Of quite heavy gauge silver, the
oval stand having a plain crested field surrounded by a raised
vertically pierced rim draped in the Adam manner with husk garlands
and flowerheads surrounded by a beaded rim, raised on four
vertically pierced splay feet, each with a garland and single
flowerhead all within a beaded border; the central crest, an ostrich
on a chapeau, in mouth a horseshoe (Earl of Leicester – the dating
contemporary with Thomas William Coke)
Thomas William
Coke, 1st Earl of Leicester (6 May 1754 – 30 June 1842)
became famous for
his advanced methods of animal husbandry used in improving his
estate at Holkham in Norfolk. As a result, Coke of Norfolk is
seen as one of the instigators of the British Agricultural
Revolution.
Thomas Coke's
efforts to improve the Holkham Hall estate became a marathon project
which began in 1776 and lasted until his death in 1842. People
interested in farming were said to flock to annual three-day
gatherings at Holkham at sheep-shearing time – the so-called Holkham Clippings – from all over Britain and from overseas. Coke's Clippings were the fore-runners of today's agricultural
shows. He is particularly credited with improvements to animal
breeding and husbandry relating to cattle, sheep and pigs.
For most of his
life, he was happy to remain plain “Mr Coke” : it is said that he
had been offered a peerage seven times by six different Prime
Ministers - sometimes by Whigs as a reward and at others by Tories
as a bribe. Often celebrated by the title Coke of Norfolk,
Coke was eventually ennobled by Queen Victoria in 1837, accepting a
new Earldom of Leicester so that the sons of his second marriage
might inherit his title, and was created Viscount Coke and Earl of Leicester,
of Holkham in the
County of Norfolk.
Lord Leicester died
at Longford Hall, Derbyshire.
See https://www.holkham.co.uk/
Condition : Excellent, with crisp marks verso;
also inscribed for weight verso 20.4 (20.9 AVD);
feet without repair or reinforcement
9-3/8” Long x 1-1/2” Deep x 1-3/8” High / 20.9
oz.
SOLD
#6395
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