Plate

Pewter plate, the rim is engraved with the Crowned Garter and Royal Arms of Hanover of 1816-1837 (the arms of England in the first and fourth quarters, Scotland in the second and Ireland in the third, with the arms of Hanover placed on an escutcheon overall surmounted by a Royal Crown and a three-point label). The Royal Arms are flanked by the words ‘ROYAL’ and ‘KENTISH’. The centre of the plate has an engraved crest of a Boar’s head on a torse, and below are scratched inscriptions ‘W. LE. LISZT’ and ‘Ave Maria’ which were evidently added at a later date. There are faint touches underneath of two ‘Xs’; a ‘LONDON SUPERFINE’ label and the very indistinct mark of Thomas Alderson, London, OP40 of 16 Great Marlborough Street and Thames Bank, Chelsea. Alderson was active from c.1796-1825 and was Pewterer to King George IV.The Royal Kentish Bowmen formed in 1785, was a socially prestigious archery club, from 1789 under the patronage of George, Prince of Wales. The club met on Dartford Heath and in addition to archery competitions they had premises where dinners were held; the organisation did not survive the Napoleonic Wars. The three-point label in the Royal Arms indicates that the Arms are those of the Prince of Wales. See C.R. Humphery-Smith, ‘The Royal Heraldry of England’, in The Coat of Arms, vi (1960-61) and vii (1962-63). Alderson made most of the pewter for the Coronation Banquet of George IV in 1821 (see Tom Pickett ‘The Coronation banquet of George IV’ in JPS, Spring 2008, pp 36-40.