a jovial society of members of the Company, with portraits of Sir J. Rawlinson, Robert Alsop, Edward Ironside, William Benn, Sır N. Marshall, and T. Blachford. Benn had sufficient influence over them (being a staunch old Jacobite) to induce them to go down to his house in the Isle of Wight, and drink to the success of Prince Charlie. Given in 1752. THE GREAT FIRE OF 1666. Destruction of Plate. In the fifteenth century the stock of plate does not appear to have been very great, and the following extracts from their books show that they were not in a very flourishing condition as regards their finances. 1452. One Thomas Harrison, goldsmith, considering how much the Company was indebted, and their livelihood ruinous and in decline, "great part of which could not be helped without great and notable cost," had, "of his blessed dispocition," given Twenty Pounds towards making a parlour in one of the Company's houses in Wood Street. 1468. The plate in the treasury is stated to consist of 2 Gallon Potts, parcel gilt, weighing 82 lbs. 3 ounces. 2 Standing Cups of one sort, chased, silver and gilt, with two coverlets, weighing 26 lbs. 5 ounces. They were content to use at this time a more modest service of pewter : 1470. For a garnish of two dozen of pewter vessels to serve the Company, £1 17s. 6d. During the two hundred years which followed, plate flowed into the treasury from various sources, in the shape of gifts, fines, &c., most of which was fortunately preserved from destruction in the great fire of 1666; but within twelve months the greater part was melted down to meet their expenses of building a new Hall, and other pressing demands, as appears by the following entries in their books: 1666. 15th September. This being the first meeting of the Wardens and Assistants since the late lamentable fire, Sir Charles Doe made known that, having now obtained the keys of the Company's treasury, he had thence taken out all their late writings and other their concerns, for the present preservation of them, and that he caused the same to be removed to a house at Edmonton, well known to Mr. Brattle, Deputy Assayer, who affirmeth that all is there well secured. For which careful and prudent act of the said Sir Charles Doe, the thanks of the Wardens and Assistants present are given him." "It was ordered at the same meeting that the Company's plate, so soon as Sir Robert Viner's house is fitted up, be brought from Edmonton, and then lent to the said Sir Robert, who is Sheriff elect, to be by him used in his Shrievalty, and which Mr. Wardens are entreated to deliver to him by Inventory indented, as in like case hath been accustomed." On the 13th October 1666, the Company's plate was delivered to Sir Robert Viner during his Shrievalty, as agreed. On the 5th July 1667, the following resolution was passed :"In consideration of the many urgent and pressing occasions of the Company, for the raising of money for their present service, and more especially for that of repairing the Hall, which, should it be omitted at this season, might endanger the falling of the walls now standing; and that the Company have no occasion to make use of their plate, nor place convenient where the same may be secured; it is at this Court agreed that all, or at least such part thereof as is not serviceable, shall be sold. Yet with such respect to the Benefactors' gifts, as that such as shall be parted with, the Coats of Arms and Inscriptions may be carefully taken, and the same recorded in the Company's Court books, in order that such amount of plate may be restored, and made again, when the Company shall be thereunto enabled." Following the above entry is a note of the arms and inscriptions of these pieces of plate, and the several weights, with others being the Company's proper plate; among them we find : A cup and cover given by Mr. Leadham, with his coat of arms, and these words about "This gift I leave among my friends Of that which God did give, Among my friends may live." A cup by Robert South. Others given by John Terry, Anthony Bradshaw, John Acton, Richard Martin, William Symonds, Mr. Maninge, James Feake White, William Daniel, Richard Morell, George Courthope, &c. A cup and cover by Robert Shirley the elder, in 1612, 93 ounces. It does not appear that these were ever remade, as resolved at the meeting, or, if they were, they have not been considered worthy of exhibition as fine examples of Goldsmiths' work. The leading pieces now in their possession are:-A helmet-shaped ewer and salver, made by Paul de Lamerie in 1741, and a two-handled cup and cover, of 1739, by the same maker; a salt-cellar, the gift of Richard Rogers in 1632; another salt-cellar, the gift of Simon Gibbon in 1632; and a salt with crystal cylinder, the gift of Thomas Seymour in 1693; two cups and covers, given by John Saunders, made 1672 and 1674; three flagons made in 1779; a pair of vases and covers, chased with classical subjects, made in 1740 and 1741; and two fine Augsburg cups of the 16th century. The Wardens' dinner, after the meeting alluded to, on the 5th July 1667 "2 legs of mutton and collyflowers,' 1 leg of veal and bacon, 1 sirloin of beef, 2 rabbits, 1 dozen of chickens, 12 twelvepenny tarts, 3 lb. of sugar, strawberries and raspberries; 6 bottles of canary, 12 bottles of claret, 6 bottles of white wine." The destruction of many fine pieces of plate in the Great Fire of London is thus alluded to in the Minutes of the following Companies, at their meetings held immediately after it had subsided, which may interest some of our readers : Merchant Tailors.-On the 20th September 1666 (only seventeen. days after the commencement of the fire), it was ordered, at a Court specially summoned, that "the Master and Wardens, or any three of them, do view the Company's plate that is melted in the late dreadful fire, and do treat with Mr. Taylor at the Tower, or any other person, about the refining of the same to the best advantage." Two hundred pounds weight of silver were collected and sold, in order to begin raising a fund to erect a new building. The only plate then in their possession is recorded in 1687:-2 basins (rose-water dishes, one given by William Offley, date 1590, the other 1597), 131 oz. 10 dwt., diameter 19 in.; candlestick and snuffers, 35 oz. 14 dwt.; Fan head, 21 oz.; 2 cups and covers, the gift of James Churchman, 100 oz. ; 2 ewers, 64 oz.; cup and cover, the gift of John Brett, senr., 91 oz. 3 dwt., given 1680; another cup, weighing 97 oz., given by John Brett, jun., in 1680. The Grocers.-On the 9th November 1666, the Wardens gave the following particulars :-" Of the Company's plate melted in the Hall in the late violent and destructive fire, and of the melted parcels taken up and put together, with the Company's urgent occasions for a supply of money," it was ordered "that the same plate (amounting to 200 lbs. weight of metal) should be sold and be disposed of to the best advantage of the Company." The Drapers. On the 25th October 1666, the Court learning that the Renter-Warden was deficient in £446 of the Company's money, which he had left in a cupboard of the treasury, and had fallen into the fire when the Hall was burned, and that part had been found, but much defaced, and the rest supposed to be melted in the rubbish, exonerated him from the repayment, and ordered that the part recovered should be refined by a silversmith." At the same meeting it was further ordered that "the Company's plate, which had been put into a mouth or well of the common sewer in the Garden for its prescrvation, should be forthwith taken up and secured." GOLD PLATE. Silver-gilt plate was frequently designated as gold, and generally so called, which has misled many people who imagined that the richer metal was not of rare occurrence. In fact, the difference between gold and finely gilt silver could not, without actually testing the piece, be detected, as the Hall marks for both old standard gold and old standard silver were identical. This anomaly was not remedied until as recently as 1844, when an Act was passed to omit the stamp of the lion passant, and substitute the quality of gold by numbers, denoting the purity in carats with a crown above; thus 22-carat gold now bears a crown and 22; 18-carat gold was stamped with a crown and 18 in 1798. Pure gold plate may easily be known by its weight compared with silver, weighing more than half as much again, and the relative value will account for its rare occurrence. For example, the gold cup and cover belonging to the Earl of Craven, weighing 117 ounces, would, without the fashion or cost of making, be intrinsically worth about £500; the same in silver, only £30. The list of pure gold vessels which have come under our notice is astonishingly small, and are here enumerated : 1. A two-handled cup and cover of the 17th century, given by Bishop Hall to Exeter College, Oxford. 2. A cup, on baluster stem and foot, engraved with arms of York and Rawdon; presented by Marmaduke Rawdon to the Corporation of York in 1672. Weight, 26 oz., 13 dwt. Height, 8 inches. 3. Cup and cover (plain body; the cover has a ring of a coiled serpent, engraved with scrolls) with two handles. Hall mark of 1673. Maker, I.N. The property of J. W. Walrond, Esq. Height, 3 inches. Diameter, 47 inches. 4. A chocolate cup and a cover with three helmets to form a stand, engraved with Chinese figures, one handle. It has the well-known mark, R.L. Date about 1680. Found in the lake at Knowsley. In the posses sion of the Earl of Derby. Height, 4 inches. Diameter, 4 inches. 5. A small porringer with two handles and a cover, of the year 1680, belonging to the Corporation of Oxford. 6. A pair of massive gold ice-pails, cylindrical, with lion's head and ring handles, weighing 365 ounces, given by Queen Anne to the great Duke of Marlborough; date about 1710. Earl Spencer 7. A two-handled cup, made by Paul de Lamerie in 1717, stated to be at Berkeley Castle (mark, LA. crowned); a legacy from the Countess of Berkeley to her daughter, Lady Betty Germaine. 8. A cup presented to Sir Charles Gould, Bart., by the Equitable Assurance Company in 1780; in possession of Lord Tredegar. 9. A salver is stated to be among the plate of William IV., at Windsor Castle. 10. A cup and cover of recent make, handsomely chased, made from gold obtained in the Castell Candochan mines, in Merionethshire; belonging to Sir Watkin W. Wynn, Bart. 11. Round salver, made by Paul Storr in 1801, inscribed "Rundell et Bridge fecerunt."-Duke of Rutland. 12. Beautiful helmet-shaped cup, engraved with the arms of the Duke of Devonshire; made by Pierre Platel in 1701. (This goldsmith entered his mark of PL., crowned, in 1699; Lamerie's mark of LA. was not entered until 1712.). 13. Oval salver, to correspond; same date and maker. Duke of Devonshire. 14. Plateau, made from gold boxes in which the freedom of the cities and towns of Ireland were presented to the Marquis of Hartington when Lord Lieutenant in 1755. Made by Paul Storr in 1813. Engraved with the Arms of Irish cities and of Cavendish. Duke of Devonshire. 15. A racing cup is said to be in existence, engraved with a racehorse and jockey; inscribed, "Saltby Stakes." 16. Two-handled cup and cover; inscribed, "This cup of massy gold was the gift of Edward, Lord Leigh, to William, Lord Craven, one of his lordship's guardians and trustees, A.D. 1765." Hall mark, 1764-5. Maker T-P Thomas Powell, Craig's Court, Charing Cross. Weight, 117 ounces. The Earl of Craven. |