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Lot Essay
The arms are those of George II
These ewers were presented by George II as a christening gift to his godson, George FitzGerald, Lord Offaly.
The warrant to Lord Glenorchy Master of the Jewel Office refers to the Royal gift as follows: "These [letters] are to signify unto your Lordship His Majestys Pleasure that you provide and Deliver to the Right Honable, the Earl of Kildare the Quantity of One Hundred and Thirty Ounces of Gilt Plate as a Gift from Your Majesty at the Christening of his Child to be made into such vessells and this shall be your Lordships Warrant. Given under my hand this 4th day of April 1748 in the Twenty first Year of His Majestys Reign." The warrant was to amount to "seventy five pounds or there abouts".
Lord Offaly was born January 15, 1747/8 to James, Earl of Kildare and Viscount Leinster (later Duke) and his wife Emily Mary, daughter of Charles, 2nd Duke of Richmond. George II was also the godfather to Emily, Lord Offaly's mother, and had presented her with a silver christening cup in 1731, now at Carton, in County Kildare. Tragically, Lord Offaly died at the age of seventeen. His aunt, Lady Caroline Fox wrote of him during his school days at Eton:"He is a dear little soul; so very idle, the masters say, so very dissipated; and says he don't care about getting high in the school. William says his brother's only ambition is to be a buck." (as quoted in Brian Fitzgerald, Emily, Duchess of Leinster, 1948, p. 80)
These ewers were presented by George II as a christening gift to his godson, George FitzGerald, Lord Offaly.
The warrant to Lord Glenorchy Master of the Jewel Office refers to the Royal gift as follows: "These [letters] are to signify unto your Lordship His Majestys Pleasure that you provide and Deliver to the Right Honable, the Earl of Kildare the Quantity of One Hundred and Thirty Ounces of Gilt Plate as a Gift from Your Majesty at the Christening of his Child to be made into such vessells and this shall be your Lordships Warrant. Given under my hand this 4th day of April 1748 in the Twenty first Year of His Majestys Reign." The warrant was to amount to "seventy five pounds or there abouts".
Lord Offaly was born January 15, 1747/8 to James, Earl of Kildare and Viscount Leinster (later Duke) and his wife Emily Mary, daughter of Charles, 2nd Duke of Richmond. George II was also the godfather to Emily, Lord Offaly's mother, and had presented her with a silver christening cup in 1731, now at Carton, in County Kildare. Tragically, Lord Offaly died at the age of seventeen. His aunt, Lady Caroline Fox wrote of him during his school days at Eton:"He is a dear little soul; so very idle, the masters say, so very dissipated; and says he don't care about getting high in the school. William says his brother's only ambition is to be a buck." (as quoted in Brian Fitzgerald, Emily, Duchess of Leinster, 1948, p. 80)