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How Many Gravy Ladles?

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Author	Topic: How Many Gravy Ladles?
nihontochicken Posts: 289 Registered: May 2003	posted 09-23-2004 08:15 PM Okay, here's the latest "off-the-wall" question. For a complete sterling flatware set in the early nineteenth century, how many gravy ladles would be present? What was the proper ratio of ladles to place settings? IP: Logged
wev Moderator Posts: 4132 Registered: Apr 99	posted 09-23-2004 08:41 PM How many courses? How many at table? What meal? What form of service? IP: Logged
nihontochicken Posts: 289 Registered: May 2003	posted 09-23-2004 11:17 PM wev: "How many courses? " NC: I'm not asking "meal specific". What I am interested in is what a family would generally have on hand, regardless of the meal they planned for that week. wev: "How many at table?" NC: As I asked, what would be the ratio of ladles to place settings for a "standard" full service? If we need a definite number of place settings to deal with, let's arbitrarily settle on twelve. wev: "What form of service? " NC: Oops, again, miscommunication. What would they have on hand, bought long ago for years of intended service, regardless of whatever meal they planned for the coming gala evening? Just assume a garden variety upper middle class family that could reasonably afford, we'll say, a twelve place service. IP: Logged
wev Moderator Posts: 4132 Registered: Apr 99	posted 09-23-2004 11:38 PM What country? What part of that country? For what meal? To what purpose? All these are not trivial questions; meals, courses, and service were highly codified in the nineteenth century. For example, a formal French service dinner would require none -- the idea of serving your own gravy/sauce would be unthinkable. English service would depend on course and formality. A full course, formal American meal might require 6 or more at dinner, half that at lunch, but highly variable by region. There are too many variables to answer en masse; set the stage, then set the table. [This message has been edited by wev (edited 09-24-2004).] IP: Logged
Gareth Harris Posts: 2 Registered: Aug 2004	posted 10-13-2004 04:19 AM It all depends on how much gravy people liked in the 19c. If one gravy boat satisfied 6 people then 2 boats 12 people,possibly an average evening meal in a substantial silver owning household. Assuming 1 ladle per gravy boat gives you 2 ladles in a 12 place canteen. IP: Logged
Silver Lyon Posts: 363 Registered: Oct 2004	posted 10-22-2004 11:21 AM The answer is that very few families bought what we think of as complete sets much before the 1870's - so there is no simple answer, When boxed sets for 12 are found in the 1800-1870 period there are usually one or two gravy spoons, a soup ladle and a pair of sauce ladles - other optional extras were ordered at the time and the boxes amde to order. If you put two with your set you won't be wrong!! IP: Logged
nihontochicken Posts: 289 Registered: May 2003	posted 10-26-2004 07:03 PM Thanks for the well-considered responses. The reason for my question was a recent acquisition of four essentially identical 6" ladles (sauce or gravy, or is there really any difference?) marked for Robert Keay, Sr. of Perth, made approximately 1830 or so (fiddle pattern, no drop). So I wonder how large was the service in the first place, and how these ladles managed to stick together over the years, yet not stay intact with any other of the service. Thanks again! IP: Logged
swarter Moderator Posts: 2920 Registered: May 2003	posted 10-26-2004 07:31 PM quote: What country? What part of that country? For what meal? To what purpose? quote: four essentially identical 6" ladles (sauce or gravy, or is there really any difference?) marked for Robert Keay, Sr. of Perth You never answered wev's question of origin. Since you now say these are Scottish, we can now say they are probably toddy ladles, which could present a very different situation (or not) - they might look similar, but could be used very differently! Pickford shows a set of four on page 201 of Silver Flatware. [This message has been edited by swarter (edited 10-26-2004).] IP: Logged

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