The Susanna Lewis beakers: A pair of American silver beakers, Nathan Hobbs, Boston, dated 1824

slightly tapered cylindrical with molded base band and flared rim, engraved with presentation inscription, marked on bases HOBBS in rectangle

The Church of Christ in Cohasset,  1824 to the present

E. Alfred Jones, The Old Silver of American Churches, Letchworth, England: National Society of Colonial Dames of American, 1913, p. 131.

a few very minor dings, otherwise good, engraving crisp
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.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

The inscription reads, "To the Church of Christ in Cohasset - This Cup is the Gift of Suzanna Lewis, it being the proceeds of a Gold Medal, from the King of Denmark to her late husband Capt. John Lewis."

Susanna Lincoln (1757-1826) was the daughter of Thomas Lincoln and Rebecca Allyn, and the sister of Rebecca Lincoln Tower (see next lot).  She married Captain John Lewis in 1780, and they had five children.  The house built by the couple about the time of their marriage still surives at 88-90 Elm Street in Cohasset.  Shipping records of the time record at least six ships belonging to him in the 1780s and 90s, including three built in Cohasset, one by Levi Tower (see next lot).  In 1796, Captain John Lewis'  "fishing property" was valued at £3,000.

Captain Lewis died in 1805.  In 1815, the couple's youngest daughter Elizabeth married Prentiss Hobbs, of Weston, Mass. (1790-1858).  After Elizabeth's death in 1817, he married her cousin Harriet Lincoln. Prentice was the older brother of Nathan Hobbs (1792-1868).  From From 1816 Nathan was listed in Boston directories as a jeweler, and from 1820 as a silversmith.  The local connection brought business to the young silversmith: six beakers for Cohasset in 1821, 1824, and 1843, and five for neighboring Scituate in 1824 and 1828.

The Giertrude Maria
The "gold medal from the King of Denmark" which paid for these beakers was a recognition of one of the most noted shipwrecks on the Cohasset coast.  On February 12, 1793, the Giertrude Maria was wrecked on a group of rocks called Brush Island.  Of 400 tons, with a cargo estiamted at 40,000, she was on her way from Copenhagen to Boston.  As the ship broke up, the sailors took refuge on the island.  One was drowned trying to brave the surf, but the twenty-one others were rescued the next day by Cohasseters in small boats broght for the purpose.  The townsfolk also managed to salvage a portion of the cargo, and provided a vessel for the sailors to continue to Boston.  On the Captain's return to Denmark, his account inspired the Danish king , Christian VII, and the College of Commerce to award four gold medals and ten silver ones, with the King's likeness and the legend in Danish, "Reward of Merit - Noble Deeds."   In addition to Captain John Lewis, one of the gold medals went to Captain Levi Tower (see following lot).