Note :

The crest as engraved upon this assembled Set of six Queen Anne/George I Britannia Silver Dognose (Wavy-end) Tablespoons by Thomas Allen and John Millington hallmarked London 1710/1721 is that of the family of Mainwaring.  It may be blazoned as follows:

Crest: Out of a ducal coronet or an ass’s head proper**

The family of Mainwaring were long resident in the County of Cheshire since the late 11th century when the progenitor of the family Ranulphus, a Norman noble who was with William the Conqueror (King William I) when he defeated King Harold at the Battle of Hastings in 1066 was as a reward from William granted lands in the County of Chester. 

William Mainwaring a direct descendant of Ranulphus was living at Over Peover in the County of Chester in 1366 at the time of his first marriage.  This remained the principal estate of the family for many centuries.  After the restoration of the monarchy in 1660, Thomas Mainwaring, of Over Peover who had served in the office of High Sheriff of Cheshire in 1657 and as one of the knights of the shire (equivalent to a Member of Parliament today in the House of Commons) in the Restoration Parliament of 1660 was created a Baronet of England by King Charles II on the 22nd November of that year.  Given the dates of the manufacture of these spoons they certainly were made during the life of Sir Thomas Mainwaring, the 3rd Baronet of Over Peover (born 7th August 1681 died 20th September 1725).  Sir Thomas had succeeded to the baronetcy on his father’s death in 1702.  Sir Thomas himself was succeeded in the baronetcy by his nephew, Sir Henry, the 4th Baronet of Over Peover.  On Sir Henry’s death, the baronetcy fell into extinction for want of a male heir on the 6th April 1797.   

  As an aside, a second baronetcy (this time of the United Kingdom) of Over Peover was created in 1804 in the person of Sir Henry’s half-brother, Thomas Wetenhal who assumed the surname and arms of Mainwaring.  This second baronetcy itself fell into extinction in 1934.

Of further interest, during World War II, General George Patton was a resident of the old Mainwaring ancestral home, Peover Hall.

 **The family legend of the adoption of an ass’s head as its crest states that a member of the Mainwaring family whilst serving on the Crusades at the Siege of Jerusalem  had his horse killed from under him in the battle.  Thereafter, he could find only an ass to ride, so he rode into the city on this animal, saying 'Onward if I can', following the example of Christ.  Later the family took this as their motto, but rendered in French as: 'Devant si je puis'.