A George II sterling silver sauceboat, London 1736 by John Eckfourd II (reg. 23rd June 1725)

A George II sterling silver sauce boat, London 1736 by John Eckfourd II (reg. 23^rd June 1725)

Of bellied oval form, raised upon three moulded scroll and pad feet, with trefid scroll junctions. The acanthus capped C scroll handle leading to a shaped wavy rim. The side later engraved with an impaled coat of arms in a shield shape cartouche reserved with rustication and foliate scrolls, surmounted by a leaf and with a mask below. Fully marked underneath.

Length – 21.3 cm / 8.4 inches

Weight – 474 grams / 15.24 ozt

The arms are for Ramsay impaling Sandilands quartering Douglas quartered by a coat of augmentation

for William Ramsay (1809-1850) and The Honourable Mary Sandilands (1811-1891) who were married at Calder House in the County of Midlothian on the 4^th August 1828.

William of Barnton in the County of Edinburghshire was the son of George Ramsay of Barnton (1760-1810) and his wife, ‘The Honourable’ Jean Hamilton (b.1769), daughter of Robert Hamilton of Wishaw, Co. Lanarkshire, de jure 6th Lord Belhaven and Stenton (1731-1784). Mary was the only daughter of James Sandilands, the 10th Lord Torphichen (1770-1862) and his wife, Margaret Douglas Stirling (1734-1836).

William inherited his father estates as an infant and as such was popularly conferred on him the distinction of "the richest commoner in Scotland", he was MP for Stirlingshire 1831 – 1832 and Edinburghshire 1841 - 12 June 1845. Mary died without surviving issue.

William Ramsay Ramsay matriculated his arms at the Court of the Lord Lyon in Edinburgh at the end of his life in 1849. Therefore, it may be presumed that William bore the arms of Ramsay on this sauce boat without authority at the time of its engraving. This coat of augmentation on the sinister side was granted to Sir James Sandilands (d. 1579), the 1st Lord Torphichen being the Preceptor, Prior and Master of St. John in Scotland at the time of the Reformation. The crown and thistle are borne by his family as a badge of that office.

These arms are found upon a salver of 1735 by I.L mullet above (Grimwade 3650), sold Christie’s London, 2 June 2009, lot 209 (£2,500 incl. premium).

John Eckfourd II the son of John Eckfourd I, goldsmith of London was apprenticed to John Fawdrey on the 24th Jan 1712 but turned over to his father on February 14th of the same year and then again on the 29th June 1714 to Phillip Rollos. Free 4th July 1723 he registered marks in both standards on the 23rd June 1725 at Three Tun Court, Red Cross Street. He was still alive in 1753.