PRESENTED IS A MONUMENTAL WILLIAM IV SOLID SILVER PRESENTATION SALVER

CREATED BY THE MOST IMPORTANT MAKER OF THE 1800's, PAUL STORR, IN 1833;

THE SALVER'S IMPORT IS DUE NOT MERELY TO ITS IMPRESSIVE SIZE AND WEIGHT--

POSSIBLY THE LARGEST EVER BY PAUL STORR, BUT ALSO TO ITS HISTORICAL

SIGNIFICANCE;

THE SALVER WAS PRESENTED TO SIR JOHN GLADSTONE 1st BARONET, MEMBER OF

PARLIAMENT, AND FELLOW OF ROYAL SOCIETY OF EDINBURGH (1764-1851) BY THE

WEST INDIA ASSOCIATION OF LIVERPOOL;

JOHN GLADSTONE BORN IN LEITH, SCOTLAND, WAS THE ELDEST SON OF THOMAS

 GLADSTONES (1732-1809) AND HELEN NIELSON (1739-1806). THOMAS WHO WAS A

WHIG AND AN ELDER OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND BECAME A SUCCESSFUL CORN

MERCHANT IN LEITH;

JOHN GLADSTONE FOLLOWED HIS FATHER INTO THE MERCANTILE BUSINESS IN

LEITH BEFORE BASING HIMSELF IN LIVERPOOL IN 1786 WHERE HE ENTERED THE

HOUSE OF CORRIE & COMPANY FIRST AS A CLERK AND LATER AS A PARTNER AT WHICH

TIME THE NAME OF THE HOUSE CHANGED TO CORRIE, GLADSTONE AND BRADSHAW;

THE BUSINESS OF THE FIRM AND THE WEALTH OF ITS PARTNERS SOON GREW VERY

LARGE. AFTER SIXTEEN YEARS OF OPERATIONS, THE PARTNERSHIP WAS DISSOLVED

AND ITS BUSINESS WAS CONTINUED BY JOHN GLADSTONE;

IN 1792, JOHN MARRIED HIS FIRST WIFE JANE HALL, THE DAUGHTER OF A LIVERPOOL

MERCHANT-- SHE DIED IN 1798. JOHN MARRIED HIS SECOND WIFE ANNE MACKENZIE

ROBERTSON, THE DAUGHTER OF ANDREW ROBERTSON, A SOLICITOR AND THE

PROVOST DINGWALL IN ROSS-SHIRE-- ONE OF THEIR CHILDREN, WILLIAM EWART

GLADTONE (1809-1898) SERVED AS PRIME MINISTER FOUR SEPARATE TIMES BETWEEN

(1868 AND 1894);

JOHN GLADSTONE MADE A FORTUNE TRADING  IN  CORN WITH THE UNITED STATES

AND COTTON WITH BRAZIL. HE ACQUIRED LARGE SUGAR PLANTATIONS IN JAMAICA

AND DEMERARA; AS THE CHAIRMAN OF THE WEST INDIA ASSOCIATION, GLADSTONE'S

BUSINESS BECAME SO EXTENSIVE-- HAVING LARGE TRADE WITH RUSSIA AND BEING

THE MAIN IMPORTER OF SUGAR- THAT IN 1814 IT BROKE BRITISH EAST INDIA

COMPANY'S MONOPOLY IN CHINA AND INDIA;

JOHN GLADSTONE MANAGED TO KEEP HIS OVERHEAD COSTS DOWN

THROUGH A WORK FORCE OF 2,508 SLAVES;

IN 1833, WHEN THE SLAVE TRADE WAS ABOLISHED IN THE BRITISH EMPIRE, JOHN

GLADSTONE STARTED A CAMPAIGN FOR OBTAINING COMPENSATION FOR SLAVE

OWNERS. HE RECEIVED 106,769 POUNDS (THE EQUIVALENT OF 83 MILLION POUNDS

TODAY) FOR THE SLAVE WORK FORCE HE OWNED ACROSS NINE PLANTATIONS;

THE PRESENT SALVER WAS PRESENTED TO GLADSTONE BY OTHER SLAVE-OWNER

TRADESMEN OF LIVERPOOL'S ASSOCIATION OF WEST INDIA COMPANY AS A TOKEN OF

THEIR APPRECIATION FOR HIS EFFORTS IN SETTING FINANCIALLY LUCRATIVE

STANDARDS TO COMPLY WITH THE EMANCIPATION OF SLAVES LAW;

THE INSCRIPTION READS:

'PRESENTED TO JOHN GLADSTONE, ESQUIRE, BY THE WEST

INDIA ASSOCIATION OF LIVERPOOL IN TESTIMONY OF THE HIGH SENSE THEY

ENTERTAIN OF THE VALUE OF HIS SERVICES SO ACTIVELY AND BENEFICIALLY

EMPLOYED IN SETTING THE CONDITIONS OF THE EMANCIPATION OF THE SLAVES IN

THE WEST INDIA COLONIES.

An. 1833

IT IS NOTEWORTHY TO MENTION THAT THE PRESENTATION WAS, IN ALL LIKELIHOOD,

COMMISSIONED TO PAUL STORR TO COMPLEMENT THE 1824 PRESENTATION GLADSTONE SERVICE

 WHICH WAS ALSO CREATED  BY PAUL STORR. THE SERVICE SOLD IN 2013 AT CHRISTIES OF

LONDON FOR THE EQUIVALENT OF $972,650;

THE SALVER IS SHAPED CIRCULAR AND RESTS ON FOUR CAST SHELL AND FOLIAGE

FEET, WITH SIMILARLY CAST BORDER, ENGRAVED WITH ELABORATE FOLIAGE

SCROLLS AND LATTICE WORK; THE CENTER ENGRAVED WITH AN IMPRESSIVE COAT OF

ARMS;

THE ARMS ARE THOSE OF GLADSTONE IMPALING ROBINSON FOR SIR JOHN

GLADSTONE AND HIS SECOND WIFE ANNE MACKENZIE ROBINSON;

EXCELLENT CONDITION SAVE FOR SOME SOFT LINES-- NO REPAIRS, SPLITS OR DINTS,

THE ENGRAVING CRISP;

MARKS, ON THE UNDERNEATH, WELL STRUCK AND CLEAR;

DIAMETER 26 3/4" (68 cm.);

WEIGHT: 228 STANDARD OUNCES

(6,453 g.)