Lot Essay
Horse racing in England has enjoyed Royal patronage since the reign of Henry VIII. The earliest known surviving race prize from the 16th century would appear to be a small silver-gilt spherical bell, dating from 1590, now the property of Carlisle Corporation. Such bells were intended to be hung from the browband of the winning horse.
During the turmoil of the Commonwealth years the sport developed slowly and it was not until several years after the Restoration, when a nation at peace, allied to a long economic boom, saw a great expansion of racing. By 1727 there were 112 courses listed in the Racing Calender and such was the demand that in 1740 an Act was passed '...to restrain and prevent the excessive increase of horse races...which have contributed very much to the encouragement of idleness, to the impoverishment of many of the meaner sort of subjects of the kingdom.'
Prizes in the form of a porringer or cup became popular during the reign of King Charles II, who had inherited his of racing from his grandfather King James I. In fact Charles, who had a residence at Newmarket, his favourite course, instigated the popular custom of a gift by the monarch of a gold prize cup. This custom continues to this day.
Queen Anne continued to display the Royal love of horses and racing into the 18th century and there is no doubt that Royal patronage and sponsorship were of great importance in the development of the sport and the breeding of race horses. In 1702 the Queen instituted a prize, also of a gold cup, to be raced for each year in Yorkshire. Sadly very few of these cups, made between 1702 and 1714 have survived, most no doubt having been melted down or destroyed. In fact two cups, won in 1705 and 1708, by Hugh Bethell's Ruffler and Woodcock respectively, were melted down and made into a single cup and cover in about 1730. The last unadulterated example to be offered at auction was the cup presented in 1706, the form and weight of which is virtually indentical to the present cup and cover. Sold at Christie's, from the celebrated collection of Sir John Noble Bt., in December 1967, it realised ¨31,000 and is now in an English private collection.
The present cup and cover, which has never been seen at auction before, is the prize for the winner of the race run at York in 1713. The value of the cup was 100 guineas, and the race was run for six year old horses over four mile heats. Although records of racing at this time are relatively scant, it is known that the winner's horse, Mr. Graeme's Champion 'won easy' desipte the field containing many celebrated horses of the period including the Queen's Mustard and Lord Lonsdale's Algier. The field of ten was unusually large but Champion won both of the only two heats needed to win the race outright. At stud the horse was a success and appears in the pedigrees of some important horses in particular Herod, generally regarded as one of the best stallions ever raced.
Although plain the present cup is finely engraved with the Royal arms and cypher of Queen Anne, horse and rider and an inscription. Gold was always considered of greater importance than silver and consequently rarely subjected to every day use, added to which the cup and cover retains its original leather case. These factors have ensured that its condition has remained virtually exactly the same as when made almost three hundred years ago. The maker, one of the many Huguenot goldsmiths working in London at the time, was Louis Mettayer. Although not a prolific maker, his work is often of equal importance to that made by some of his better known contemporaries, such as David Willuame and Pierre Harache and his mark is found on many other examples of Royal Plate.
Apart from the cup's obvious charm, it also displays extremely rare hallamarks. Between 1697 and 1719 all English silver had to be made of a higher standard than sterling, know as Britannia Standard. The lion passant mark and the London town mark of a crowned leopeard's head were replaced with the figure of Britannia and a leopard's head erased. The only time during this period of 22 years that the sterling silver marks were used was on gold. Apart from snuff boxes and other small items very few objects were made of gold during these years; in fact just twelve were recorded in A. Grimwade, A New List of Old English Gold Plate, Connoisseur, May, August, October, 1951. This extremely rare and historically important cup and cover adds to that list.
The records of The Royal Jewel House in the Lord Chamberlain's Accounts, are preserved in the Public Record Office, Chancery Lane, London. The manuscripts are a fascinating record of the ordering of plate from the Royal goldsmiths of the day and the on going repairs and refurbishment of the Royal Plate. More importantly in this instance they record the delivery of grants of plate. The present cup is listed in The Plate Book or Goldsmiths Booke. It is entered together with another cup, also to be presented at the Yorkshire Races (LC9.44)
Folio 217
1712/13 Anno Regina = Anne 12th
Yorksheire June ye 20th Reced two gold cupps & covers
Horse Races W 49.19.12 at 5.5 262:7:6
The Plate book was used to record the delivery of the piece from the goldsmith and it lists the weight of the pieces, the price that was charged per ounce and the full cost of the plate, which in this case was two hundred and sixty two pounds, seven shillings and sixpence. The delivery of the plate to the recipient is recorded and the piece signed for. This gold cup was signed for by Richard Marshall on the 9th July 1713, the entry appearing on folio 159 of the account book (LC9.44)
1713 Horse Race Yorksheire
July 9th Delivd. unto Mr Richd Marshall One Gold Cuppe & Cover to be run for at York by six year old horses
oz dw
23 = 19.00
signd Ric Marshall
During the turmoil of the Commonwealth years the sport developed slowly and it was not until several years after the Restoration, when a nation at peace, allied to a long economic boom, saw a great expansion of racing. By 1727 there were 112 courses listed in the Racing Calender and such was the demand that in 1740 an Act was passed '...to restrain and prevent the excessive increase of horse races...which have contributed very much to the encouragement of idleness, to the impoverishment of many of the meaner sort of subjects of the kingdom.'
Prizes in the form of a porringer or cup became popular during the reign of King Charles II, who had inherited his of racing from his grandfather King James I. In fact Charles, who had a residence at Newmarket, his favourite course, instigated the popular custom of a gift by the monarch of a gold prize cup. This custom continues to this day.
Queen Anne continued to display the Royal love of horses and racing into the 18th century and there is no doubt that Royal patronage and sponsorship were of great importance in the development of the sport and the breeding of race horses. In 1702 the Queen instituted a prize, also of a gold cup, to be raced for each year in Yorkshire. Sadly very few of these cups, made between 1702 and 1714 have survived, most no doubt having been melted down or destroyed. In fact two cups, won in 1705 and 1708, by Hugh Bethell's Ruffler and Woodcock respectively, were melted down and made into a single cup and cover in about 1730. The last unadulterated example to be offered at auction was the cup presented in 1706, the form and weight of which is virtually indentical to the present cup and cover. Sold at Christie's, from the celebrated collection of Sir John Noble Bt., in December 1967, it realised ¨31,000 and is now in an English private collection.
The present cup and cover, which has never been seen at auction before, is the prize for the winner of the race run at York in 1713. The value of the cup was 100 guineas, and the race was run for six year old horses over four mile heats. Although records of racing at this time are relatively scant, it is known that the winner's horse, Mr. Graeme's Champion 'won easy' desipte the field containing many celebrated horses of the period including the Queen's Mustard and Lord Lonsdale's Algier. The field of ten was unusually large but Champion won both of the only two heats needed to win the race outright. At stud the horse was a success and appears in the pedigrees of some important horses in particular Herod, generally regarded as one of the best stallions ever raced.
Although plain the present cup is finely engraved with the Royal arms and cypher of Queen Anne, horse and rider and an inscription. Gold was always considered of greater importance than silver and consequently rarely subjected to every day use, added to which the cup and cover retains its original leather case. These factors have ensured that its condition has remained virtually exactly the same as when made almost three hundred years ago. The maker, one of the many Huguenot goldsmiths working in London at the time, was Louis Mettayer. Although not a prolific maker, his work is often of equal importance to that made by some of his better known contemporaries, such as David Willuame and Pierre Harache and his mark is found on many other examples of Royal Plate.
Apart from the cup's obvious charm, it also displays extremely rare hallamarks. Between 1697 and 1719 all English silver had to be made of a higher standard than sterling, know as Britannia Standard. The lion passant mark and the London town mark of a crowned leopeard's head were replaced with the figure of Britannia and a leopard's head erased. The only time during this period of 22 years that the sterling silver marks were used was on gold. Apart from snuff boxes and other small items very few objects were made of gold during these years; in fact just twelve were recorded in A. Grimwade, A New List of Old English Gold Plate, Connoisseur, May, August, October, 1951. This extremely rare and historically important cup and cover adds to that list.
The records of The Royal Jewel House in the Lord Chamberlain's Accounts, are preserved in the Public Record Office, Chancery Lane, London. The manuscripts are a fascinating record of the ordering of plate from the Royal goldsmiths of the day and the on going repairs and refurbishment of the Royal Plate. More importantly in this instance they record the delivery of grants of plate. The present cup is listed in The Plate Book or Goldsmiths Booke. It is entered together with another cup, also to be presented at the Yorkshire Races (LC9.44)
Folio 217
1712/13 Anno Regina = Anne 12th
Yorksheire June ye 20th Reced two gold cupps & covers
Horse Races W 49.19.12 at 5.5 262:7:6
The Plate book was used to record the delivery of the piece from the goldsmith and it lists the weight of the pieces, the price that was charged per ounce and the full cost of the plate, which in this case was two hundred and sixty two pounds, seven shillings and sixpence. The delivery of the plate to the recipient is recorded and the piece signed for. This gold cup was signed for by Richard Marshall on the 9th July 1713, the entry appearing on folio 159 of the account book (LC9.44)
1713 Horse Race Yorksheire
July 9th Delivd. unto Mr Richd Marshall One Gold Cuppe & Cover to be run for at York by six year old horses
oz dw
23 = 19.00
signd Ric Marshall