Printed from Woolley & Wallis

Description

Bristol maritime interest, a George III silver presentation silver tea urn,

by Lewis Herne and Francis Butty, London 1762,

inverted pear form, side silver and turned baluster wooden handles, gadroon border, the pull-off cover with a flame finial, on a raised circular stem on a square base with fret-work and on four claw and ball feet, leaf capped spout, inscribed 'The Gift of The Society of Merchants City of Bristol to Capt. Wm. Hamilton 1762', the reverse with two armorials and with a large palm tree being cut by a saw and engraved 'Through', in the original fitted case, height 46cm, approx. weight 71.5oz.

Provenance: Bonhams, New Bond Street, Fine Silver and Vertu, 24 March 2005, lot 135.

Bristol in the 18th century was a centre for the transportation of slaves from West Africa to the West Indies and North America where they were sold to work on plantations. The ships returned to Bristol with the fruits of their labours - tobacco, sugar and rum. These in turn provided new industries and markets for Bristol.

The Merchants of Bristol organised into the Society of Merchant Venturers campaigned to remove the Royal African Company's monopoly on trade with Africa.

On the 19th April 1763, the Court of the Society of Merchant Adventurers passed a resolution to make presentations to three captains. William Hamilton was awarded 50 guineas to buy a piece of plate of his own choice in recognition of his service as regulating captain of the port of Bristol for a period of some years.