Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-10-15
QUAINT OLD SILVER.
THE HEIRLOOMs OF PAST GENE
RArIONs IN MANY OF OUR HOMES.
HISTORIC RELICS IN RICHMOND.
old Pieces of Plate with Historic
Interest Held I'm Great Value and
Carefully Preserved - Exhibits in
Richmond and Baltimore.

After the hitter hardships Of the first
po.onists in Virginia. when wealth began
10 crown their years of toll. those 10 "the
manner born" longed TO engraft upon
Their crude lie tho luxurious accessories
o. their home life ia England il IS hard to
tell which OF these luxuries crspt first
into tho colonies From inventories and
wills We lind quite early a "yalauce and
q ted-curtain," FL dozen horn forks" and
pewter plates and tankards." all Of
which were great Injuries al that time.
later on. in the seventeenth century, sil-
Ner appears. and in considerable quanti-
ties one finds first mentioned. zone lit
to silver bowl or zone little silver
spoon" and afterwards more pretenuous
pieces.
Silver seems 10 have been the form Of
domestic extravaganza earliest INDUCED
m perhaps from the fact that 10 possess
g. marketable value. Beakers. dram
cups. nasons. and even plates and dishes
".re 900 tle Colony of Virginia before 1909.
an mot. ass a rule. confined 10 the most
oluleut Planters.
Aucn of This rare old silver has vanish
e.. But much is still owned by inherit
anfs. lu The last few years there have
been ESQ notable exhibitions of colonial
t'Fer-oao in Baltimore and the other in
hichmolo-b0th under the auspices Of the
Colonial Danes. The soft iustre and
quaint shape OF the old silver bring subtle
memories az tho inustrious men and wo-
men VITO owned a.
Robert Carter. commonly called king"
Imported a vast quantity OF silver, some
O. which SIS now owned by his descend
ants. William Fitzhugh's silver was a
marvel in his day. and the Lees own
much % IL to-day at beautiful Ravens
WORTH
To Richmond there IS a great deal OF
valuable ANTIQUE silver. Mr.. Herbert a.
Claiborne has a rare collection OF Clal-
BONE. Bassett Aston. and Hamilton Sill
Yer ana Alr J. Aston Cabell possesses
many handsome relics of the "oldeh
N."e' notably an old English conee-pot
~ curious shape and workmanship MIS-.
a. D. Lancaster also has some beautliui
w slNrr and values highly card-Ie-
,.''H once owned by Cora Ritchie. the
ana authoress and marked cora
a. Fol.hee"
io'ph Wexford has relics Of the
.'''l tA'er brought from sabine Hal"
at. "liiam WHIT Henry has a fasci-
'-'"s ,'..e t9n Il Patrick Henry" sill
W, ana DTS. John w Harrison owns a
once owned by Miles Standish.
- Joseph Bryan owns silver which be-
Hseu 10 John Randolph Of Roanoke. and
.s correction OF Carter, Dcgecs, and
a-I"eA silver. owned by Mrs Peterfeld
.ienI Is wonderfully complete. The
uses Harvie have now I'm the old Mar
t..I house much rare silver. which tones
",I with tho mellow interior Of this
N~'-Ht and historic mansion.
~. snFer was the hrst-born luxury Of
.fNlo' II certainly Is the vestiee OF
sp'n'y most religiously guarded. In
through rural Virginia one finds
iHmiiy silver retained. although
.efys pan hangs over the old plan
'Dh' Iankards. tea-pots. and bowls
1s almost as brightly as they did when
ey came on the Flying Hart or the
go saret and Susan from London silver
'n whose mark proclaims their age
Hnd excellence
'rhaps the most interesting piece OF
Es,o IN Virginia is the gold ladle
,"nleh once belonged 70 the great Napo-
pNA Mlss Katharine Wills was one OF