6 Sterling Silver forks, Shell & Thread with Dowdeswell family crest, London 1809 + 1x 1845

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Set of six heavy quality Sterling Silver forks, in the ‘Shell & Thread’ pattern, a family crest to the handle comprising of six billets & fesse wavy, a crescent above, for the Dowdeswell family of Pull Court, Worcestershire.

Hallmarked for London 1809, 

also “WE/WF/WC” for

William Eley I, William Fearn and William Chawner,

(mark entered in 1808 as spoon makers, Lovell’s Court, Paternoster Row)

one hallmarked for 1845  

61gms

20.5cm

Excellent condition

Pull Court in Worcestershire traces its origins to Roger Dowdeswell, a London lawyer whose family were from nearby Bushley Park. He built a Tudor house in the early 1620’s. Successors were important in Government, and the building was modified & then totally replaced in 1830’s with the present Tudor-style stone building. With the death of the last of the Dowdeswells in 1930, the estate shortly became a private school, which it is presently, the Bredon School. 

In 1775, Thomas Dowdeswell inherited the estate, and died in 1811. This cutlery was therefore only used by him for a very short time…. or was more probably ordered by his successor. 

His son John Edmund Dowdeswell inherited the estate in 1811, and so may well have been the origin of this silverware. 

This cutlery could have been used at the original 17th century Pull Court, no longer existing. 

Or more likely….  as the successive family members were all MP’s – some with very important positions – it would have been something necessary for entertaining in the ‘London House ‘ , listed as ‘Westminster’. 

Interestingly, the ‘odd’ fork with the variation in the armorial is dated 1845; this combined arms includes the Dowdeswell and Graham families. This records the marriage of William Dowdeswell MP and Amelia Letitia Graham in 1839.

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