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 SMP Silver Salon Forums
 American Silver before sterling
 King's pattern
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| Author | Topic: King's pattern |
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wev Moderator Posts: 4121 |
posted 10-21-1999 04:27 PM
  
Can anyone provide a date for the introduction of this pattern in American coin? I just got a single struck teaspoon with an outline shell drop by Garret Eoff that would date, from the marks, about 1820. [This message has been edited by wev (edited 10-21-99).] IP: Logged |
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Brent Posts: 1507 |
posted 10-21-1999 10:39 PM
I have a teaspoon, also single struck, with the marks of Gale & Hayden of New York and an engraved date of 1824. I believe the general consensus is that Kings arrived in the US in the early 1820's and was probably the first "pattern" flatware available in the US. The earliest pieces seem to come from New York and Baltimore. I know Kirk was one of the first to use the Kings pattern in the US, with pieces dating from the 1820's also.
[This message has been edited by Brent (edited 10-21-99).] IP: Logged |
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wev Moderator Posts: 4121 |
posted 10-22-1999 11:26 AM
Thank you Brent. I have been finding conflicting opinions in my references; some say 1820, some 1830, some mid-century. I was curious about your Gale & Hayden spoon with the 1824 date: the partnership, from what I have read, was not begun until 1845 and was located in South Carolina. A commemorative inscription, perhaps? IP: Logged |
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Brent Posts: 1507 |
posted 10-22-1999 06:18 PM
Oops! Always look at the silver before you write about it! The spoon has the mark of Gale & Moseley, not Gale & Hayden, and an engraved date of 1825. Don Soeffing writes that Gale & Moseley was formed in 1828, and lasted until 1833. Is the date on the spoon incorrect? Possibly. On the other hand, Gale received a patent for the use of roller dies for flatware production in 1826, and I would assume he was using the technology before that time. Maybe the partnership began earlier than thought, or perhaps the date commemorates the introduction of the pattern. At any rate, I definitely believe the spoon is of the 1820's. For another early Kings pattern item, check out the catalogue of Maryland Silver in the collection of the Baltimore Museum of Art. Catalogue number 160 is a Samuel Kirk ladle with assay marks for the period 1824-1827. This is about as conclusive a date as you can get from early American silver, and confirms that Kings was produced in the US in the 1820's. By the way, my spoon also has a shell on the back of the bowl. It would be interesting to compare the designs; perhaps they are the same! [This message has been edited by Brent (edited 10-22-99).] IP: Logged |
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wev Moderator Posts: 4121 |
posted 10-22-1999 06:56 PM
I will try to get a good set of scans and post them here in the next few days. While looking for something else, I ran across a facinating item I had forgotten in Bohan's Connecticut Silver. Plates 130 & 131 show a tablespoon and fork by Thomas Harland. Both have handles with a modified Kings pattern; the central shell has been replaced by a bust of Washington, but the basic form is still there. Harland died in 1807 and it would seem reasonable to suppose that the true form existed, or was at least well known, before it was modified to satisfy contemporary fashion. Very interesting. [This message has been edited by wev (edited 10-22-99).] IP: Logged |
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Brent Posts: 1507 |
posted 10-22-1999 10:33 PM
Ian Quimby's American Silver at Winterthur includes similar Washington bust flatware, as well as a lengthy argument as to who Harland was and when the flatware was actually produced. If you don't have a copy, it is well worth having, despite its unforgivable lack of mark illustrations. I can summarize the argument for you if you do not have access to a copy. IP: Logged |
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Bob Schulhof Posts: 194 |
posted 10-24-1999 02:28 AM
Pickford notes that Kings was first found in France in the 18th century, and shows an English piece in the Hourglass pattern, which is a variation of Kings, dated 1800. Therefore pre 1820 or even an 18th century American piece would be possible. [This message has been edited by Bob Schulhof (edited 10-24-99).] IP: Logged |
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wev Moderator Posts: 4121 |
posted 10-24-1999 11:17 AM
I don't have Quimby's book; Belton shows the pattern in its glossary, but doesn't show it in any of the maker listings. I would appreciate hearing what the Harland article says. Bohan records the following on Harland: Born in England, 1735, died Norwich CT, 1807. Apprenticed in England and travelled on the continent as a journeyman before coming to Boston in 1773. He set up his own shop in Norwich and advertised as a watchmaker, jeweler, and silversmith. He was evidently both prosperous and respected; his apprentices included David Greenleaf, Nathaniel Shipman, and William Cleveland, as well as Eli Terry, Daniel Burnap, and Ezra Dodge in clock making. [This message has been edited by wev (edited 10-24-99).] IP: Logged |
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Brent Posts: 1507 |
posted 10-24-1999 10:02 PM
Here is what Quimby has to say. Basically, there are two possible scenarios. One, Thomas Harland made the flatware, possibly to commemorate Washington's death in 1799. Harland was a mechanical renaissance man, had contacts with European craftsmen, and could conceivably have made pattern flatware long before anyone else in the US. The second scenario is that the silver was made by Harland's son Henry, possibly for the anniversary of Washington's birth in 1832. Henry Harland probably apprenticed with his father, and appears to have set up shop in New Orleans by 1815. Henry formed various partnerships in New Orleans, and seemed to have shuttled back and forth between Norwich, CT and New Orleans until his death in 1841. The mark which appears on the Washington flatware has always been attributed to Thomas. It is certainly conceivable, however, that Henry Harland used his father's old mark for this flatware. The shuttling between North and South makes me suspect that Henry may have manufactued silver in CT, and retailed it in New Orleans, but this is just conjecture. At any rate, although it is certainly more likely that Henry Harland made the Washington flatware, we can not rule out Thomas. Quimby concludes that we may never know the answer IP: Logged |
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wev Moderator Posts: 4121 |
posted 10-25-1999 10:30 AM
Thank you for the information, Brent; it is quite a puzzle. I did a bit more digging and found record of Thomas Harland's marriage to Hannah Clark of Norwich in 1779 and the birth of their son, Thomas Jr. on 16 Feb 1781. He apparently apprenticed with his father as a watchmaker and opened a shop of his own in Norwich, but died soon after in 1805. I have been unable to find any record of other children, or any record of a Henry Harland born at that time in Norwich, though the surname was rather common. I have not found any record in any of my silver references to his work, either. I sent along an email to Winterthur to see if they have any additional information. Personally, I find it unlikely the pieces were made in 1832. IP: Logged |
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wev Moderator Posts: 4121 |
posted 10-25-1999 10:31 AM
Thank you for the information, Brent; it is quite a puzzle. I did a bit more digging and found record of Thomas Harland's marriage to Hannah Clark of Norwich in 1779 and the birth of their son, Thomas Jr. on 16 Feb 1781. He apparently apprenticed with his father as a watchmaker and opened a shop of his own in Norwich, but died soon after in 1805. I have been unable to find any record of other children, or any record of a Henry Harland born at that time in Norwich, though the surname was rather common. I have not found any record in any of my silver references to his work, either. I sent along an email to Winterthur to see if they have any additional information. Personally, I find it unlikely the pieces were made in 1832. IP: Logged |
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wev Moderator Posts: 4121 |
posted 10-25-1999 05:03 PM
Here are some scans of the Eoff spoon in question:    IP: Logged |
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Ted Posts: 17 |
posted 10-26-1999 10:03 AM
An interesting discussion of American Kings pattern. It is my favorite. My opinion is that Kings pattern doesn't get the nod as an early American pattern because it was a copy of the English Kings pattern. More properly early American Kings is identical to Scottish Kings including being single struck (on one side only). With the exception of Kirks King I believe the single struck kings to be older than the double struck which I believe to be from the 1825 to 1830 and later range. I have a single struck Kings teaspoon marked MP which I believe to be by Mathew Petit of New York who worked in the first decade of the 19th century. Another interesting observation is that 95% of the early Kings I have owned has been from Philadelphia including a number of early forks. Much of this was by R&W Wilson who were 1825 and later but some by earlier makers. I am interested to learn more about this fascinating pattern especially how the early pieces were made. Ted Stickney IP: Logged |
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Brent Posts: 1507 |
posted 10-26-1999 10:34 PM
Well, my spoon is very similar, but there are enough minor differences for me to conclude that it was struck from a different die. I would guess that both spoons are about the same age, though. Thanks for the pictures! IP: Logged |
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tag Posts: 8 |
posted 11-08-1999 12:35 PM
Here's a dated example of a King's spoon by Wm. Thomson of NY. A presentation piece given by the N.Y. Horticultural Society to a T. Kennersley in 1826. IP: Logged |
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Barbara unregistered |
posted 11-08-1999 12:56 PM
I too have a Kings single-struck teaspoon marked "MP." I had tentatively concluded that it was made by Maltby Pelletreau rather than Matthew Pettit because the pseudos on the spoon are very similar to, but not identical to, the pseudos shown in one of the books for him. Does your "MP" Kings spoon have pseudos? IP: Logged |
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wev Moderator Posts: 4121 |
posted 11-08-1999 01:42 PM
Barbara - The Pettit spoon has a bust, lion passant, and cap C in addition to MP. These psuedomarks are noted in Belden, as well. IP: Logged |
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Ted Posts: 17 |
posted 11-08-1999 03:24 PM
My spoon only has MP, no other marks. It is interesting that it is part of a set with 8 others made by R & W Wilson all bearing the same mono. There are small differences including a shell on the bowl of the MP one. Ted Stickney IP: Logged |
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Ulysses Dietz Moderator Posts: 1265 |
posted 12-02-1999 09:20 AM
What's most fascinating about this discussion is the fact that Kings and its various offspring remains so iconic as a flatware pattern throughout the 19th century. All of your discussions actually explain WHY Kings remained such a favorite among the elite--Tiffany is selling George Shiebler's King variant in the 1870s, and making its own in the 1880s; Bailey, Banks and Biddle is selling a version in the 1880s; and the plated King version is first produced in Tiffany's Newark factory by Thomas Shaw, who brought several pieces of British King pattern flatware with him when he emigrated (these pieces, made in London, are dated between 1829 and 1831). The stylistic features of King clearly adapt well over time--they look Rococo, Regency, Empire, and Rococo Revival when they need to. I suspect that the knowledge that King was an "old" pattern made it desirable in the late 19th century among upper-crust people; the fact that it was fairly ornate also made it appealing to the taste of the late 19th century. ------------------ IP: Logged |
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Ted Posts: 17 |
posted 12-02-1999 10:06 AM
I actually think "Kings" was begun in the early (1810 about) in the US. I have no conclusive evidence. I am confident that if not then by 1820/25 for sure, especially single struck which preceeded double struck in the US. There are too many pieces by early smiths out there, ie. Garret Eoff, Fletcher & Gardiner, Amable Brasier, ect. Ted Stickney IP: Logged |
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Scott Martin Forum Master Posts: 11520 |
posted 12-14-2010 04:51 PM
Via e-mail: quote: IP: Logged |
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wev Moderator Posts: 4121 |
posted 12-14-2010 05:03 PM
I am not sure how the CT era attribution is arrived at. Welles worked as a fancy goods merchant in Boston for a decade after the five year partnership ended in 1811. The psuedo marks are quite assuredly those of a New York wholesale maker, possibly the Marquands, to whom he was related. IP: Logged |
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bascall Posts: 1629 |
posted 12-19-2010 11:17 PM
From the 1831 Boston Directory, Published by Stimson & Clapp, Boston, Welles Alfred lamps & silver ware 69 Washington, house 8 Beacon. [This message has been edited by bascall (edited 12-19-2010).] IP: Logged |
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