A George III sterling silver tea caddy, London 1780 by Charles Aldridge and Henry Green

Of plain oval form with beaded rims, the hinged disc lid surmounted by a detachable urn finial with a beaded rim. The front with a 19^th century engraved crest of a demi-huntsman winding a horn with motto above Free For A Blast. The underside engraved Alma Bentnick. Fully marked underneath, the lid unmarked. Key present, lock mechanism functioning.

Length – 13 cm / 5.1 inches

Weight – 446 grams / 14.34 ozt

The crest is for Clark

A candidate for the Clark crest is Andrew Clark (1847-1913) F.R.C.S., 71, Harley Street, grandson of Andrew Clark, of Greenford Place, near Harrow.

The Alma Bentinck mentioned is almost certainly Alma Martha Bentinck nee Paget (1854-1947), who was the wife of Henry Aldenburg Bentinck (b. 1852), a cousin to the Dukes of Portland. She was the daughter of Adm. Lord Clarence Edward Paget (1811-1895), the younger son of Henry William Paget, 1st Marquess of Anglesey (1768 – 1854).