A rare George II sterling silver salver, London 1755 by Edward Wakelin

Of waisted lobed square form with an ovolo edge and a gadrooned rim interspersed with rocaille shells and C scrolls. All raised upon four splayed shell C scroll bracket feet. The field engraved to the centre with crossed laurel branches reserved with a robe of estate surmounted by foliage. The cartouche later engraved at a right angle with a coat of arms in a shield shape with another on an escutcheon of pretence with a motto below Laudabunt Alii Rhodon. The outer field edge with a band of foliate scrolls centred with a scallop shell flanked by pendant swags. The corners with foliate C scroll cartouches engraved with crests; a hand holding a bunch of acorns, and a greyhound sejant, collared, and a line reflexed over the back. Fully marked to the reverse, also engraved with scratch weight 78=5.

Length – 40.5 cm / 16 inches

Length across – 54.6 cm / 21.5 inches

Weight – 2192 grams / 70.47 ozt

The arms are for Rhodes with Smith on an escutcheon of pretence

For William Rhodes Esq of Bramhope Hall (1791-1869) who married Ann Smith (1791-1827) on 18^th August 1817 at Otley, All Saints, Yorkshire.

He the second son of Peter Rhodes (1759-1837) and Elizabeth Armitage (1763-1825) the daughter of James Armitage Esq (1730-1803), a wealthy wool merchant of Leeds whom in 1799 acquired Farnley Hall, Leeds for the price of £49,500. Ann the only child and heir of Christopher Smith of Leeds whom in 1797 bought Bramhope Hall and 110 acres from the Dyneley family for £7500.

William educated at Woolwich was a magistrate and deputy lieutenant for the West Riding of Yorkshire appointed coront 19^th Light Dragoon Guards in 1810, captain in 1816 and served in Canada through the war of 1812-14 (see Walford, E., (1860) The county families of the United Kingdom, or, Royal manual of the titled and untitled aristocracy of Great Britain and Ireland, p.539). Upon the death of their daughter Francis Darwin nee Rhodes (1825-1920) the Bramhope Hall Estate was sold. These arms are found in the monument for the above in Bramhope Puritan Chapel.

For another salver of the same form marked for 1755 by the same maker, engraved with original arms in a different central cartouche, illustrated Grimwade, A., (1974), Rococo Silver 1727-1765, London: Faber and Faber Limited, fig. 18D.