Lot 191
A GEORGE II CHEESE WARMING DISH
BENJAMIN GODFREY, LONDON 1740
Estimate: £1,500 - £2,500
Auction: 17 September 2024 from 10:00 BST
Description
of rectangular outline, engraved armorial to centre, to a knopped baluster wooden handle, 21=5 engraved to underside
Dimensions
25.5cm wide, 22oz
Footnote
Heraldry
The Marital Arms of Campbell, Earl of Breadalbane and Holland and Pershall
The armorial bearings are those of Campbell, Earl of Breadalbane and Holland with Pershall in pretence. These armorial bearings denote the marshalling of a marital coat showing the arms of the husband over the entire surface of the shield, whilst the arms of the wife (as an heraldic heiress) are placed on a small shield (known as an escutcheon of pretence) centrally on the husband’s arms. They may be blazoned as follows:
Quarterly 1st and 4th Gyronny of eight or and sable (for Campbell) 2nd Or a fess chequy argent and azure (for Stewart) 3rd Argent a lymphad her sailed furled and oars in action all sable pennant flying gules (for Lorn) over all an escutcheon of pretence Argent a cross flory sable on a canton of the last a wolf’s head erased of the first (for Pershall). The arms are environed with the circlet of the Order of the Bath with its badge pendant therefrom the whole is ensigned with an earl’s coronet.
These armorial bearings undoubtedly commemorate the marriage of John Campbell, the 3rd Earl of Breadalbane and Holland (born 10th March 1695/96 died 26th January 1782) and his second wife, Arabella Pershall (born 1702 died 1st September 1762).
John was the only son of John Campbell, the 2nd Earl of Breadalbane and Holland and his wife, Henrietta Villiers, whilst Arabella was a daughter and coheiress of John Pershall, of Great Sugnall in the County of Staffordshire and his wife, Charlotte Colepeper.
John when Lord Glenorchy given his family’s wealth and status in Scotland, he held various offices under the Crown:
1) Master of the Horse to Princess of Wales (1718);
2) Minister to Copenhagen (1720-30); 3) Minister to St. Petersburg (December 1731);
4) Lord of the Admiralty (May 1741 - March 1742); 5) Master of the Jewel Office (May 1745-56);
6) a Scottish Representative Peer in the House of Lords (1752-68 & 1774-80); Chief Justice in Eyre South of Trent (1756-65); keeper of the Privy Seal for Scotland (October 1765 - August 1766); Privy Counsellor 12th May 1766 and Vice Admiral of Scotland (1776-82.)
He also sat in the House of Commons for the English seats of Saltash (1727 – 41) and for Orford (1741 – May 1745).
John was appointed as a Knight of the Bath (KB) on the 27th May 1725.
