A pair of Victorian silver pilgrim flasks, John Bodman Carrington for Carrington & Co, London, 1894

each of typical form, female mask handles, engraved with presentation inscription 'To A.J. Moxham, / FROM HIS FRIENDS / E. WINDSOR RICHARDS, / EDWARD P. MARTIN, / DAVID EVANS, / MAY 5^th 1899', hinged covers

Hallmarked on bodies, hinged covers, ring handles and each individual chain link; surface scratches commensurate with age, overall very 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 recipient of these flasks was Arthur James Moxham, the son of a civil engineer and architect who was born in 1854 at Neath in Wales. He immigrated to the United States in 1869 where he began working in the steel industry. He married on 3 July 1876 Helen Johnson Coleman, daughter of Thomas Cooper Coleman, president of the Louisville Rolling Mill. Moxham’s genius as an ironmaster and developer of a system for rolling girder rails attracted the attention of Fred du Pont, the entrepreneur and businessman, who invested heavily in the process. In 1883 Moxham was one of the co-founders of the Johnson Company, a new steel enterprise, the other partners being related to him either by blood or marriage. He eventually joined the DuPont company in 1902, which he helped to reorganize along the lines of a modern corporation.

A.J. Moxham’s success in the steel industry brought great wealth and in 1893 he began to build a 13 bedroom Scottish-style castle near Lorain, Ohio. In 1899, however, when he was persuaded to oversee the construction of a new steel plant at Sydney, Nova Scotia , his wife refused to move from her home. Her husband’s answer was to move the house, known as Moxham Castle, stone by stone to a new location overlooking the Nova Scotia coastline. Mr and Mrs Moxham eventually retired to Great Neck, Nassau, New York, where he died on 16 May 1931.

The donors of A.J. Moxham’s pilgrim flasks were Edward Prichard Martin (1844-1910) and E. Windsor Richards (1831-1921), both of whom were prominent engineers connected with the United Kingdom iron industry and original members of the Iron and Steel Institute. No information is yet forthcoming about the third donor, David Evans.