Bonhams 1793 : MILITARY INTEREST: A Victorian Britannia standard silver-gilt two-handled basket by Carrington & Co, London 1899

by Carrington & Co, London 1899
In the 18th century Dutch manner; flaring oval form with ropetwist rims, the body pierced with vertical slats between pierced bead borders with a central guilloche band, the upper body applied with two ribboned cast portrait medallions between husked swags, the cast rams head handles with loop attachments, raised on four bracket feet, underside engraved with script monogram F & N R below a coronet "On their Golden Wedding from C. & G. B. 17th May 1909" with clear glass liner, length 40cm, weight 60oz.

Sold for £4,250 inc. premium

Footnotes

The inscription to the underside refers to the Golden Wedding of Frederick Sleigh Roberts (born 30th September 1832) to Nora Henrietta Bews, married at Waterford on 17th May 1859 and celebrated their Golden Wedding in 1909.

Field Marshal Sir Frederick Sleigh Roberts, Bt., 1st Earl Roberts, Baron Roberts of Kandahar, Pretoria and Waterford, and Viscount St Pierre.
VC, KG, KP, PC, GCB, OM, GCSI, GCIE, VD, DCL, LLD, Lit D.
His wife became Nora, Countess Roberts, CI, RRC.

Roberts was Educated at Eton and passed out of Sandhurst. During a distinguished military career he was among the highest ranking and most successful commander's of the British Army during the 19th century.
Roberts rose from Horse Artillery subaltern to Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Army and finally Commander-in-Chief of the British Army (1901-1904). Popularly he was known as 'Bobs'.

Roberts first distinguished himself during the Indian Mutiny 1857 58, being awarded the Victoria Cross medal for actions on 2 January 1858 at Khudaganj. Roberts son Frederick Hugh Sherston Roberts was also awarded the Victoria Cross when he was mortally wounded at the battle of Colenso during the Boer War. Roberts and his son are only three pairs of fathers and sons to be awarded the VC.

He first came to public notice during the 2nd Afghan War (1878-80) which included the occupation of Kabul and leading his troops on the famous march from Kabul to Kandahar resulting in the relieving of the besieged garrison.
During the second Anglo-Boer War he succeeded Horatio Herbert Kitchener as Commander-in-Chief of British Forces in South Africa.

Earl Roberts died on the 14th November 1914 at Saint Omer HQ of the British Army in France. He is buried in St.Paul's Cathedral, becoming one of only two non-royals in the 20th century to lie in state after their death (the other being Winston Churchill).

He was predeceased by two sons and two daughters. The baronetcy and barony therefore became extinct but the Earldom and Viscountcy were inherited by his eldest surviving daughter.
Nora Countess Roberts died on 21 December 1920.