A George II silver coffee pot, Henry Hayens, London, 1755

Bonhams, London, 25 June 2015, lot 99

An almost identical coffee pot with the mark of Hayens and hallmarked for London, 1756 has been noted: Christie's, New York, 27 October 2005, lot 425.

Henry Hayens' is suspected as being part of the 'Lamerie Group'¹, a number of silversmiths who are thought to have purchased Paul de Lamerie's 'curious patterns and tools' at auction the year following his death in 1751.² A set of four matching candlesticks has been noted, two marked for Lamerie, London, 1747 and two for Hayens, London, 1751.³ Additionally, a pair of tea caddies, marked Hayens, London, 1769, are the same model as a pair illustrated in Phillips, P., Paul De Lamerie, London 1935, p.97, pls. XCVII and XCVIII.

A coffee pot, marked for London, 1753, William Cripps, himself a member of the 'Lamerie Group', has the same boar's head handle bracket which can be seen on the current lot.⁴

Henry Hayens entered his mark at Goldsmiths’ Hall on 13 October 1749, when he gave his address as Little Windmill Street (Soho). Nothing is known of his parentage, early life or training, but he was married at St. George’s Chapel Mayfair, on 12 March 1748 to Ann Lunn (or Lynn)⁵ In 1760 he took on an apprentice, William Clements.⁶ He was still in Little Windmill Street at the time of the Parliamentary Report of 1773 and died in 1775; his will (signed on 5 January 1751) was proved by his wife, sole beneficiary and executrix, on 9 October that year.7 It is very likely that he is the Henry Haynes (sic) who was buried on 1 October 1775 in the Parish of St. Marylebone. His wife, ‘Ann Haynes otherwise Hayens,’ died in 1784. In her will, signed on 26 November 1783 and proved on 8 January following, she wrote, ‘I desire to have the best Elm Coffin without Covering and the best plates and handles the best shroud and the best pall and to lay in the New Church Yard Marylebone in the same Grave of my dear late Husband Henry Haynes and the flat stone that I put up for my said Husband that said flat stone may be put down as soon as possible and my Name engraved upon it my further desire is to have a Hearse and two of the best black Coaches the persons to attend my funeral is Mrs. Roberts Mr. Owen and his Wife Mr. Neddery and his Wife Mrs Sarah Lucas Widow and her Daughter Henry Dunkerson and Sophy Borgrund (? Borgrand) and to give to the Mourners the best kid Gloves.’⁸

The arms engraved on this coffee pot have defied identification; the same motto and related coat-of-arms is engraved on an Isaac Liger caster of 1721 which is in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

Notes

1. Hartop, C., The Huguenot Legacy, Boston 1996, p. 52

2. Mr Langford, Covent Garden, London, 4 February 1751

3. Sotheby's, London, 14 June 1984, lot 260

4. Sotheby's, London, 26 April 1979, lot 116

5. National Archives, Kew, Clandestine Marriage and Baptism Registers, London, RG 7/221

6. National Archives, Kew, Register of Duties Paid for Apprentices’ Indentures, IE 1/22, fol. K78

7. National Archives, Kew, PROB 11/1012

8. National Archives, Kew, PROB 11/1112