Articles

GUILD AND THE ANTIQUES ROADSHOW
Loving Cup

I hope you all managed to see the Antiques Road Show, shown on BBC, Sunday 7th October 2007.


If you missed it you will be surprised at Alistair Dickenson's valuation of the Loving Cup at £10,000 to £15,000, he was most intrigued with the story of how it was presented to us on our Inauguration in 1946 by the London Guild of Freemen. He was delighted to learn that the Loving Cup was still being used up to four times a year in our ceremonies. Being Freeman of London himself maybe we will see him at one our banquets.

He said the cup was a fine piece of craftsmanship, in that it was solid silver and unlike other cups he had seen the outside was not raised from the inside.

The inside being perfectly smooth and the three spouts were unique.
It also established from the hallmark that the cup was made in 1908 also discovered was the Coat of Arms Shield on the base of the cup. Subsequently we were contacted by Mr John Allen who had seen the BBC Antiques Road Show who runs an Armorial Identification Service, he offered to research the cup and the shield free of charge.

The following are just some of his findings:

In his opinion this shield was engraved for the second son of the marriage on 24th November 1887 of Charles Glynne Welby, (later Sir Charles Welby,CB, 5th baronet, MP for Newark 1900-6, Assistant Uder-Secretary of state at the war Office 1900-2 of Denton Manor, Grantham.

The first son of this marriage was Richard W.G.Welby born in 1888 but was killed in action with the Grenadier Guards in 1914. The second son, for whom the crescent on the shield was engraved was Oliver Charles Earle Welby who was born on the 26th January 1902. He married Barbara Angela Mary Lind Gregory on 18th April 1927 and lived in Folkingham, Lincs, later moving to Denton Manor.

The early shield of Oliver C.E.Welby (1902-1977) is engraved under the base of the cup, Mr Allen was told by leading members of the English silver trade that personal shields in such a location is extremely rare. It is fortunate that this shield is engraved for an identifiable person, when many or most loving cups are made for bodies like colleges and livery companies for whom corporate ownership is an essential and integral feature of the vessel, and one that needs to be symbolized in its design.

It is not unknown for an abbreviated form of owner's insignia to be engraved out of sight as a prudent mark of ownership, but armorial engravings on silver is usually intended for decoration and display. Here it is used with such modesty that its presence is revealed only to those drinking in the loving cup ceremony.

The date the shield must have been engraved when the Owner's (Oliver Charles Earle Welby) was about 6 years old the assay mark being 1908.
Mr Allen also supplied details about armorial shields which we hope to make the subject of a future article in the Guildman

Additional information I have found out from the internet about the village of Denton and Denton Manor the home of the Welby family, produced some interesting facts.

1648 The manor was bought by William Welby

1816-17 The Hall - Denton House entirely rebuilt as handsome stone mansion

1906 January - Denton Manor was severely damaged by a fire which broke out in the chapel in the north wing. Only the west part of the manor survived.

1938-39 Denton Manor was demolished. A sale of fixtures and fitting took place including 3550 feet
of oak, oak and walnut panelling, fireplace and staircases.

Perhaps this is the time when the cup was sold by the Welby family







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