Sir Robert Walpole: A George II Silver Cruet Set, Benjamin Godfrey, London, Circa 1730

Sir Robert Walpole (1676-1745), after 1742 1st Earl of Orford, of Houghton Hall, Norfolk, first Prime Minister of Great Britain

Murdoch, T. (editor), Noble Households: Eighteenth Century Inventories of Great English Houses, Cambridge, 2006, p 172

The crown marks in addition to the maker's marks were an attempt to avoid duty which was 6d an ounce in the 1730s. Benjamin Godfrey was a known duty dodger: his maker's mark in addition to three indecipherable marks can also be seen on a pair of shell dishes, Chiswick Auctions, 23 October 2019, lot 314.

The crown mark may possibly reference Godfrey's shop sign 'the hand, ring and crown' which feature on his widow's trade card (see illustration).

In a list of silver, sold at auction in 1747, belonging to Sir Robert Walpole and kept at his property in Chelsea¹,mention is made of a 'ffine Epargne, Consisting of Two Sets of casters, Two cruet fframes with Glasses, Two Double Salts, ffour Sawcers for Pickles and ffour Branches for Candles'. This was one of several he owned and kept at his properties in London and Houghton Hall.

This suggests the current stand could have been attached to an epergne in a similar way the Kirkleatham Centerpiece of 1731 by David Willaume II and Anne Tanqueray (Temple Newsam, cat no.81, pp.87-90) or the Williams Centerpiece of 1730 by Edward Feline (National Museum of Wales). There are also mentions in the 1745 inventory at Houghton Hall of 'four pierced cruet stands'².

Sir Robert Walpole had an account with the goldsmith George Wickes³ (for the connection between Wickes and Godfrey see note for Wahup Cup, lot 101). One entry on 24th January 1742/43 relates to repairing a cruet frame.

Notes:

1.NA (PRO)/C101/245 f 22

2.NA (PRO)/C101/20

3.AAD (V&A) 1995/7/1] [f 137