A rare silver-gilt George II coronation canopy...

A rare silver-gilt George II coronation canopy bell,
by Francis Garthorne, London circa 1727,
conventional form, with a loop attachment and reeded borders, inscribed 'ONE OF THE BELLS BELONGING TO THE CANOPY BORN OVER KING GEORGE THE SECOND AT HIS CORONATION GIVEN TO THE LADY ELIZ GERMAIN BY THE HON. GEORGE BERKELEY HER BROTHER ONE OF THE BARONS OF THE CINQUE PORTS', height 7.1cm, approx. weight 7.3oz.

Provenance: The Hon. George Berkeley, d.1746
to Lady Elizabeth Germain, d.1769
by family descent to Col Sir Joseph Weld, Lulworth, Dorset, d.1992
by family descent to the present owner.

Illustrated in Clayton, M., The Collectors Dictionary of the Silver and Gold of Great Britain and North America, Woodbridge, 1971, p. 34, fig. 33b.

A similar George II silver-gilt canopy coronation bell with a later baluster handle sold at Christie's in their sale 20th November 2009, lot 40, Property From The Collection of HRH The Prince George, Duke of Kent, KG, KT, and HRH Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent CI, GCVO and Their Families.

A small group of coronation bells survive today, of which the earliest example is thought to have been used at the coronation of King Charles II in 1660. Two coronation bells were bequeathed to the nation by the Countess of Waldegrave. The first is by Francis Garthorne, the maker of the present bell, and is hallmarked for 1714/15. However, it is engraved 'George 2nd 1727'. It has been suggested that it was first used at the coronation of King George I in 1714 and re-used at the coronation of his son in 1727.

At the coronation of King George II, held on the 11th October 1727, the Canopy of State was carried by the members of parliament of the Cinque Ports. In his position as M.P. for Dover, the Hon. George Berkeley was appointed as a canopy bearer. This right was established during the reign of King Edward I as cited by Mantel, T., in Coronation Ceremonies and Customs, relative to the Barons of the Cinque Ports as Supports of the Canopy, Dover, 1820.