Lot 460
A William IV salver
Auction: 6 June 2018 at 12:00 BST
Description
BM, London 1831, of shaped circular outline with cast scroll and shell border, the centre heavily engraved with foliate banding and central armorial, raised on three shell bracket feet
Dimensions
Diameter: 29.5cm, weight: 31oz
Footnote
The Marital Arms of Knapp and Spencer.
The armorial bearings as engraved upon this William IV English Sterling Silver Salver by B.M. hallmarked London 1832 are those of the family of Knapp impaling Spencer. These armorial bearings denote the marshalling of a marital coat showing on the dexter (the heraldic right on the left as you view the piece) the arms of the husband and on the sinister (the heraldic left on the right as you view it) the arms of the wife. They may be blazoned as follows:
Arms:
(on the dexter) Or in chief three close helmets and in base a lion passant all sable (for Knapp)
(on the sinister) Or on a chevron sable three lions rampant of the first (for Spencer1)
Crest: An arm embowed in armour proper garnished or the hand also proper grasping by the blade a broken sword argent hilt and pommel gold with a branch of laurel (for Knapp)
Motto: Aut in bello aut in pace [Either in war or in peace] (for Knapp)
These armorial bearings undoubtedly commemorate the marriage of Matthew Knapp (baptised 8th April 1798 died 18th October 1867), of Little Linford in the County of Buckinghamshire and his second wife, Mary Leigh Spencer (born circa 1810 died 28th November 1886). Matthew and Mary were married on the 2nd August 1838 at the Parish Church of St Mary, Stoke Newington in the County of Middlesex. Matthew was the eldest son of The Reverend Primatt Knapp and Rebecca Anne Goodwin; whilst Mary was the daughter of Richard Leigh Spencer, of Gray's Inn in the County of Middlesex and his wife, Anne Akers. Matthew served as a Justice of the Peace for the County of Buckinghamshire as well as High Sheriff for the county in 1858.