This page is a stub - you can help
complete it
From left to right: Lock Sicker motto,
tablespoon, London, 1717, Andrew Archer; Festina Lente crest,
tablespoon, London, 1724, Jane Lambe; cypher, tablespoon, London, 1709,
Joseph Barbut; crest, tablespoon, London, 1712, maker's mark worn
The tablespoon with the motto "Lock Sicker"
is attributed to the Douglas family, who were the Earls of Morton, and,
based on the 1717 date of the spoon, tentatively suggest that it
belonged to George Douglas, 13th Earl of Morton, who was born in 1662
and died in 1738. He didn't succeed to the earldom until 1730, and at
that time didn't add an earl's coronet to this spoon. I have seen
several pieces of silver that appear to have a later earl's coronet
engraved over an earlier coat of arms or crest, presumably done so that
the owner's dinner guests would be apprised of his updated status. One
of George Douglas's brothers, James, died in 1715, too early to have had
this spoon made, and the next brother, Robert, succeeded to the earldom
in 1715. I would assume that had Robert had this spoon made in 1717, he
would have had an earl's coronet included in the engraving.
Contributed by a Texan blogger
and tableware collector.
|
