A Pair of George II Silver Meat Dishes, Paul de Lamerie, London, 1745

Welbore Ellis (1713-1802), 1st Baron Mendip of Mendip, Co Somerset

Sotheby's New York, 9 April 2009, lot 270

The arms are those of Ellis impaling Stanhope for Welbore Ellis (1713-1802), created 1794 1st Baron Mendip of Mendip, Co Somerset.

Welbore Ellis married firstly 18 November 1747 Elizabeth, only daughter and heir of Sir William Stanhope KB (d 1761) and through her Ellis inherited Pope's villa at Twickenham which her father had bought in 1744. In 1763 Gainsborough painted a fine portrait of Ellis now at Christ Church, Oxford. A further two dishes from this set previously in the George D. Wiidener collection, Philadelphia, were sold Sotheby's London, 5 March, 1998 lot 238. A matching pair of second course dishes were sold Sotheby's London 26 November 1992 lot 89, and twenty-four dinner plates sold Christie's New York, 10 January 1991 on behalf of the Republic of The Philippines through the Presidential Commission on Good Government.