Earl of Westmorland - An interesting matched George III sterling silver four-piece tea and coffee service, the coffee biggin on burner stand London 1800 by John Wakelin and Robert Garrard (reg. 20th Oct 1792)

Comprising a coffee biggin on stand, teapot, milk jug and twin handled sugar bowl. The coffee biggin of cylindrical form with domed top with herringbone rim, the detachable lid with cavetto edge and gently domed centre surmounted by a reeded and half fluted ball finial, the half-fluted spout with drill pierced filter opposite a wooden handle. Engraved to the side with a coat of arms within a garter ribbon with supporters of to the dexter a griffin, collared and line reflexed over the back and to the sinister a brindled bull, collared and lines, with moto below Ne vile fano, all surmounted by an Earl’s coronet. The stand with three reeded legs terminating in bull’s feet with a herringbone rim, the detachable burner, stand and lid engraved with a crest of out of a ducal coronet a bull's head pied, charged on the neck with a rose barbed and seeded, within a garter ribbon surmounted by an Earl’s coronet. The teapot London 1801 by John Wakelin and Robert Garrard, milk and sugar London 1810 by Thomas Robins. Each of compressed circular form with herringbone rim leading to a fluted cavetto edge. The teapot with a half fluted tubular spout opposite a wooden C scroll handle, the gently domed lid with flush hinge surmounted by a detachable turned ivory knop final. The milk and sugar with gilt interior. Each engraved with the same coat of arms. All fully and part-marked. (4)

Height – 28 cm / 11 inches

Gross Weight – 2150 grams / 69.12 ozt

The crest, motto and arms are for Fane, as borne by the Earl’s of Westmorland (second creation 1624)

For John Fane, 10th Earl of Westmorland, KG, PC (1759-1841), of Apethorpe Hall, styled Lord Burghersh between 1771 and 1774. Westmorland was the son of John Fane, 9th Earl of Westmorland (1728-1774), and Augusta, daughter of Lord Montague Bertie. He succeeded in the earldom on the death of his father in 1774. He married Sarah Anne Child (1764 - 1793), the only daughter and heiress of wealthy banker, Robert Child (1739-1782) of Osterley Park, on 20th May 1782.

Fane eloped with Miss Child in 1782 closely pursued by her father where at Hesketh, Robert Child shot the leading horse of Westmorland's party and would have overtaken the couple were it not for one of the Earl's servants cutting the leathers of Mr Child's carriage. The marriage was against Child’s wishes and as such he cut out his daughter and her sons and their descendants out of his will, however allowed his daughter's daughters to be his heirs thus preventing any future Fane from benefitting from this elopement. Their eldest daughter, Lady Sarah Sophia Fane (1785–1867), having thus been made testamentary heiress of her maternal grandfather, married George Child-Villiers, 5th Earl of Jersey (1773-1859), her husband assuming the additional surname of Child.

The Countess of Westmorland died 1793, aged only 29. The 10th Earl later married secondly Jane (1783 - 1857), daughter of Richard Huck-Saunders, on the 24th March 1800. The 10th Earl was Master of the Horse under Pitt from 1795 to 1798 and in 1798 made Lord Privy Seal, a position he would hold under five prime Ministers (Pitt, Addington, Pitt again, Portland, Perceval and Liverpool) for the next 35 years, except between 1806 and 1807 when Lord Grenville was in office. Westmorland raised a Northamptonshire volunteer cavalry regiment in 1797, and was appointed its colonel on 20th April 1797. He was later Lord Lieutenant of Northamptonshire between 1828 and 1841. He was made a Knight of the Garter in 1793.

The 10th Earl’s coronation robes and coronet marked for 1820 by Robert Garrard were sold Christie’s, London, 30 Nov 2006, Lot 626 (£12,000 incl. premium)

The 10th Earl commissioned the highly important and fine toilet service of 1783 by Smith and Sharp for his first wife.

Andrew Milne Collection

(please note that the milk jug and sugar bowl actually bear the mark of Thomas Robins rather than John Emes as stated in the printed catalogue)