Lot 257
A George II coffee pot
KER & DEMPSTER, EDINBURGH 1748
Scottish Silver & Applied Arts
Auction: 17 August 2016 from 12:00 BST
Description
the slight baluster body of simple plain form with fluted and leaf capped S scroll spout, with S scroll wooden handle and domed hinged cover with acorn finial, the whole raised on a simple stepped foot, the body engraved with a crest and motto within a foliate rococo and rocaille cartouche
Dimensions
25cm high, 26.4oz
Footnote
The Crest of the Family of Boswell
The crest as engraved is that of the family of Boswell. It may be blazoned as follows:
Crest: A falcon proper hooded gules jessed and belled or
Motto: Vraye foi [True faith]
Given the date of manufacture of this coffee pot it would in all probability have been acquired by Alexander Boswell, Lord Auchinleck, the 8th Laird of Auchinleck (born 1706 died 1782) or as an outside possibility, his father, James Boswell (born circa 1672 died 1749), the 7th Laird of Auchinleck. Alexander was a Judge of the Supreme Courts of Scotland and when so appointed be took the judicial title of Lord Auchinleck. He was more famously the father of the author and biographer (and friend of Samuel Johnson) James Boswell, and grandfather of songwriter Sir Alexander Boswell. By the time of Alexander's birth, the Boswells had owned the Auchinleck estate since 1504 when his forebear Thomas Boswell married the daughter of the Sir John Auchinleck whose family had failed in the male line. Thomas subsequently received a grant from King James IV vesting the Auchinleck estate to himself and his descendants.
Alexander married Euphemia Erskine (born 1718 died 1766) in 1738 and appears to have had four sons including James. James's eldest son, by his wife, Margaret Montgomerie of Lainshaw, Alexander (born 9th October 1775 died 27th March 1822) was a Scottish poet, antiquary and song writer of note. He entered Parliament as the Member of Parliament for the Borough of Plympton Erle in the County of Devon in 1816. In politics he was a staunch Tory, generally voting with the Government of the day. So saying, his Parliamentary career only lasted some five years. He had some financial troubles and found that he could ill afford being at Westminster, so he resigned his seat in February 1821. Later that year he was created a Baronet of the United Kingdom. He had a sad demise having written a series of virulent but anonymous attacks in two Scottish newspapers, the Beacon and the Sentinel, attacking a prominent Whig, James Stuart of Dunearn who subsequently demanded satisfaction and challenged Alexander to a duel. The duel was fought on the 26th March 1822 at Auchtertool, near Kirkcaldy in the County of Fife and although it is said that Alexander aimed off so as not to hit James Stuart, James not being proficient with handguns took a shot at Alexander and hit him fatally wounding him. Alexander died the next day.