Show me:
and
Clear all filters

  • 34 items
  • 25 items Explore
  • 89 items
  • 3,547 items Explore
  • 97 items Explore
  • 272 items
  • 4 items
  • 220 items
  • 13,320 items Explore
  • 209 items Explore
  • 1,225 items Explore
  • 8,753 items Explore
  • 5,077 items Explore
  • 62 items Explore
  • 165 items Explore
  • 13,005 items Explore
  • 13,617 items Explore
  • 4,811 items Explore
  • 1 items
  • 5 items
  • 149 items Explore
  • 2,001 items Explore
  • 4,759 items Explore
  • 422 items Explore
  • 252 items
  • 102 items Explore
  • 19,977 items Explore
  • 34 items Explore
  • 1,927 items Explore
  • 1,083 items Explore
  • 5 items
  • 2,107 items Explore
  • 2 items
  • 456 items Explore
  • 920 items Explore
  • 1 items Explore
  • 5 items
  • 7 items
  • 20,319 items Explore
  • 800 items Explore
  • 19 items
  • 73 items Explore
  • 33 items
  • 793 items
  • 20 items
  • 4 items
  • 26 items
  • 61 items
  • 28 items
  • 319 items Explore
  • 6 items
  • 44 items Explore
  • 1 items
  • 2 items
  • 2 items
  • 7 items
  • 121 items Explore
  • 119 items
  • 1 items
  • 935 items Explore
  • 813 items
  • 95 items
  • 27 items
  • 107 items
  • 37,426 items Explore
  • 1 items
  • 3,881 items Explore
  • 1,531 items Explore
  • 403 items
  • 125 items Explore
  • 10,423 items Explore
  • 9,684 items Explore
  • 4 items
  • 1 items
  • 38 items
  • 3 items
  • 4 items
  • 6,779 items Explore
  • 2 items
  • 7,364 items Explore
  • 4,665 items Explore
  • 1,910 items Explore
  • 1,194 items Explore
  • 23,713 items Explore
  • 3,663 items Explore
  • 17 items
  • 5 items
  • 334 items
  • 1 items
  • 1 items
  • 3,354 items Explore
  • 23 items Explore
  • 374 items Explore
  • 796 items Explore
  • 1,093 items Explore
  • 514 items Explore
  • 1,146 items Explore
  • 89 items
  • 125 items Explore
  • 6,955 items Explore
  • 76 items
  • 109 items
  • 4 items
  • 2 items
  • 63 items
  • 2 items
  • 2,909 items Explore
  • 1,582 items Explore
  • 203 items
  • 90 items
  • 22,212 items Explore
  • 1,329 items Explore
  • 138 items
  • 847 items Explore
  • 32 items
  • 1 items
  • 130 items Explore
  • 40 items
  • 20 items
  • 252 items
  • 313 items
  • 685 items Explore
  • 346 items Explore
  • 2,429 items
  • 2,544 items
  • 3 items
  • 1 items
  • 1 items
  • 4,393 items Explore
  • 40,350 items Explore
  • 1 items
  • 3,293 items Explore
  • 275 items Explore
  • 8,778 items Explore
  • 31 items
  • 25 items
  • 304 items Explore
  • 777 items Explore
  • 3 items
  • 65 items
  • 161 items
  • 50 items
  • 52 items
  • 23,482 items Explore
  • 916 items
  • 66 items
  • 22,644 items Explore
  • 2 items
  • 2,337 items Explore
  • 1 items
  • 1,028 items Explore
  • 4 items
  • 759 items
  • 499 items
  • 4 items
  • 3,308 items Explore
  • 179 items
  • 59 items
  • 454 items Explore
  • 3 items
  • 21 items
  • 90 items Explore
  • 76 items
  • 281 items Explore
  • 1 items
  • 6 items
  • 128 items
  • 295 items
  • 447 items
  • 288 items
  • 1 items
  • 906 items Explore
  • 272 items Explore
  • 211 items
  • 11,295 items Explore
  • 755 items Explore
  • 6,030 items Explore
  • 2 items
  • 8,298 items Explore
  • 27 items
  • 1 items
  • 5,977 items Explore
  • 4 items
  • 3,725 items Explore
  • 9,182 items Explore
  • 7,885 items Explore
  • 185 items
  • 19 items
  • 144 items
  • 7 items
  • 853 items Explore
  • 19 items
  • 8 items
  • 1,096 items Explore
  • 270 items
  • 1 items
  • 2,063 items
  • 3,543 items Explore
  • 695 items Explore
  • 18 items
  • 134 items
  • 6,744 items Explore
  • 95 items
  • 18,938 items Explore
  • 3,136 items Explore
  • 3 items
  • 7 items
  • 10,979 items Explore
  • 37 items
  • 2 items
  • 21,448 items Explore
  • 35 items
  • 13,292 items Explore
  • 3,462 items Explore
  • 5,661 items Explore
  • 33 items
  • 50,863 items Explore
  • 4 items
  • 634 items Explore
  • 417 items
  • 26,946 items Explore
  • 216 items
  • 3 items
  • 6 items
  • 1 items
  • 35 items
  • 27 items
  • 445 items Explore
  • 636 items
  • 209 items Explore
  • 13 items
  • 13,667 items Explore
  • 1,360 items Explore
  • 3 items
  • 10,260 items
  • 9 items
  • 10 items
  • 14 items
  • 25 items
  • 1 items
  • 4,528 items Explore
  • 913 items Explore
  • 1 items
  • 1 items
  • 314 items
  • 511 items Explore
  • 42 items
  • 2,286 items Explore
  • 1,664 items Explore
  • 15 items
  • 1,876 items Explore
  • 150 items
  • 81 items
  • 766 items Explore
  • 3,134 items Explore
  • 44 items
  • 17 items
  • 12 items
  • 10,669 items Explore
  • 23,447 items Explore
  • 3 items
  • 1 items
  • 41 items
  • 1,374 items
  • 179 items Explore
  • 8 items
  • 84 items
  • 1 items
  • 13,584 items Explore
  • 3,582 items Explore
  • 2,904 items Explore
  • 4,798 items Explore
  • 22 items
  • 30 items
  • 6,910 items Explore
  • 4,841 items Explore
  • 256 items Explore
  • 2,300 items Explore
  • 2,978 items Explore
  • 2 items
  • 1,897 items Explore
  • 193 items
  • 223 items Explore
  • 466 items Explore
  • 6,118 items Explore
  • 8,729 items Explore
  • 1,860 items Explore
  • 3 items
  • 1 items
  • 5,941 items Explore
  • 3,354 items Explore
  • 11,128 items Explore
  • 1 items
  • 84 items
  • 11 items
  • 2,547 items Explore
  • 7 items
  • 23 items
  • 51 items
  • 6 items
  • 1 items
  • 4,258 items Explore
  • 611 items Explore
  • 72 items
  • 17 items
  • 154 items Explore
  • 1 items
  • 95 items Explore
  • 458 items
  • 996 items Explore
  • 3,554 items Explore
  • 4 items
  • 5 items
  • 2 items
  • 9,539 items Explore
  • 48 items Explore
  • 3 items
  • 7 items
  • 42 items
  • 3 items
  • 13,790 items Explore
  • 4 items
  • 1,161 items Explore
  • 92 items
  • 10,561 items Explore
  • 1,920 items
  • 18 items
  • 6,835 items Explore
  • 21 items
  • 12,951 items Explore
  • 1,418 items Explore
  • 8 items
  • 6,173 items Explore
  • 14,893 items Explore
  • 4 items
  • 1,667 items Explore
  • 181 items Explore
  • 4 items
  • 15 items
  • 5,686 items Explore
  • 12,284 items Explore
  • 48 items
  • 25 items
  • 2 items
  • 3 items
  • 7,216 items Explore
  • 357 items Explore
  • 13 items
  • 6 items
  • 103 items Explore
  • 7 items
  • 5 items
  • 485 items
  • 667 items Explore
  • 8,371 items Explore
  • 58 items
  • 7,347 items Explore
  • 5 items
  • 26 items
  • 4,615 items Explore
  • 428 items
  • 339 items Explore
  • 12,715 items Explore
  • 55 items
  • 20 items
  • 7 items
  • 4 items
  • 325 items Explore
  • 427 items
  • 458 items
  • 1 items
  • 3,704 items Explore
  • 27 items
  • 1,238 items Explore
  • 2,503 items Explore
  • 733 items Explore
  • 36 items
  • 1,136 items Explore
  • 97 items Explore
  • 24 items
  • 228 items Explore
  • 80,089 items Explore
  • 1 items
  • 3,136 items Explore
  • 2,874 items Explore
  • 25 items
  • 5,349 items Explore
  • 1,831 items Explore
  • 4 items
  • 17,515 items Explore
  • 4,930 items Explore
  • 1 items
  • 7 items
  • 631 items Explore
  • 85 items
  • 31 items
  • 1 items
  • 76 items
  • 29 items
  • 86 items
  • 3 items
  • 1,176 items Explore
  • 109 items
  • 805 items
  • 12,545 items Explore
  • 27 items
  • 13 items
  • 1,709 items Explore
  • 214 items
  • 17,037 items Explore
  • 85 items
  • 17 items
  • 1 items
  • 8 items
  • 324 items
  • 2 items
  • 626 items Explore
  • 1,597 items Explore
  • 8 items
  • 1,130 items Explore
  • 376 items
  • 2 items
  • 343 items

Select a time period

Or choose a specific year

Clear all filters

Patriotic Fund Vase

Benjamin Smith

Date

1807 - 1809

Materials

Silver, sterling

Measurements

39 x 21.7 x 20 cm; Weight 3610 g

Place of origin

London

Order this image

Collection

Anglesey Abbey, Cambridgeshire

NT 516501

Summary

A Patriotic Fund vase, silver (sterling), mark of Benjamin Smith, for Rundell, Bridge & Rundell, London, 1807/9. Of Greek volute krater shape, the vase is formed of four parts, a two-handled cup, collar, cover and finial. The body of the cup is raised. It stands on a cast circular foot decorated with a narrow border of water leaves round a wide band of fluting, which supports a short stem, with an everted cast border of water leaves. The lower sides of the cup’s body are applied with cast and chased acanthus leaves alternating with sprigs of acorns. Applied above are large cast and chased figures representing Britannia and Hercules. The seated Britannia’s extended right hand supports the winged figure of Victory holding aloft a crown of laurel leaves; her left arm holds a sheaf of palm leaves and rests on her shield, which is charged with the British lion. On the opposite side a cloaked Hercules is depicted slaying the triple-headed Hydra. Beneath the rim of the vase two applied hawser-laid (right twisted) ropework borders sit either side of an embossed and chased frieze of quatrefoils and meandering scrolling foliage on a matted ground. Rising vertically from the sides of the vase are two cast handles, rectangular in cross section and applied with a rope border; the top scrolls round a Tudor rose patera, whilst the base is attached to the body with a daisy-like patera partially surrounded by a ring of oak leaves and acorns. The detachable collar is raised and applied with a narrow flange. Its slightly domed sides are applied with a border of scrolling volutes, and another of leaves and berries on a matted ground, and at the everted lip of the wide spool-shaped top is a border of gadroons. The flat cover is raised and applied with a narrow flange. The large cast finial, in the form of a finely modelled lion passant, is secured with one nut. The second screw has broken off the lion’s paw, and the nut is missing, so they have been replaced by a base metal screw screwed into the lion’s paw. The collar of the vase is inscribed: ‘From the PATRIOTIC FUND AT LLOYD’S/ TO THE HONORABLE ALEXANDER COCHRANE, REAR ADMIRAL OF THE WHITE/ FOR HIS NOBLE SUPPORT IN THE COMPLEAT VICTORY EFFECTED BY HIS MAJESTY’S FLEET/ IN AS SHORT A PERIOD AS THE NAVAL ANNALS OF GREAT BRITAIN EVER RECORDED/ OVER A SQUADRON OF FRENCH SHIPS OF THE LINE, OFF S DOMINCO/ On the 5th February 1806’. Heraldry: None Recipient: Rear Admiral the Hon. Alexander Cochrane Hallmarks:  Fully marked on the on the foot ring: ‘BS’ (Benjamin Smith*), lion passant (sterling), leopard’s head (London), ‘N’ (1808/9), and monarch’s head (duty mark); part marked on the flange of the vase’s collar: ‘BS’, lion passant, and ‘N’; on the flange of the cover: ‘lion passant, and ‘M’ 1807/8); and on the stomach of the lion: monarch’s head, lion passant, and ‘BS’. (The nut is not hallmarked.) *Arthur Grimwade: London Goldsmiths 1697-1837, 1990, p 28, no 229 Scratch weight: None Other marks: To identify the four parts of the vase they are all stamped with the number ‘3’.

Full description

NOTES ON PATRIOTIC FUND VASES On the same day in 1798 as the London Gazette announced Nelson’s victory over the French fleet at the Battle of the Nile, the Morning Chronicle carried an advertisement from Lloyd’s Coffee House announcing: ‘A subscription for the relief of the Widows and Children of the Brave Men who fell in the service of the KING and COUNTRY and for such as have been wounded in the glorious victory obtained by the British Fleet, under command of Rear Admiral Sir Horatio Nelson’. [1] This was not the first public subscription of its kind – numerous appeals had been run throughout the 18th century. Just five years’ later, in May 1803, after little more than a year’s peace with France, hostilities were renewed. In July Lloyd’s of London met ‘for the purpose of setting on foot a general subscription, on an extended scale, for the encouragement and relief of those who may be engaged in the defence of the country and who may suffer in the common cause.’ A committee, of what came to be known as the Patriotic Fund, was formed, with their resolutions published in a leaflet and newspapers, and funds sought. By August The Times was able to report that: ‘The Committee acknowledge with true patriotic pride that the Subscription exceeds any that has been recorded in the Annals of our History’. A competition was held to find suitable designs for the awards. The top prize of fifty guineas was won by the architect and artist, John Shaw (1776-1832) for his design for a vase, and by the painter, Edward Edwards (1738-1806) for his drawings for a medal. However, the committee wrote that the two winning designs were nearly the same, so both could serve ‘as the principal ornaments’ for both vase and medal. Anthony Twist suggests that this wording implies that Edwards’ design played some part in the final decoration of the vase. It is presumed that the drawings were passed to Rundell & Bridge, the crown jewellers, who were chosen to make the Patriotic Fund vases. They were an obvious choice. They were patronised by the chairman of the Patriotic Fund, John Angerstein (1735-1823), a Lloyds underwriter and businessman, the Corporation of London, Admiral Lord Nelson, and the British royal family. Rundell’s were in their ascendancy. ‘At its zenith no other firm could rival their business in the size of stock of silver, jewellery, snuffboxes or other luxury goods, nor in the immense capital they had accumulated.’ [2] They were also masters of the fashionable neo-classical style typified by the krater shape of the Patriotic Fund vase. They invited John Flaxman (1755-1826), the renowned sculptor and illustrator, to modify the winning design(s). Sadly, the drawings do not survive and without them we are unable tell how much Flaxman altered Shaw’s original design or how Edwards’ drawing of the medal may have influenced the shape or decoration of the vase. By 1815 the Patriotic Fund had raised £543,000, most of which had already been distributed to aid the injured and the families of those killed in battle. However, Patriotic Fund vases were only presented between 1804 and 1809. In total 73 vases were awarded, although a few more may have been produced. (There is one in the Victoria & Albert Museum which was never inscribed, so may have been surplus to requirements.) The first vase to be presented was valued at £30, and is not krater shaped, probably because its creation predates the production of Flaxman’s vases. Most of the awards were for £100 vases, and all are of the same krater shape but with minor variations. The £300 and £500 vases are of the same design, but sometimes larger and on a stand, such as those awarded after Trafalgar to Lady Nelson, on the death of her husband, and to Vice-Admiral Lord Collingwood; both of which are now in the Royal Collection. The Admiralty and the War Office recommended the servicemen for deeds of outstanding leadership or marks of bravery. Their recommendations were then considered by the committee managing the fund. The names of the recipients were recorded, along with the date when the committee voted that they should receive the award, its value, the inscription, the final cost, and the date of delivery. Thirteen vases were awarded for the defeat of the French Fleet off St Domingo; one of £400, two of £300 and ten of £100. Admiral Sir Alexander Cochrane was selected to receive one of the £300 vases on 25 March 1806, but it was not delivered until November 1810. [3] We do not know the reason for the delay between the award and delivery of the vase, but gaps of three to five, or even six, years were not uncommon, perhaps because the recipient was abroad or still deciding between a sword or vase. What is curious is that this vase is of similar design, weight and dimensions to the two £100 vases at Anglesey Abbey (see 516454 and 51652). Rear-Admiral Sir Thomas Louis received the only other £300 vase awarded for the defeat of the French at St Domingo. His vase, now at Balliol College Oxford, has a stand. It is therefore presumed that the stand for Cochrane’s vase was lost. The Admiral’s illegitimate nephew, Capt. ND Cochrane, who commanded the Kingfisher at the battle of St Domingo was awarded a £100 vase on the same day as his uncle. [1] Anthony Twist: Towards The Patriotic Fund; The Journal of The Silver Society, 2010, No 26, pp 75-95 [2] Christopher Hartop: Royal Goldsmiths The Art of Rundell & Bridge 1797-1843, 2005, p 21 [3] Leslie Southwick: The Silver Vases Awarded to the Patriotic Fund: The Journal of The Silver Society Winter 1990, pp 27-49 NOTES ON ADMIRAL SIR ALEXANDER COCHRANE KCB Alexander Forester Inglis Cochrane (1758-1832) was the sixth son of the 8th Earl of Dundonald and his second wife, Jane Stuart. He joined the Royal Navy as a boy and served with British naval forces in North America, South America, the East Indies, Egypt and the Caribbean. He commanded the Northumberland at the Battle of San Domingo where his prompt action to swing his ship between the French cannons and the British flagship saved the flagship. Although the fire was so close and heavy that several shots passed straight through Cochrane’s ship into the British flagship. Twenty-one of Northumberland’s sailors were killed and seventy-nine wounded, with Cochrane narrowly escaping death when his hat was carried off his head by a huge splinter. To honour his part in the victory he was appointed KCB and received the thanks of both Houses of Parliament. During the blockading of the United States to prevent their trading with France, Cochrane, then a vice-admiral, served as commander-in-chief of both the North American Station in Bermuda and the West Indies Station in Jamaica. Perhaps the best remembered of Cochrane’s many actions at that time is his command of the landing of the British troops who were responsible for the burning of Washington in 1814. In 1821 Cochrane was appointed Commander-in-Chief of Plymouth, one of the most senior positions in the Royal Navy, a post he held until his retirement in 1824. He died aged 73 whilst visiting his daughter in Paris.

Provenance

Admiral Sir Alexander Inglis Cochrane KGCB (1758-1832) (Urban) Huttleston Rogers Broughton, 1st Lord Fairhaven (1896-1966); bequeathed by Lord Fairhaven to the National Trust along with the house and the rest of the contents. National Trust.

Credit line

Anglesey Abbey, the Fairhaven Collection (National Trust)

Makers and roles

Benjamin Smith, goldsmith Rundell, Bridge and Rundell, goldsmith

View more details