A VICTORIAN ELECTROPLATED TABLE SERVICE IN A FITTED CANTEEN

A VICTORIAN ELECTROPLATED TABLE SERVICE IN A FITTED CANTEEN
VARIOUS MAKERS, MID-19TH CENTURY
The tableware comprising:
six oval meat dishes in two sizes
18 soup plates
36 second course dishes
23 stacking beakers
four circular covered entrée dishes in two sizes, two with stands
four small covered basins
two oval basins
two coffee pots
two three-piece nesting tea sets
A coffee biggin
A four-bottle cruet with three glass bottles
two folding toast racks
six table candlesticks
eight egg cups
two mounted glass condiment jars

The Old English pattern flatware predominantly by Elkington & Co., 1851/53, comprising:
53 table forks
32 tablespoons
22 dessert forks
19 dessert spoons
four basting spoons
a soup ladle
a pair of sauce ladles
together with 48 each of table knives and dessert knives with green-stained ivory handles, and four pairs of carving knives and forks en suite
Contained in five steel-mounted wooden boxes with leather side handles, painted with initials A.E.C. and numbered
Each fitted box: 16 in. (40.7 cm.) high; 27 1/8 in. (69.9 cm.) wide; 14 in. (35.7 cm.) deep
This lot is sold with a letter from Lt.-Gen. Sir Alfred Edward Codrington GCVO KCB (1854-1945) to his son, Lt.-Col. John Alfred Codrington (1898-1991) dated 3rd July 1938 outlining the history of the service (367)

This canteen was used by Lord Raglan when Commander-in-Chief in the Crimea until his death there in June 1855.
Purchased by Raglan's successor as Commander-in-Chief, General Sir James Simpson (1792-1868).
Purchased from Simpson by his successor as Commander-in-Chief, General Sir William John Codrington (1804-84), and by descent to his son Sir Alfred Edward Codrington (1854-1945), and by descent to his son
Lt.-Col. John Alfred Codrington (1898-1991).
Acquired privately by Fitzroy, 5th Baron Raglan (1927-2010) in the early 1990s.

Specialist note

At the death of Lord Raglan in June 1855, his chief-of-staff General Sir James Simpson, also a veteran of the Peninsular War and Waterloo, as well as having been commander of the 29th Foot in Mauritius and Bengal, reluctantly took command. He resigned on 10 November and General Sir William John Codrington (1804-1884), was appointed in his place. Codrington had been previously appointed by Lord Raglan to the command of the 1st Brigade of the Light Division, which he led to victory at the battles of Alma and Inkermann.
His son, also Sir Alfred Codrington, followed in his father's footsteps and pursued a military careeer: he served in the Anglo-Egyptian War in 1882; the Second Boer War between 1899 and 1902; and commanded a reserve army during the First World War.