
Ellis Finch
Head of Knightsbridge Silver Department
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Sold for £4,096 inc. premium
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Head of Knightsbridge Silver Department

Sale Coordinator for Furniture, Sculpture, Rugs & Tapestries

Specialist
The maker's mark for Thomas Cooper is TC fish / dolphin above, see David M Mitchell, Silversmiths in Elizabethan and Stuart London, (Woodbridge: The Boydell Press, 2017), pages 514 - 515.
These are the unusually presented arms of Martin WILLIS (1650-1694) of Whiston and Halsnead, Lancashire and his wife Ellen DANIEL (born 1660). They were married in 1681 at Wigan, Lancashire.
Martin WILLIS was the son and heir of Thomas WILLIS (1627-1694) of Whiston and later (from 1684) of Halsnead Park and Hall, Lancashire by his wife Elizabeth MARTIN (born 1625) daughter of Edward MARTIN of Drogheda, Ireland. Martin would have inherited the estate at Halsnead and other long term holdings at Whiston but he pre-deceased his father. Fortunately, Martin had two sons: Daniel (died 1693) and Thomas (died 1727).
Ellen DANIEL is believed to have been born at Halsnead and it is suggested the name refers to the DANYELL or D'ANYERS family name. The family arms are expected to refer to the DANIEL family of Over Tabley and Daresbury, Cheshire from which Ellen is expected to descend. The family are of Norman origin.
Although the WILLIS and DANIEL arms are identified in the armorial, it is expected that the other arms (sinister chief) are possibly intended to represent the armorial holding of the MARTIN family.