MARK OF CHARLES LE ROUX, NEW YORK, CIRCA 1725

The coat-of-arms on the present lot commemorate Sir William Burnet (1687-1729). Burnet was born in The Hague, Netherlands to Gilbert Burnet (1643-1715) and Mary Scott (1660-1698). Burnet was connected with prestige and royalty from a young age as his mother was heiress of a wealthy Scottish family, and his father was a leading theologian to the court of King William III of Orange, who was made Burnet's godfather. After studying at Oxford and receiving private tutoring from scholars including Isaac Newton, Burnet eventually passed the bar, and became a member of the Royal Society, for which he reported on numerous scientific and natural topics. Through his connections with Robert Hunter (1666-1734), who served as Colonial Governor of New Jersey and New York, Burnet was appointed to the same post from 1720-1728. Following the death of King George I and the renewal of royal commissions, Burnet was moved to the position of Governor of Massachusetts and New Hampshire which he served in until his death the following year.