A pair of George IV silver four-light candelabra centrepieces from the Sampaio Service, Paul Storr for Storr & Mortimer, London, 1822

Henrique Teixeira de Sampaio, 1st Conde de Póvoa and Baron de Teixeira (1774-1833)

Thence by descent to his daughter Dona Maria Luisa de Sampaio Noronha, who married in 1836 Don Domingos de Sousa Holstein, 2nd Duke de Palmella (1818-1864)

By descent in the Casa Palmella, Lisbon

Christie's Geneva, 27 April 1976, lot 192 (part)

Private Collection, Newport, RI

Sotheby's New York, 28-29 October 1988, lot 219

Private Collection, New York

Koopman Rare Art, London 2016

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Henrique Teixeira de Sampaio, 1er Conde de Póvoa et Baron de Teixeira (1774-1833)

De là, par descendance, à sa fille Dona Maria Luisa de Sampaio Noronha, qui a épousé en 1836 Don Domingos de Sousa Holstein, 2e duc de Palmella (1818-1864).

Par descendance à la Casa Palmella, Lisbonne

Christie's Genève, 27 avril 1976, lot 192 (partie)

Collection privée, Newport, Rhode Island

Sotheby's New York, 28-29 octobre 1988, lot 219

Collection privée, New York

Koopman Rare Art, Londres 2016

The arms are those of Teixeira quartering Sampaio, Amaral and Guedes for Henrique Teixeira de Sampaio, Barao de Teixeira, later 1st Conde de Póvoa (1774-1833).

The successful merchant, Henrique Teixeira de Sampaio (30 October 1774 - 27 March 1833), was elevated to the Portuguese nobility by King João VI (1767-1826) on 22 May 1816 upon his creation as 1st Lord de Sampaio. On 6 March 1819 he was further ennobled as the 1st Baron Teixeira, with a right to bear arms. He was then, on 3 July 1823, created 1st Conde de Póvoa, named after his estate in Póvoa de Santo Adrião, near Lisbon.

Teixeira had accumulated his wealth chiefly through the lucrative contracts he made to supply the Anglo-Portuguese forces with food during the Peninsula War (1808-1814). Not only was he able lend money to the Portuguese state but he became financial advisor during the latter part of João VI’s reign, serving as Secretary of State for Finance Affairs between 1823 and 1825. Baron Teixeira was then the wealthiest man in Portugal. He died aged 59 at his home, Rua da Escola Politécnica, in Lisbon, on 27 March 1833 when he was succeeded by his six-year-old son. The latter died in 1837, when his titles became extinct, but his father’s fortune and his extensive service of English plate including these centerpieces, descended in the family until the late 20th century.