Four George II silver-gilt octagonal dessert plates, Elizabeth Godfrey, London, 1753

plain with anthemion embellished gadrooned rims, engraved with a coat-of-arms and a crest below a Marquess's coronet

Four of the original eighteen, The Stowe Sale, Tuesday 5th September (Day 17/37) 1848, lot 135.

Good clear marks to undersides. Light surface wear, generally good condition commensurate with age and use.
"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 for Roger Hope-Elletson and his wife, Anna Elizabeth, daughter of Richard Gamon, of Minchenden House, Middlesex. The crest is that of Grenville.

Roger Hope-Elletson, originally a member of the House, became Lieutenant Governor  and later chief justice of Jamaica in 1768, before retuning to England to marry his wife Anna in 1770. His grandfather, Lieutenant-Colonel Richard Hope, served under General Robert Venables in the English invasion of Jamaica in 1655. As reward for his participation, Hope was granted land totalling over 2400 acres on which he grew cocoa and later sugar. His plantation, known as The Hope Estate, which exists to this day in the Liguanea Plains, generated a huge fortune, a fortune Roger inherited following the death of his eldest brother Thomas in 1757.

Upon his own death in 1775, his widow Anna married James Brydges, 3rd Duke of Chandos. The Duke died in 1789 while his widow, who became insane, lived until 1813. Their only surviving daughter, Lady Anne Elizabeth, became 1st Duchess of Buckingham and Chandos following her marriage to Richard Temple-Nugent-Brydges-Chandos-Grenville, 1st Duke of Buckingham and Chandos in 1796.