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Benjamin Smith III

( 1793 - 1850 )

The Villiers Wine Cooler

Benjamin Smith III

( 1793 - 1850 )

The Villiers Wine Cooler

An Elegant William IV Silver Wine Cooler & Liner
London, 1830
Maker’s mark of Benjamin Smith

Height: 11 in, 28 cm
Weight: 146 oz 6 dwt, 4,551 g
 

The wine cooler tapering and  lobed on openwork scrolling foliage-cast feet, the sides chased with latticework within reeded ribs. The lower body chased with palm leaves and the upper body with flower bouquet on shell ground, the side handles cast with leaves, the rim with coral motif, engraved on underside of base and on liner with a crest below an earl's coronet on one side and the Royal crest within Garter motto on the other, marked underneath and on liners.

The crest is that of Villiers, probably for George William, 4th Earl of Clarendon K.G. (1800-1870), possibly for his embassy to Madrid in 1833. George Villiers entered the diplomatic service at a very young age becoming attaché to the British Embassy in St. Petersburg in 1820. His reputation was secured by the masterful way he conducted his negotiations during his Spanish embassy of 1833 and the subsequent treaty in 1834. He received the Order of the Bath in 1837 and in 1847 was appointed Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland and served during the difficult time of the famine. He returned to England in 1852 having been made a Knight of the Order of the Garter whilst unusually being allowed to retain the Order of the Bath.
 

George William, 4th Earl of Clarendon K.G

 

Eldest son of Benjamin Smith II, born 6 October 1793 at 12 Hockley Row near Birmingham, apprenticed to his father as silversmith 6 July 1808. Free, 3 January 1821. First mark, in partnership with his father, entered 5 July 1816. Address: Camberwell. Second mark alone,15 July 1818. Moved to 12 Duke Street, Lincoln's Inn Fields, and third mark, 24 July 1822. Fourth mark, 1 December 1837. Livery, April 1842. Died 1850.

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Benjamin Smith III