An important George III Punch Jug from the Burdett-Coutts Collection. Made in London in 1818 by John Edward Terry.
An important George III Punch Jug from the Burdett-Coutts Collection. Made in London in 1818 by John Edward Terry.
374887
The Jug has a plain baluster form and the slender neck rises to a pronounced pouring spout decorated with an egg and dart border. The main body is engraved with the cipher of Harriet, Duchess of St. Albans (1777-1837) below the Coronet of a Duchess. In addition it is also engraved with the cipher of the great philanthropist Baroness Angela Burdett-Coutts (1814-1906). The scroll handle is covered with wicker and this piece is marked under the spout. The quality of design and production is outstanding, as would be expected from the workshops of John Edward Terry who was very much working in the immediate circle of Paul Storr. He had premises in Foster Lane when this piece was made. The Jug is in excellent condition and is marked under the spout.
The Duchess was formerly Harriet Mellon and as an actress at Drury Lane, she caught the eye of Thomas Coutts, the Royal Banker and he made her his mistress - eventually marrying her at the age of 80, following the death of his wife. On his death seven years later, he left her his fortune. She went on to marry the 9th Duke of St. Albans, 23 years her junior. He made no claims on her fortune and Mellon regarded herself as trustee to Coutts' daughters. She was also able to indulge her enthusiasm for silver and she patronised many of the leading silversmiths of the day.
Angela Burdett-Coutts (1814-1906) was the daughter of Sir Francis Burdett, a politician, and Sophia Coutts, Thomas' daughter. She was Harriet's step grand-daughter, and on the death of the Duchess she became the richest heiress in England. She is said to have turned down the Duke of Wellington and Queen Victoria made her a Baroness in her own right in 1871. By the time of her death she is thought to have dispersed more than £ 300 million in today's money to causes ranging from housing schemes, schools and support for refugees, to the bells for St, Paul's Cathedral. Nearly 30,000 people filed past her coffin before she was buried in Westminster Abbey. Edward VII is reported to have described her as, "after my mother, the most remarkable woman in the Kingdom".
Height: 8.1 inches, 20.25 cm.
Length, handle to spout: 8.75 inches, 21.88 cm.
Weight: 37oz.
PROVENANCE
- Collection of Harriet, Duchess of St. Albans 1836-1837.
- Collection of Angela Georgina Burdett-Coutts 1837-1906.
- Collection William Lehman Ash Bartlett-Burdett-Coutts 1906-1920.
- Christies London - The silver Collection of Baroness Angela Georgina Burdett Coutts, 17th March, 1920.
- Private Collections - 1920-2015.
- With Mary Cooke Antiques Limited 2015.
- Private Collection, London, 2015-2023.
- With Mary Cooke Antiques Limited May 2023.
RELATED ITEMS
 below the Coronet of a Duchess. In addition it is also engraved with the cipher of the great philanthropist Baroness Angela Burdett-Coutts (1814-1906). The scroll handle is covered with wicker and this piece is marked under the spout. The quality of design and production is outstanding, as would be expected from the workshops of John Edward Terry who was very much working in the immediate circle of Paul Storr. He had premises in Foster Lane when this piece was made. The Jug is in excellent condition and is marked under the spout.The Duchess was formerly Harriet Mellon and as an actress at Drury Lane, she caught the eye of Thomas Coutts, the Royal Banker and he made her his mistress - eventually marrying her at the age of 80, following the death of his wife. On his death seven years later, he left her his fortune. She went on to marry the 9th Duke of St. Albans, 23 years her junior. He made no claims on her fortune and Mellon regarded herself as trustee to Coutts' daughters. She was also able to indulge her enthusiasm for silver and she patronised many of the leading silversmiths of the day.Angela Burdett-Coutts (1814-1906) was the daughter of Sir Francis Burdett, a politician, and Sophia Coutts, Thomas' daughter. She was Harriet's step grand-daughter, and on the death of the Duchess she became the richest heiress in England. She is said to have turned down the Duke of Wellington and Queen Victoria made her a Baroness in her own right in 1871. By the time of her death she is thought to have dispersed more than £ 300 million in today's money to causes ranging from housing schemes, schools and support for refugees, to the bells for St, Paul's Cathedral. Nearly 30,000 people filed past her coffin before she was buried in Westminster Abbey. Edward VII is reported to have described her as, "after my mother, the most remarkable woman in the Kingdom".Height: 8.1 inches, 20.25 cm.Length, handle to spout: 8.75 inches, 21.88 cm.Weight: 37oz.PROVENANCE- Collection of Harriet, Duchess of St. Albans 1836-1837.- Collection of Angela Georgina Burdett-Coutts 1837-1906.- Collection William Lehman Ash Bartlett-Burdett-Coutts 1906-1920.- Christies London - The silver Collection of Baroness Angela Georgina Burdett Coutts, 17th March, 1920.- Private Collections - 1920-2015.- With Mary Cooke Antiques Limited 2015.- Private Collection, London, 2015-2023.- With Mary Cooke Antiques Limited May 2023.){kind=link}