A pair of George III silver sauce tureens from the Paget Service, John Parker & Edward Wakelin, London, 1771

Henry Bayly-Paget, 1st Earl of Uxbridge, second creation, (1744-1812). He was born Henry Bayly in 1769 he succeeded as 10th Baron Paget on the death of his mothers cousin. In 1770 he changed his name to incorporate Paget by Royal license.

Anon, An Inventory of Plate Belonging to His Excellency the Most Noble Marquess of Angelsey, 1828, p.2., [presumably two of the] ’12 Festoon Sauce Terrines [sic]’ (Bangor University Archives and Special Collections, PN/IX/6145);

Thomas Cross, List of 26 Boxes of Heirloom Silver Deposited with Messrs Coutts & Co, 12^th January 1905, Box 8, [two of] ‘Six large Sauce Tureens with Festoons’ (PN/IX/6147);

Carrington & Co., London, Heirloom Plate, 15^th February 1912, p.4, [probably part of] '6 Sauce Tureens, oval, bellied, fluted, onlaid [sic] husk wire & medallions, scroll ends’ (PN/IX/6145);

Lofts & Warner, London, An Inventory and Valuation […] At Plas Newydd, Anglesey, 1948, p.99, Silver, ‘A set of six Geo. III oval shaped boat sauce tureens part fluted and chased [sic], with laurel leaf festoons, and oval bases with leaf borders, date 1771’ (Private Family Archive).

The sauce tureens of the current lot are part of an original set of twelve ordered from Parker & Wakelin and are recorded in the firms ledgers under the account of Henry Bayly-Paget (1744–1812) shortly after he succeeded to the title and estates of the Barony of Paget in 1769¹:

R^t Hon^ble- Lord Paget

1771 December 11

To 12 fine festoon and fluted sauceboats - 364oz 2dwt @ 11s - £200 5s

It is interesting to note that Lord Paget settled his account in part by handing over to Parker & Wakelin on 23 April 1772 '4 pair of terrine sauceboats and covers and 8 spoons' at 284oz.' It seems likely that he was swapping a set of, probably, rococo style tureens for a set in a more fashionable design.

Appearing at the same date in the ledgers are twelve sauce spoons and an accompanying charge for engraving crests and coronets on them. The ledgers make no mention that any crests were engraved on the tureens themselves; instead they are engraved with the motto, crest and coronet for the Baron's son Henry William Paget, 1st Marquess of Anglesey (1768 – 1854) after he was appointed a Knight of the Garter in 1818.

It should be noted that the combined weight of 364oz seems to tally with six larger tureens (those of the current lot) and six of the slightly smaller tureens of the following lot. This is further supported by a 1905 list of the family silver deposited at Coutts bank with differentiates to two types: '6 large sauce tureens with festoons' and '6 smaller size ditto without [festoons]'.

The use of fluting with laurel swags and borders is undoubtedly influenced by the designs of the Parisian silversmith Robert-Joseph Auguste. Parker & Wakelin were familiar with Auguste's designs having been tasked by Simon, Ist Earl Harcourt (1714-1777) to make copies of his French candlesticks and a pair of wine coolers which he had bought before becoming Ambassador to Paris in 1768.

The current tureens are more elaborately ornamented versions of the 1768 examples supplied by Parker & Wakelin to the 4th Duke of Marlborough using the designs of Sir William Chambers who was carrying out work for the Duke at Blenheim Palace.²

Notes

1. National Art Library, SC/SEC - SD.95.0050

2. Hartop, C.; The Classical Ideal: English silver, 1760-1840; Cambridge 2010, p.13