taylour was born in 1724 the son of Sir Thomas Taylour 3rd Baronet. Taylour attended Trinity College, Dublin from 1741 to 1745 and served as Member for Kells in the Irish parliament between 1747 and 1760 (as well as Sherriff of Meath from 1756). In 1754 Taylour married Elizabeth, Viscount Langford in her own right and he succeeded his father as Baronet in 1757. In 1761 Taylour was created Baron Headfort, followed by the Viscountcy of Headfort in 1762 and the Earldom of Bective in 1766. In 1783 Bective was one of the original Knights of the Order of St. Patrick and in 1785 he was made a Privy Councillor of Ireland. Taylour died in 1795 and his widow in 1818.

3 spoons available in total (see also 8087 above)

A pair of Hanoverian tablespoons, by William Skeen or William Sudell London 1770 engraved with the arms, motto and crest of POYNTZ
Price: £180.00

The Poyntz family claim descent from a knight who accompanied William the Conqueror in 1066. In the eighteenth. century, Stephen Poyntz (1685-1750) served as envoy to the King of Sweden ─ though he is more famous for being the grandfather of Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire (1757-1806).

A George III Hanoverian pattern tablespoon with rococo fancy back made in London in 1772 by Hester Bateman, initialled {EC [over] WL} and dated 1772.

Price: £175.00

A pair of George II Hanoverian pattern tablespoons with shell backs, by Richard Hawkins London 1758, initialled {C [over] CM} .
Price: £175.00

The maker's mark of Richard Hawkins is contained in one of the two registers missing from the records of the Goldsmiths' Company. Research has shown that Richard Hawkins was born in 1726 and named after his father who died some time prior to 1751. The records of the Goldsmiths' Company include the younger Richard's freedom by Patrimony in 1748 and the fact that around 1751 he attempted to have substandard spoons assayed (as well as trying to bribe the assayer to keep the affair quiet). The younger Richard Hawkins also took a number of apprentices who went on to become spoonmakers- Thomas Evans, Nicholas Hearnden and William Simons. Hawkins appears to have taken over the business, but not the premises, of Marmaduke Daintry and continued to trade until around 1764/5. Like Daintry the mark attributed to Richard Hawkins is often found on fancy and shell back spoons.

A George III pair of Old English pattern tablespoons with shoulders made in Exeter in 1809 by Joseph Goss, initialled {RPM}.
Price: £175.00

A George IV Old English pattern tablespoon made in London in 1824 (struck with two duty marks) by William Bateman, initialled {H}.
Price: £165.00

The striking of two duty marks on the same silver item in London is an unusual occurence (in London this was not used to show the doubling of Plate Duty in 1797). The exact reason for the two heads on this spoon is unknown.

Provenance: A. B. L. Dove FSA.

A George II pair of Hanoverian pattern tablespoons, by Isaac Callard London 1738, crested with a ram's head .
Price: £165.00

Isaac Callard was apprenticed to Paul Hanet in 1708 through finance supplied by the fund known as 'Queen Ann's Bounty'. Isaac registered his first mark in 1726 and was still operating as a spoon maker a short time prior to his death in 1770. He is known to have married a number of times- including to his master's daughter Magdalen by whom he had his only child Paul.

An Old English tablespoon with unusual brightcutting, London 1783 by Hester Bateman, initialled JDD.
Price: £165.00
Note: The brightcutting appears in two forms with differing lengths

A George V copy of an apostle spoon with St. Nicholas finial and inscription by Levi and Salaman Birmingham 1911 in the original box (with retailers stamp for C. E. Court of Ulvaston on the base).
Price:

In 1953 Commander and Mrs. How described the original spoon made in London in 1528, from which this example was copied, as 'with the exception of the Coronation Spoon, this massive silver-gilt example is probably the most famous of all English spoons'. In 1902 the original was sold at auction for £690 (a record price at the time) and is now in the collection of the Marquess of Bute. It is the only recorded example of a St. Nicholas finial, although the modelling of the finial suggests a 15th century origin so others presumably existed at one time.

St. Nicholas (reputedly 270-343) was an early Christian Bishop of Greek descent and is recorded as having been present at the Council of Nicea in 325. St. Nicholas is the patron saint of sailors, merchants, archers, repentant thieves, prostitutes, brewers, pawnbrokers, unmarried people, students in various cities and countries around Europe and, finally, of children. His early association with secret gift-giving lead to a tradition of presents being given to children on the anniversary of his death (6th December) and he gradually became absorbed into Santa Claus or Father Christmas.

A George III parcel gilt Old English pattern tablespoon with bright-cut decoration made in London in 1778 by George Smith.

Price: £145.00

A William IV Fiddle pattern tablespoon made in Jersey c. 1830 by C. W. Quesnel, engraved 'ARWT [over] 13 Fev[rie]r 1832 [over] MAW 1892'.
Price: £140.00

A George II Hanoverian pattern tablespoon, by Ebenezer Coker and Thomas Hammond London 1759, crested with a hound sejant .
Price: £135.00

Ebenezer Coker (d. 1783) was the son of William Coker a cheesemonger from Berkhamstead and was apprenticed to Joseph Smith in 1728. He received his freedom in 1740 (although, unusually, he had registered his first mark in 1738). A spoon by him working alone can be seen above (as stock number 7729). In 1759 he entered a short partnership with Thomas Hammond which only lasted until 1760- during which he assayed this spoon. He was declared bankrupt in 1781.

A George II Hanoverian pattern tablespoon, by Ebenezer Coker London 1758, initialled {T [over] BM} .
Price: £135.00

Ebenezer Coker (d. 1783) was the son of William Coker a cheesemonger from Berkhamstead and was apprenticed to Joseph Smith in 1728. He received his freedom in 1740 (although, unusually, he had registered his first mark in 1738). In 1759 he entered a short partnership with Thomas Hammond which only lasted until 1760 (see stock number 7753). Coker was declared bankrupt in 1781.

A George VI Fiddle pattern tablespoon with 'Lincoln Imp' finial, by James Dixon and Sons Sheffield 1948 .
Price: £135.00

The Lincoln Imp is a 14th century carving in Lincoln Cathedral. A legend states that the Imp was sent to the cathedral by the Devil to spread mischief but it was turned to stone by an Angel. An 1899 reproduction was placed on the wall of Lincoln College, Oxford and although that one is now inside the college a copy has been installed in its place. The use of the image on silver is associated with the prominent Lincoln citizen James Ward Usher (1845-1921) who inherited a Jewellers and Watchmakers business in the City. In the late 19th century he acquired the sole right to reproduce the Lincoln Imp on jewellery and silver and letters addressed to ‘The Silversmith who makes and sells the Lincoln Imp’ and one with only a sketch of the Imp found their way to him. Usher's personal art collection was left to the City as 'The Usher Gallery' and from 2005 has been merged with the other museums in the City.

A Victorian 'Feather-edge Neptune top' pattern tablespoon made in London in 1897 by Gibson and Langman (also stamped with Registered Design Number).
Price: £130.00

On pages 88-90 of his Silver flatware (1983) Ian Pickford comments that Hanoverian 'Feather-edge Neptune Top' is 'a pattern inspired by mid-eighteenth century decorated Hanoverian. It bears the [design number] 200,844 registered in 1892'. A spoon of 1905, is illustrated on page 89.

3 spoons available

A George III Old English Thread pattern tablespoon, by George Smith London 1799, crested for Harvey of Castle Semple.
Price: £130.00

Castle Semple was completed by the mid sixteenth century by the 1st Lord Semple and the estate was sold by the 12th Baron in 1727 to a younger son of M'Dowall of Garthland. The estate changed hands again when it was sold in 1813 to John Harvey Esq. of Jamaica and Grenada whose family owned it until 1908 (after which it was broken up into smallholdings and the house/castle was finally demolished in 1960).

The purchaser in 1813 was John Harvey (ne Rae) who died in 1820 but had inherited two fortunes from his Harvey relations- one from his mother and one from his maternal uncle. Following this second bequest in 1791 Rae changed his name by Royal Sign Manual to Harvey. A number of marriages between descendants of the Harvey family concentrated inheritances in this branch of the family.

A George III French style Fiddle Thread pattern tablespoon of unusually heavy gauge, by Richard Crossley London 1794 .
Price: £125.00

2 spoons available

A King's Shape Double Threaded pattern tablespoon made in London in 1829 by William Eaton, engraved with two crests for the Crewe family.
Price: £120.00

On page 136 of his Silver flatware (1983) Ian Pickford comments that King's Shape Double Threaded is 'a rare pattern listed in the Chawner and Company Pattern Book. Services exist but are rare. Building a service would be extremely difficult'. Two pieces from a service made between 1851 and 1858 are illustrated on the same page of the book.

A George III Old English pattern tablespoon with wrigglework border made in London in 1781 by IS, initialled {WAD} .
Price: £120.00

On 1st November 1781 the London Assay Office issued a directive to move the hallmarks from the near the bowl (bottom marked) to the top of the stem (top marked). This spoon is bottom marked- meaning that it was assayed between 30th May and 1st November 1781.

A George III Old English pattern tablespoon made in London in 1781 by William Sumner and Richard Crossley, initialled {F [over] WE}.

Price: £110.00

A Victorian tablespoon of an unknown pattern made in Exeter in 1846 by William Rawlins Sobey, initialled {JSH} to {EAEW} on the front and dated 1855 on the reverse.
Price: £110.00

A George II Hanoverian pattern tablespoon by James Tookey London 1750, crested for the Earl of Plymouth.
Price: £95.00

Other Lewis Windsor (1731-1771) inherited the Earldom of Plymouth from his father in 1732. According to the Gentleman's Magazine the Earl, described as a sickly minor of about 4 years old, also inherited a vast estate of 8000 [pounds] a year from his grandfather in 1736. In 1750, following an education at Eton and Queen's College, Oxford, he received his MA and married Catherine Archer, daughter of Thomas 1st Baron Archer (an MP and trustee of the state of Georgia). The Earl of Plymouth was Constable of Flint Castle in 1750 and held the Lord Lieutenancy of Glamorganshire from 1754 until his death.

A George III Hanoverian pattern tablespoon with scroll back made in London in 1752 by Richard Hawkins, initialled {CC}
Price: £95.00

This spoon is an unusually early example of a scroll back and it is worth noting that when Marmaduke Daintry, another early exponent of the fancy back, retired in 1753 his apprentices were taken over by Richard Hawkins.

A George III Old English pattern tablespoon with bright-cut decoration, by Peter and Ann Bateman London 1797 , initialled {JMB} .
Price: £90.00

In 1797 the duty paid on silver was doubled and in the provinces this increase was demonstrated by the striking of two duty marks. In London, however, an alteration was made to the existing duty mark by the addition of two cusps. This spoon, struck with unusually clear marks, was therefore assayed between 6th July 1797 and 28th May 1798.

A George III Old English pattern tablespoon with wrigglework borders, by Thomas Tookey London 1782, initialled {WS} .
Price: £75.00

2 spoons available

A George III Fiddle pattern tablespoon by John Kerschner London 1815, initialled {WSS}
Price: £75.00

John Kerschner was apprenticed to Richard Crossley, his maternal uncle, in 1794 and gained his freedom in 1801. He registered his first maker's mark in 1808 (perhaps indicating that he remained in his uncle's workshop as a journeyman until then) and would go on to register three further marks from four addresses until 1822. His flatware is seen less regularly than that of his uncle and master (who left him a bequest in his will).

A George III Old English pattern tablespoon made in London circa 1785 by John Lambe (struck four times with his maker's mark), crested with an eagle predating a baby on a cap of maintenance.
Price: £68.00

Provenance: A. B. L. Dove FSA.