Lamb service - A large pair of George II sterling silver second course dishes, London circa 1750 by George Wickes (this mark reg. 6th July 1739)

Lamb service - A large pair of George II sterling silver second course dishes, London circa 1750 by George Wickes (this mark reg. 6th July 1739)

each of shaped circular form with a gadrooned rim, the broad edge engraved with an impaled coat of arms within a rocaille cartouche reserved with foliage. Engraved to the reverse with numbering and scratch weight respectively; No 1, 71=5 and No 2 69 = 9. Each marked to the reverse with maker’s (retailer’s) mark twice, lion passant, and town mark, the date letter presumably lost in sinking. (2)

Diameter – 40.9 cm / 16.05 inches

Weight – 4285 grams / 137.77 ozt

The arms are for Lamb impaling Coke

For Sir Matthew Lamb, 1^st Baronet (1704-1768) who married in 1740 Charlott Coke (b. 1710)

A pair of smaller 35 cm / 13.75 inch second course dishes marked for London 1750 by George Wickes bearing these arms was sold Sotheby’s London 23 Nov 2021, lot 21 (£3528 incl. prem)

For a pair of sauceboats of 1737 by de Lamerie engraved with the arms of Sir Matthew Lamb, Baronet (1705-1768), sold Christie’s New York, 22 May 2008, lot 201 ($157,000 incl. premium). Then sold again Christie’s New York, 21 June 2012, Lot 1137 ($68,500 incl. premium).

A pair of gilt candlesticks, of 1743 by Edeward Feline, with branches for 1768 by Johanthan Alleine bearing these arms was sold Christie’s London 28 Nov 2012, (£32,450 incl. prem)

with the provenance:

Matthew Lamb (1705-1768), later Sir Matthew Lamb, and then by descent to his son
Peniston Lamb, 1st Viscount Melbourne (1744-1828) and then by descent to his daughter
Emily, Lady Cowper (1787-1869), wife of Peter, 5th Earl Cowper (1778-1837) and then by descent to their son
George 6th Earl Cowper (1806-1856) and then by descent to his son
Francis 7th Earl Cowper (1834-1905) and then by decent to his niece
Ethel, Lady Desborough (1867-1952).
Lady Desborough; Christie's, London, 18 March 1942, lot 126.

Matthew Lamb was a successful lawyer and money lender, who served some of the most prominent members of the aristocracy in the 18th century. Lamb amassed a fortune through his professional associations, inheritance and advantageous marriage to the heiress, Charlotte Coke. His real estate holdings included Melbourne Hall in Derbyshire, acquired through his wife, Brocket Hall in Hertfordshire as well as a house in London. To demonstrate his wealth and position of influence, Lamb commissioned silver from some of the leading silversmiths including Paul de Lamerie, the Royal Goldsmith, George Wickes and Edward Feline. His Lamerie purchases included a set of four waiters, four sauceboats and four salt-cellars. His Wickes purchases included a soup-tureen and six dishes.

On his death in 1768, Lamb's estate, valued at nearly £1 million passed to his son Peniston Lamb, later created 1st Viscount Melbourne. Of his silver Sir Matthew made special note in his will that it should be 'kept and preserved'. His son not only preserved the collections but added to them with orders of further plate from Parker and Wakelin to make additions to the dinner service. This included a matching soup-tureen to one by George Wickes which his father had commissioned and almost certainly the branches which accompany the 1743 candlesticks. The tureen, like those branches, is dated 1768, the year that Peniston inherited his father's fortune and the year before his marriage to Elizabeth Milbanke (1751-1818), daughter of Sir Ralph Milbanke, 5th Baronet.