An Early Victorian 6 Place Silver Kings Pattern Canteen by George Adams
A very fine early Victorian silver double struck King's Pattern 6 place setting canteen service with the shell and diamond heel.
This wonderful table service consists of 52 pieces made up of:
6 table/serving spoons
6 table forks
6 table knives
6 dessert spoons
6 dessert forks
6 dessert knives
6 tea or butter knives
6 teaspoons
2 sauce ladles
1 carver
1 serving fork (missing guard)
The silver handled (filled) dinner, dessert and tea or butter knives retain their original steel blades.
The sauce ladles, table and dessert, spoons and forks are hallmarked for London, the dates are between 1845 - 1863. All by George Adams.
The teaspoons are by various makers including George Adams.
The Table and dessert knives, carver & serving fork are hallmarked for Sheffield 1860 by Harrison Bros & Howson. The blades are stamped V R with a dagger between.
The tea or butter knives are sheffield 1966 with the blades by Joseph Elliot & Sons.
All pieces are in very good condition.
All the pieces are in very good condition with no damage or repairs. The decoration is crisp throughout. Various crests and monograms. A very fine set of silver cutlery.
George William Adams (Chawner & Co)
He was a prolific maker of fine silverware in the second half off the nineteenth century. In 1838, George William Adams married Mary Chawner, the daughter of William Chawner. It was agreed that he would go into the business with her mother (Mary Chawner), and a joint makers mark was registered from March – November 1840. After this, George Adams took over Chawner & Co, and ran it exceptionally well. He was an exhibitor at the 1851 Great Exhibition and the company became one of the largest producers of top quality silver flatware in Victorian England. The Chawner & Co pattern book was published in 1875, and became the encyclopedia for Victorian flatware patterns. It was heavily referenced by Ian Pickford in his now-standard reference book on silver flatware.
In 1883, Chawner & Co was sold to Holland, Aldwinkle & Slater (1883-1922, when the firm was absorbed by Francis Higgins & Son Ltd).
Chawner was the most important manufacturer of spoons and forks in London, supplier of important retail houses as Hunt & Roskell, R.& S. Garrard & Co, Elkington & Co (in most cases they overstruck the pieces with their own mark).
Canteen Measurements
6 Table forks - London 1x 1852, 4x 1862, 1x 1855
Length - 21cm or 8 ¼”
Tine width - 3cm or 1 ¼”
Weight - 613g or 19.7 ozT
6 Table spoons - London 3x 1852, 2x1853, 1x 1863
Length - 22.5cm or 8 ¾”
Bowl width - 5cm or 2”
Weight - 598g or 19.2 ozT
6 Dessert forks - London 2x 1845, 4x1846
Length - 15.5cm or 6”
Tine width - 2.5cm or 1”
Weight - 355g or 11.4 ozT
6 Dessert spoons - London 1845
Length - 18cm or 7”
Bowl width - 4cm or 1 ½”
Weight - 366g or 11.8 ozT
6 Teaspoons - London 1x 1833, 1x 1852, 1x 1855, 1x 1856 & 2x 1894
Length - 14.5cm or 5 ¾”
Bowl width - 3cm or 1 ¼”
Weight - 197g or 6.4 ozT
2 Sauce/serving Ladles - London 2x 1852
Length - 18cm or 7”
Bowl width - 6cm or 2 ⅜”
Weight - 167g or 5.4 ozT
6 Table knife length: 28.5cm or 11 ¼”
6 Dessert knife length: 22.5cm or 9”
6 Tea or Butter knives: 18cm or 7”
1 Carver length: 31cm or 12”
1 Serving fork length: 27cm or 10 ½”
Total weighable silver: 2296g or 73.8 ozT (80.9 oz)
