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London Salt Cellar -- Hussars?

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Author	Topic: London Salt Cellar -- Hussars?
denimrs Posts: 102 Registered: Dec 2005	posted 07-23-2010 09:59 AM [26-2009] One of the items from my mother is this beautiful (I think) salt cellar. Researching in my various books and online I was able to determine that it was made in London in 1810. But, I have been unable to find the maker's mark. So, I am hoping someone here will be able to help on that question. But, even more confusing to me is the mark on the front, which I think reads "Conamur, XVIII, Hussars". Not sure about the spelling of the top word. So far I have been unable to find anything that tells me what this stands for. It looks to me as if it has been there from the beginning, but perhaps not? Any ideas at all will be welcome. The dimensions of this are: 3 1/2" wide, 2 3/4" deep, and 1 1/2" tall. And, it seems quite heavy to me, weighing 5.25 ounces on my kitchen scale. Thanks for looking. Elizabeth IP: Logged
wev Moderator Posts: 4132 Registered: Apr 99	posted 07-23-2010 11:21 AM From the mess of the 18th Hussars (Queen Mary's Own), whose motto was Pro rege, pro lege, pro patria conamur (For king, for law, for country we strive) [This message has been edited by wev (edited 07-23-2010).] IP: Logged
agphile Posts: 798 Registered: Apr 2008	posted 07-23-2010 12:39 PM As regards the maker, I am tempted to read the mark as SH rather than HS and to think of Samuel Hennell. The problem then is that he entered this mark on 22 June 1811, a couple of months too late for the date letter. However, I have come across other cases where a mark seems to have been used before it was officially entered, so maybe... I should add thst marks are not my forte so let's hope that somebody with a better grasp chips in. IP: Logged
Patrick Street Posts: 24 Registered: Sep 2003	posted 07-24-2010 01:52 AM It's possible that the mark belongs to Robert Hennell I and Samuel Hennell which was entered on 28 October 1802. That is, RH over SH with pellets between the letters. See Grimwade p168-9. In this case the top of the mark has been rubbed or not properly struck in the first place. IP: Logged
denimrs Posts: 102 Registered: Dec 2005	posted 07-24-2010 12:05 PM wev, Thanks for the hussar information. Knowing that the XVIII is part of the title/label helped me find better info online. Does this mean that this salt cellar began its life in the officer's mess of this group? agphile and Patrick -- Thank you for pointing me toward the fact this mark might be upside down on the piece, and be SH instead of HS as I was assuming. With this insight, I found one other that seems a possible match -- Solomon Hougham. It also has the pellet between the letters. At this point I am assuming it could have been either the Hennells or Hougham. Thank you all. Elizabeth IP: Logged
agphile Posts: 798 Registered: Apr 2008	posted 07-24-2010 02:01 PM Yes, it will have been part of the mess silver. I don't think Hougham had a mark with a pellet. There isn't one shown in Grimwade, the main reference work. Simon Harris had pellet but seems an unlikely candidate. I think he was a bucklemaker. Yours is the sort of item that could have come from the Hennell workshops. David IP: Logged
denimrs Posts: 102 Registered: Dec 2005	posted 07-24-2010 02:23 PM agphile/David, Thanks again. I went back to the sources I had used and found that they were items attributed to Hougham and not a source of maker marks. So, perhaps the person who did the attributing made an error. One was on a pair of similar salt cellars which made me think that was it. Elizabeth IP: Logged
agphile Posts: 798 Registered: Apr 2008	posted 07-24-2010 04:17 PM I have just checked another book in my library - "Identifying Antique British Silver" by T R Poole, an experienced silver dealer. Against the Samuel Hennel mark he records 1790 as the earliest example known to him (21 years before the mark was officialy entered and when Hennell was probably working for but not yet in partnership with his father). Poole records the Simon Harris mark between 1795 and 1816 so Harris must probably have made more than buckles to get into the list. This mark is in a punch with a double circle outline and I don't think it matches the one on your salt. Either Samuel Hennell was marking silver long before he should have done or there was an unidentified SH using a similar mark, seems to be the conclusion. As Hennell is a good, collectable name and there are precedents for accepting pre 1811 marks as his, I think I would claim him as the maker until and unless anybody proves different. David IP: Logged
denimrs Posts: 102 Registered: Dec 2005	posted 07-27-2010 09:25 AM quote: Originally posted by agphile: ....Either Samuel Hennell was marking silver long before he should have done or there was an unidentified SH using a similar mark, seems to be the conclusion. As Hennell is a good, collectable name and there are precedents for accepting pre 1811 marks as his, I think I would claim him as the maker until and unless anybody proves different. David Your logic makes sense to me. Thanks! Now, if only I could uncover the journey this took from officers mess to my home in Indiana. Elizabeth IP: Logged

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