Live Auction 16219An Adventurous Spirit: An Important Private Collection Sold to Benefit a Charitable Foundation
A SET OF TWELVE GEORGE III SILVER DINNER-PLATES FROM THE CAMDEN SERVICE
Lot 173

A SET OF TWELVE GEORGE III SILVER DINNER-PLATES FROM THE CAMDEN SERVICE

MARK OF ROBERT AND THOMAS MAKEPEACE, LONDON, 1794

Closed13 December 2018

Price Realised

GBP 20,000

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A SET OF TWELVE GEORGE III SILVER DINNER-PLATES FROM THE CAMDEN SERVICE
MARK OF ROBERT AND THOMAS MAKEPEACE, LONDON, 1794
Circular and with ribbon-tied reeded border, each engraved with a coat-of-arms below an earl's coronet, marked underneath, further engraved with number and scratchweight 'No 38 19"10'; 'No 39 20"11'; 'No 41 19"14'; 'No 42 20"4'; 'No 43 19"2'; 'No 44 19"6'; 'No 45 20"0'; 'No 46 20"11'; 'No 47 20"11'; 'No 55 20"7'; 'No 56 19"18' and 'No 57 20"8'
10 in. (25.2 cm.) diameter
229 oz. (7,130 gr.)
The arms are those of Pratt quartering Jeffreys with Molesworth in pretence, for John, 2nd Earl Camden (1759-1840) and his wife Frances (1758-1829), whom he married in 1785.

John Pratt, 2nd Earl Camden, later 1st Marquess Camden (1759-1840), by descent to his great great grandson,
John Pratt, 5th Marquess Camden (1899-1983),
The Most Hon. Marquess Camden, D.L., J.P.; Sotheby's London, 23 January 1964, lot 77 (part) and 78 (part);
A Private Collector; Christie's, London, 12 June 2007, lot 46, where acquired.

Specialist note

The present set of twelve dinner-plates were part of the Camden service, an exceptionally large and lavish dinner-service commissioned by John Jeffreys Pratt, 2nd Earl Camden (1759-1840) and supplied by Paul Storr, and others, in 1794, the year of his succession to the earldom. Pratt succeeded to the title on the death of his father in 1794 and followed his father, who had been Lord Chancellor and a close friend of William Pitt, into politics and served variously as Lord of the Admiralty and a Lord of the Treasury, being appointed Lord Lieutenant of Ireland in 1795.

Camden's term of office in Ireland was one of commotion and alarm, culminating in the rebellion of 1798. Immediately after the suppression of the rising he resigned, and in 1804 became Secretary of State for War and the Colonies under Pitt, and in 1805 Lord President of the Council. He was again Lord President from 1807 to 1812, after which date he remained for some time in the cabinet without office.

In 1812 he was created Earl of Brecknock and Marquess Camden. He died on 8 October 1840, and was succeeded by his only son, George Charles (1799-1866).