A Royal George III silver argyle, Sebastian & James Crespell, London, 1775

cylindrical, dentilated moulded border, wicker-wrapped handle, hinged cover and hot water spout, engraved with a coat-of-arms on body and crests on the cover, ivory finial

Issued by the Jewel House to William Legge, 2^nd Earl of Dartmouth (1731–1801), Secretary of State for the American Colonies 1772–1775, then by descent to Gerald Legge, 9^th Earl of Dartmouth (1924–1997) who married, as his 1^st wife, Raine, later Countess Spencer and step-mother of Diana, Princess of Wales.

The Albert Collection

 

Robin Butler, The Albert Collection: Five Hundred Years of British and European Silver, 2004, illustrated p. 70, no. 57.

Marked on body and cover, marks clear, a few little nicks and small repair at rim, wicker replaced and finial may be later, nice colour
"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 King George III. The crest is that of Legge, Earls of Dartmouth. William Legge, 2^nd Earl of Dartmouth began his political life as a Whig, then became a member of Lord North's Cabinet and finished his career as a supporter of Pitt. He was responsible for the American Colonies in the tense years leading up to 1776 and it was said of him that 'he took a conspicuous but very unfortunate part during the American War'¹  In his position as Secretary of State for the American Colonies, he was issued with a service of silver by the Jewel House, the department of the Royal Household charged with supplying silver to members of the government and ambassadors.² The Warrant, addressed to the Master of the Jewel House, the 2^nd Earl of Darlington, and dated February 26, 1773, states:

These are to signify unto your Lordship His Majesty's Pleasure that you provide and deliver to the Earl of Dartmouth His Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for America, the usual allowance of the Quantity of One Thousand ounces of White Plate, to be made into such vessels, and after such fashion, as his Lordship shall direct³

Among the articles listed that were delivered to Lord Dartmouth in 1775 'for the use of his Table to be returned on demand' was this argyll or gravy pot:

Itm. One gravy Pot and Cover, one Cheese Plate and Cover               Wt: 38:15

After an officer of state or ambassador completed his posting, it was officially required that he return the silver to the Jewel House, but in practice this was seldom done, and the silver vessels, usually engraved, as is this argyll, with the Royal Arms, were kept as family heirlooms. On April 2, 1778 Dartmouth "discharged" his silver by paying a total of £333 10s 8d for it, which at 6s 8d an ounce was far less than the cost of new silver.⁴

Among the chief suppliers of silverware to the Royal Goldsmith, Thomas Heming, who in turn supplied it to the Jewel House were the brothers Sebastian and James Crespell, silversmiths of Huguenot descent who ran a large-scale workshop that specialized in table silver of the highest quality in Whitcomb Street, Leicester Fields.

Gravy pots with a sleeve to contain hot water, thus keeping the gravy hot, were said to have been invented by the 3^rd Duke of Argyll (1682–1761) sometime in the middle years of the eighteenth century.⁵ Josiah Wedgwood advertised them as 'gravy cups' in 1774. The earliest silver example is one of 1755 made by Fuller White, while one of 1769 by the Crespell brothers is also known.⁶

¹ Vicary Gibbs, ed., The Complete Peerage, sub Dartmouth.
² For a lucid account of the Jewel House and its functions in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, see James Lomax, 'Royalty and silver: the role of the Jewel House in the eighteenth century', The Silver Society Journal, no. 11, 1999, pp. 133–140.
³ National Archives/LC5/111/f. 140
⁴ National Archives/LC5/111/f. 269
⁵ Harold Newman, 'Argylls –– Silver and Ceramic', Apollo, February, 1969, p. 98.
⁶ Michael Clayton, The Collector's Dictionary of the Silver and Gold of Great Britain and North America, rev. edn., 1985, p. 20.