A George II small coffee pot
£380
Auction: 20 July 2016 at 11:00 BST
Description
WS London, 1759, of baluster form, the hinged domed cover with wrythen knop finial, leaf and scroll clasped spout and handle, the body with engraved armorials, stepped circular base
Dimensions
Height: 19.5cm, weight: 18.9oz
Footnote
The arms as engraved are those of the family of Bridgeman quartering Cradock (sometimes spelt Craddock). These armorial bearings denote the marshalling of a marital coat showing on the dexter the arms of the husband and on the sinister the arms of the wife. They may be blazoned as follows:
Arms: Quarterly 1st and 4th Sable ten places four three two and one on a chief of the first and lion passant ermines* (for Bridgeman) 2nd and 3rd Argent on a chevron azure three garbs or (for Cradock)
* The ermine tails for the heraldic fur ermines is not shown.
These armorial bearings were undoubtedly borne by a female descendant of Sir John Bridgeman (born 16th August 1631 died 24th August 1710), the 2nd Baronet of Great Lever in the County of Lancashire and his wife, Mary Cradock (born 1650 died 30th December 1713), the daughter and co-heiress of George Cradock, of Caverswell Castle in the County of Staffordshire. John and Mary were married in 1663 at whicwhich time she would have 13 years old! Given the date of manufacture of this coffee pot and that the arms as shown here are those of a spinster and therefore there is a likelihood that the only credible candidate for the ownership of this piece was Diana Bridgeman who was the second and surviving daughter of Sir Orlando Bridgeman, the 4th Baronet of Great Lever and his wife, Lady Anne Newport, daughter of Richard Newport, the 2nd Earl of Bradford. Diana Bridgeman married a gentleman by the name of John Sawbridge on the 15th November 1763 at the Parish Church of
St James’s Piccadilly, Westminster in the County of Middlesex. At the time of their marriage, Diana was in the Parish of St James’s, whilst John was resident in the Parish of St George’s Hanover Square, although he also lived on his estate of Olantigh in the hamlet of Little Olantigh the County of Kent. We may therefore presume that Diana brought this coffee pot (with possibly furnishings and other chattels, etc) into her marriage with John Sawbridge. Sadly, the marriage of John and Diana lasted just a few days under two months; she died on the 21st January 1764 and was buried on the 28th January at the Parish Church of St Gregory and St Martin at Wye in the County of Kent. There was no issue from their marriage. There is a funeral hatchment for Diana displayed within the Parish Church of St Gregory and St Martin along other Sawbridge family funeral hatchments.