A GEORGE II SILVER TWO-HANDLED CUP AND COVER, Edward Wakelin, London, 1748

William Higgs, the gift of Frederick Prince of Wales, 1749

H.R.H. the Duke of Windsor (1894-1972)

This cup is recorded in George Wickes's 1747-1750 Gentleman's Ledger among the items ordered by Frederick, Prince of Wales. Victoria & Albert Museum, London, Archive of Art and Design, AAD/1995/7/3 VAM3, fol.50.

Suzy Menkes, The Windsor Style, Grafton Books, London, 1987, p. 68, a photograph of the dining room at the Duke and Duchess of Windsor's country home, the Moulin de la Tuilerie at Gif-sur-Yvette, near Paris, showing this cup on a buffet flanked by a pair of candelabra.

The arms are those of Higgs.

The inscription reads 'His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales's Cup Won by William Higgs & Partner 24 May 1749'

This cup is recorded in George Wickes's 1747-1750 Gentleman's Ledger among the items ordered by Frederick, Prince of Wales, as follows:

May 12 [1749]

To a Cup & Cover Ld Baltimore 67[oz] 3[dwt] 7/6 [i.e. 7s 6d per oz] [£]25 3[s] 6[d]

To Graving a Coat & Crest 12[s]

(Charles Calvert, 5^th Baron Baltimore was Gentleman of the Bedchamber to Frederick, Prince of Wales from 1731 to 1749)

It appears that Frederick, Prince of Wales was in the habit for a number of years of presenting a 25 guinea silver cup to be rowed for by competing Thames Watermen. The race usually took place in May and by the middle of that month in 1749 a number of oarsmen had already entered their names. The event, which took place on Monday, 22 May 1749, was reported in various newspapers, the London Evening Post (23-25 May, p. 1c) reporting,

Yesterday being the Birth-Day of his Royal Highness Prince George [the future George III], who then enter'd into the 12^th Year of his Age, their Royal Highnesses the Prince and Princess of Wales receiv'd the Compliments of the Nobility and Gentry at Leicester-House on that Occasion.

And about Seven in the Evening, the Silver Cup of 25 Guineas Value, given by his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, was row'd for by seven Pair of Oars, from Whitehall to Putney, which was won by one Higgs, who serv'd his Apprenticeship to a Lighterman at the Horse-Ferry, Westminster, and a young Waterman who plies at the Steel-Yard. Their Royal Hignesses, with the young Princes and Princesses, were present in their Barge, with several of the Nobility and Gentry, and went up the River to Putney, where an elegant Entertainment was provided by Mr. Vanneck, and a grand Firework play'd off in Honour of Prince George.

Further details were given by the The Gentleman's Magazine (May 1749, p. 235), and by the Whitehall Evening Post (Tuesday, 23 May 1749, p. 3c).

Yesterday at the Rowing Match for the Silver Cup, their Royal Highnesses the Prince and Princess of Wales, with the Nobility, were rowed in their Barge a-head of the Wager-men, followed by Prince George, the young Princesses, &c. in a magnificent new built Barge, after the Venetian Manner, and the Watermen all dressed in Chinese Habits, which, with the Number of Gallies attending, rowed by young Gentlemen in neat uniforms, made a very splendid Appearance.

Sad to relate that the victorious William Higgs did not long survive to enjoy his splendid royal gift, for in the London Evening Post of Thursday-Saturday, 7-9 March 1751 the melancholy news was reported that,

On Wednesday last one William Higgs, a Waterman, who some Time since won his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales's Cup of 25 Guineas Value, going up the River in a Barge loaded, by the Violence of the Wind it was sunk near Nine Elms, by which Accident he was down'd; and on Thursday in the Afternoon his Body was taken up near the Place where the Barge sunk.'