A set of six George III silver salt cellars

A set of six George III silver salt cellars,

by Francis Spilsbury, London 1772,

oval form, pierced decoration, gadroon borders, on four legs with claw and ball feet, with various blue glass liners, engraved with a crest, length 8.8cm, approx. weight 12oz. (6)

The crest is that of William Murray (1705-1793) Viscount Stormont, and later 1st Earl of Mansfield, is perhaps best known for his judgment in Somerset's Case (1772), where he held that slavery had no basis in common law and had never been established by positive law (legislation) in England, and therefore was not binding law. It is interesting that this set of salt cellars date from that same year, 1772.