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Lot Essay
The principal family of Gregory who used this crest is that of Styvechale, co. Warwick; it is most likely these sugar-tongs were made for either Arthur Gregory (1716-1791) or one of his seven sons.
Arthur Gregory, as recorded in the College of Arms pedigree (Mss:6D14/333 and Norfolk 8/131), was born at Stivic Hall (or Styvechale), co. Warwick on 18 April 1716. He married firstly in 1739, at Baginton, Mary, only daughter of John Bowater of Whitley near Coventry. They had two sons, Arthur Gregory, a Captain in the Army, and John Gregory, a Lieutenant in the Royal Navy, who both died unmarried. His first wife Mary having died aged 26, Arthur Snr. married secondly, at Oxford Chapel in the Parish of St Mary le Bone, London, Anne, only daughter and heir of Sir John Chaplin Bt., of Tathwell and Blankney, co. Lincoln. This second marriage produced a daughter, Anne, and five sons, Arthur Chaplin, Arthur William, Arthur Thomas, Arthur Robert and Francis, through whom the pedigree recorded in Burke's Landed Gentry continues.
Although a silver tea-service was an established sign of a gentleman's social position and income by the mid 18th century, sugar-tongs had not yet fully become integrated into the equipage. Conversation pieces of the time instead often show pages or partakers using their fingers to select lumps of sugar. The use of tongs increased during the later part of the century, with scissor-action tongs superceded by the simpler spring-action one-piece tongs by about 1800. Gold sugar-tongs are exceptionally rare; a similar pair by John Wirgman, circa 1750, is illustrated in A. Grimwade, op. cit., pt. 2, p. 16. Two further pairs of gold sugar-tongs, each with matching teaspoons, are known; one set is now in the Gilbert Collection, Somerset House, London (illustrated in T. Schroder, The Gilbert Collection of Gold and Silver, Los Angeles, 1988, cat. no. 77). The other set was sold Christie's New York, 14 April 1994, lot 448.
Arthur Gregory, as recorded in the College of Arms pedigree (Mss:6D14/333 and Norfolk 8/131), was born at Stivic Hall (or Styvechale), co. Warwick on 18 April 1716. He married firstly in 1739, at Baginton, Mary, only daughter of John Bowater of Whitley near Coventry. They had two sons, Arthur Gregory, a Captain in the Army, and John Gregory, a Lieutenant in the Royal Navy, who both died unmarried. His first wife Mary having died aged 26, Arthur Snr. married secondly, at Oxford Chapel in the Parish of St Mary le Bone, London, Anne, only daughter and heir of Sir John Chaplin Bt., of Tathwell and Blankney, co. Lincoln. This second marriage produced a daughter, Anne, and five sons, Arthur Chaplin, Arthur William, Arthur Thomas, Arthur Robert and Francis, through whom the pedigree recorded in Burke's Landed Gentry continues.
Although a silver tea-service was an established sign of a gentleman's social position and income by the mid 18th century, sugar-tongs had not yet fully become integrated into the equipage. Conversation pieces of the time instead often show pages or partakers using their fingers to select lumps of sugar. The use of tongs increased during the later part of the century, with scissor-action tongs superceded by the simpler spring-action one-piece tongs by about 1800. Gold sugar-tongs are exceptionally rare; a similar pair by John Wirgman, circa 1750, is illustrated in A. Grimwade, op. cit., pt. 2, p. 16. Two further pairs of gold sugar-tongs, each with matching teaspoons, are known; one set is now in the Gilbert Collection, Somerset House, London (illustrated in T. Schroder, The Gilbert Collection of Gold and Silver, Los Angeles, 1988, cat. no. 77). The other set was sold Christie's New York, 14 April 1994, lot 448.