A pair of George II silver Dishes, London 1745

Diameters: 29 inches and 17 inches
Weight (gross): 165 oz 10 dwt

Each shaped circular, with gadrooned rim and leaves at intervals, the border finely engraved with a coat-of-arms within a rococo cartouche, also marked No. 1 95:19 and No. 2 wt. 71 oz. = 14.
Provenance: Sir John Major, 1st baronet, of Worlingworth Hall, Suffolk (1698-1781) and then by descent to his son-in-law
John, 1st Baron Henniker (1724-1803) and then by descent to
Charles, 6th Baron Henniker (1872-1956)
A Nobleman [Lord Henniker], sold Christie's, London, 30 March 1911, lots 113 and 114
Christie's, London, 15 June 2004, lots 78 and 79
With Alastair Dickenson, London
The arms are those of Major impaling Dale for Sir John Major of Worlingworth Hall, Suffolk (1698-1781) and his wife Elizabeth (d. 1780), only daughter of Daniel Dale of Bridlington, who he married in 1723. In 1741, Sir John became an Elder Brother of Trinity House of Deptford Strand, a guild of mariners whose responsibilities included licensing ship pilots and constructing lighthouses in England and Wales. Sir John was created baronet in 1765, having also served as Sheriff of Suffolk in 1754 and M.P. from Scarborough from 1761. Upon his death, the title passed to his son-in-law John Henniker (1724-1803), who was created Baron Henniker in 1800.
Artist Biography:
Parentage undiscovered. First mark as smallworker, 5 February 1724. Address: St. Lenrd (Leonards) Court, Foster Lane. Second mark as largeworker, then described as clothworker, 29 June 1739. Address: In Lilley Pot Lane. Moved to Foster Lane, 20 April 1743. Third mark as partner with John Stamper, 20 July 1753, no address. Married 19 October 1723 at Christchurch, Newgate, to Elizabeth Parker, both of St. Leonard, Foster Lane. Two daughters baptized at Christchurch, 1724 and 1725, a third at St. Vedast, 1733, and son John at same, 7 September 1737. In 1742 Aldridge was tried at the instigation of the Goldsmiths' Company for counterfeiting marks but acquitted by the jury, 'Contrary to the Opinion of the Court' (Minutes, 5 August 1742). Heal records him at the Golden Ewer, Lillypot Lane, 1739-43; and at the same sign Foster Lane, 1743 until after 1762; as London 1763-5; also as in partnership with Stamper, 1753-7. It seems probably that he was dead by 1766-7 if, from the lozenge punch, we accept mark 3530 as that of his widow. Although described as Clothworker in his second entry of 1739 there is no record of his name in the index of freemen of that Company, but William Plummer was apprenticed to him as a Clothworker 4 February 1746-7 when Aldridge is described as of Green Street, Leicester Fields, Goldsmith.