PRESENTED IS A RARE PAIR OF GEORGE III, REGENCY, SCOTTISH ENTREE DISHES CREATED BY JAMES MCKAY I-- EDINBURGH's MOST ACCOMPLISHED MAKER OF THE EARLY 1800s- IN 1811;

JAMES MCKAY I APPRENTICED TO ALEXANDER GARDNER IN 1783 AND GAINED HIS FREEDOM IN 1793;

THE EXTENSIVE LIST OF OVER SEVENTEEN SILVERSMITHS WHO APPRENTICED TO JAMES MCKAY I IN THE FIRST TWO DECADES OF THE 1800s-- ADAM ELDER, JAMES SLIGH(T),  JOHN RICHARDSON I, AND WILLIAM BEATTIE, JUST TO NAME A FEW- MUST SAY SOMETHING ABOUT HIS MASTERY IN THE CRAFT;

THE PRESENT PAIR OF ENTREE DISHES ARE OF  RECTANGULAR SHAPE WITH GADROON BORDERS, THE HERALDIC FINIALS IN THE FORM OF A HUNTSMAN BLOWING A HORN. THE SLIP-LOCK FINIALS ARE REMOVABLE TO YIELD FOUR DISHES ; 

THE UNUSUALLY EXQUISITE FINIALS ARE FASHIONED TO RESEMBLE THE FAMILY CREST OF SIR GEORGE CLERK OF PENNYCUIK, 6th BARONET, (1787-1867) WHO SERVED AS A MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT FOR: EDINBURGH FROM 1811 TO 1837, STAMFORD FROM 1837 TO  1847 DOVER FROM 1847 TO 1852;

THE CLERKS OF PENNYCUICK DESCEND FROM JOHN CLERK, LAIRD OF KILHUNTLY, THE STANCH FRIEND OF QUEEN MARY OF SCOTS. HIS DESCENDANT, SIR JOHN CLERK OF PENNYCUIK WAS CREATED A BARONET OF NOVA SCOTIA BY CHARLES II IN 1679;

THE BARONY OF PENNICUIK IS HELD BY A SINGULAR TENURE: THAT THE PROPRIETOR MUST SIT ON A PIECE OF ROCK , CALLED THE BUCKSTANE, AND WIND THREE BLASTS OF A HORN WHEN THE SOVEREIGN SHALL COME TO HUNT ON THE BOROUGH MUIR, NEAR EDINBURGH. HENCE, THE FAMILY CREST OF A HUNTSMAN BLOWING A HORN;

EXCELLENT CONDITION SAVE FOR THE EXPECTED AGE-WEAR-- SOME RUBBING TO MARKS- NO: PINGS, MONOGRAM REMOVAL, REPAIRS ;

FULLY MARKED: ALL PARTS NUMBERED 3 & 4;  

LENGTH: 11 1/2" (29.2 cm.);

WEIGHT: 119 7/10 STANDARD OUNCES (3,394 g.)