A George II silver salver, William Kidney, London, 1735

on four scroll supports, flat-chased with rocaille ornament, moulded border, engraved coat-of-arms within a flat-chased cartouche and crest, the underside engraved with scratch weight 38 * 19

with some minor surface scratches commensurate with age, feet slightly uneven, otherwise in overall good condition.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

The arms are those of Le Marchant, an ancient Channel Islands family whose connection with the island of Guernsey can be traced to the early 13^th Century.

In view of the Channel Islands family provenance of this salver, together with its unusual rendering of the cartouche and crest, which are flat-chased to match the border in a manner clearly not of metropolitan quality, it is thought that it was purchased by the Le Marchants from a local working goldsmith. If so, the most likely candidate is Guillaume Henry, also of Guernsey. Richard Mayne (Channel Islands Silver, Chichester, 1985, pl. 167) illustrates a salver bearing this maker's mark, which is engraved in similar style with a coat-of-arms and crest within a flat-chased border. Mayne further illustrates (pl. 170) a comparable engraved cartouche enclosing the arms of Bonamy-Dobrée from a Guillaume Henry coffee pot.

For a pair of silver three-light candelabra, Robert Garrard & Brothers, London, 1823/26, engraved with the arms of Sir Denis Le Marchant (1795-1874), civil servant and Liberal politician, see Sotheby's, London, 18 December 2007, lot 158.

William Kidney, one of the apprentices of David Willaume the younger, gained his freedom in 1733 and entered his first mark on 7 June 1734. He became a Liveryman of the Goldsmiths' Company in 1740 and died in 1756. It is unusual to find the minutiae of 18^th Century silversmiths' private lives, but in the case of Kidney the story of his disastrous second marriage and subsequent divorce is known in some detail. Matters came to a head in December 1751 when Kidney, accompanied by friends from the Assay Office, surprised Mrs Kidney and her lover 'in one and the same bed together severally naked save that he... had a shirt [and] cap on and she... her cap [and] shift.' (John Culme, 'Trade of fancy: new findings from eighteenth century London,' The Silver Society Journal, 12, Autumn 2000, pp. 98-100).