Berkeley Portman service – A pair of George III sterling silver meat dishes, London 1818 by Paul Storr (1771-1844, first reg. 12th Jan 1793)

Berkeley Portman service – A pair of George III sterling silver meat dishes, London 1818 by Paul Storr (1771-1844, first reg. 12th Jan 1793)

Of shaped oval form with a gadrooned with anthemion rims. The edges engraved to either side with a quartered and impaled coat of arms between savage men supporters all above the motto Pauch Suspexi Pauciora Despexi. The centre later engraved with initials in cypher possibly reading HMP below a Viscount’s coronet. Each fully marked to the reverse. (2)

Length – 38.8 cm / 15.25 inches

Weight – 2928 grams / 94.13 ozt

The arms are for Portman quartering Berkeley impaling Hulse quartering Lethieullier

For Edward Berkeley Portman (1771-1823) of Bryanston House, Dorset and Orchard Portman, Somerset. He married secondly on the 22^nd March 1816 Mary Hulse (d.1852), eldest daughter of Sir Edward Hulse, 3^rd Bart. (1744-1816) and Mary Lethieullier (c.1745-1813)

He first married married Anne Wyndham (b. circa 1746) daughter of William Wyndham, of Dinton in the County of Wiltshire, on 20th January 1766. It is interesting to note that the Henry William Portman whose marital arms are upon these meat dishes also had a Wyndham descent through the marriage of his five times great grandfather, Sir William Portman, 5th Baronet of Orchard Portman (born circa 1610, died 1645 or 1648) to Elizabeth, (whom in had married circa 1644) daughter and co-heir of John Colles, of Barton and his wife, Elizabeth, daughter and co-heir of Humphery Wyndham, of Wiveliscombe. He developed 200 acres (0.81 km2) of meadow in London between Oxford Street and the present site of Regent's Canal that he had inherited from his Tudor ancestor Sir William Portman, becoming the Portman Estate. The first building leases were issued in 1755, and building began in 1764 with Portman Square, which was to owe its popularity to buildings by Robert Adam and James ‘Athenian’ Stuart. It is not known why Henry William Portman used supporters to his armorial bearings as these are usually the prerogative of peers, Knights of the Garter, Thistle and St Patrick and Knights Grand Cross or their equal at the time of the engraving. A few baronets were also allowed supporters to their arms. Certainly, Henry William Portman has a descent from the Barons Berkeley created 1295 in common with his distant kinsmen, the Barons Berkeley of Stratton (created 1659, but this barony fell into extinction upon the death of the 5th Baron in 1773) who used the supporters and motto as cited above. Although no direct connection existed between Henry William Portman and his Berkeley of Stratton kinsmen he may well have unofficially adopted their supporters and motto by way of remembrance. Today the Viscounts Portman, as created for the above's grandson Edward Berkeley Portman (1799-1888) in 1873, still bear as their dexter supporter, a savage with its attendant club.

Other pieces from the Berkeley Portman service by Paul Storr

• A meat dish of 53 cm same maker and date bearing these arms but not the later initials was sold Christie’s New York, 23 Oct 2013, lot 31 ($4,400 incl. premium) later sold Sotheby’s New York 20 Oct 2020, Lot 33 ($3750 incl. premium).
• A meat dish (1813) 61.6 cm and cover (1818) by this maker bearing these arms but not the later initials was sold Christie’s New York, 21 May 2013, lot 130 ($23,750 incl. premium)
• A pair of sauce tureens, 1819 by the same maker sold Sotheby’s New York, 17 Oct 2008, lot 168 ($46,875 incl. premium)
• A six-light candelabrum same date and maker bearing these arms but not the later initials was sold Christie’s London 28 Nov 2012 (£79,250 incl. premium)

The initials are probably for Harriette Mary Portman, nee Stevenson Viscountess Portman of Bryanston (d.1939), second wife of Claud Berkeley Portman, 4th Viscount Portman (1864-1929), who were married on the 12 March 1898. She would have been Dowager Viscountess between 1929-1939.