Description

A very pretty antique silver teapot with deep embossed decoration. Small size. Good style with an ornamental animal head spout. There is a hand engraved armorial to the front and reverse sides. The interior has the original gilded finish.

Contains 350 ml.
Weight 327g, 10.5 troy oz.
Height 9.75cm. Spread 17.75cm.
Sheffield 1821.
Maker Robert Gainsford.
Sterling silver.

Marks. Stamped to the front lower body with a full set of English silver hallmarks (rubbed), lion mark to the lid.

Literature: Saffron was a popular spice used in early English cuisine. Small pots like this are called saffron pots and were probably used to serve saffron sauce.

Armorial. These are the marital arms of Joshua Walker M.P. (28 Sept 1786 – 22 Jan 1862) and his wife Anna Maria Holford, daughter and coheir of Allan Holford of Davenham, Cheshire. The Walker arms reflect the industrial nature of that family’s commercial interests: the charges in chief are anvils and the anchor in base is one of the family’s products; under the escutcheon of pretence is a bee symbolising industry in another form.

Joshua Walker M.P. was the second son of Joshua Walker of Clifton House, near Rotherham, Yorkshire, himself the second son of ironmaster Samuel Walker, founder – in both senses – of what became one of the largest iron foundries in the country, supplying most of the iron cannon used by the Government up to 1815 (about 80 of the 105 guns aboard HMS Victory at the Battle of Trafalgar were cast by the Walker Company), as well as the material for several iron bridges.

The Walkers of Rotherham were Nonconformists who not only owed their wealth to successful iron founding and lead manufacture but to intermarriage with other industrial dynasties. Joshua Jnr, like his elder brother Henry, was trained for an administrative role in the family businesses, in which he inherited partnership shares on his father’s death in 1815. His cousin and co-partner Samuel Walker had returned himself and, later, Joshua as Members of Parliament after purchasing the de Crespigny interest in the borough of Aldeburgh for £39,000 in 1818. Out of Parliament, Joshua remained a partner and director of his family’s banking and lead manufacturing companies and played a prominent role in the success of their Lambeth lead works.

He married Anna Maria Holford on 18 December 1805. They had six sons and two daughters. Anna Maria died on 19 Feb 1861.

This little silver teapot is in very good condition. The chasing still has good definition, the armorial is crisp.

Maker: Robert Gainsford

Robery Gainsford, Sheffield silversmith, working during the early 1900's. Registered as plate worker, Eyre Street, Sheffield.

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