An early 19^th century American silver mug or can, Philadelphia circa 1826 by Thomas Fletcher and Sidney Gardiner (active 1808-1827)

Of cylindrical form with reeded rims, the body with incised concentric circles to resemble coopering, a reeded scroll handle. Engraved to the front James Preble Wormeley and 1826. Circular makers mark underneath and Phila.

Height – 9 cm / 3.5 inches

Weight – 197 grams / 6.33 ozt

James Preble Wormeley (1826-1851), son of Ralph Randolph Wormeley (1785-1852) and Caroline Preble Wormeley (1799-1872), he was the grandnephew of Edmund Randolph of Williamsburg, Virginia (1753-1813) the first Attorney General of the United States. James, educated King’s College in London where he studied civil engineering. He constructed a portion of the Biltmore and Ohio railroad, and was then made engineer-in-chief of the Rochester and Syracuse railroad. He died age 26 of Fever.

Thomas Fletcher (1787-1866) partnered with Sidney Gardiner (1787-1827) to create Fletcher and Gardiner and together they were considered leading American silversmiths. In addition to beautiful utilitarian objects, they made important presentation pieces such as the Dewitt Clinton Urns (Metropolitan Museum of Art) and the George Armistead Punch Service (Smithsonian). Gardiner’s papers are archived in the Winterthur Museum.

Thomas was first listed as a jeweller in the 1809 Boston directory, where his name had already appeared in conjunction with that of Sidney Gardiner, with whom he had gone into business in 1808. Although the firm succeeded in Boston, Fletcher and Gardiner moved to Philadelphia in 1811. By the next year, they were already sufficiently well respected that they were chosen to make several trophies commemorating American victories in the War of 1812. Fletcher travelled to England and France in 1815 to buy merchandise to be retailed in Philadelphia. The partnership with Gardiner continued until his death in 1827, when Fletcher brought Calvin W. Bennett into the business. Fletcher’s silver was in demand, but he suffered financial reversals in the 1830s, and by 1842, his manufactory was repossessed by his creditors.