Antique Sterling Wallace Waverly 7” Lunch Fork (s) Payne-Gentry St Louis History
Own a piece of St. Louis history!
These forks came from a descendent of the Payne-Gentry family, a prominent house here in St. Louis. You can google them, or read a bit about their interesting family accomplishments below.
The forks are quite handsome in of themselves, made by Wallace, Waverly pattern, c 1890. They are engraved “Gentry” on the handle.
7” long.
1.2 troy ounces each.
In good condition, pattern is still crisp.
*Please note this listing is priced PER fork!*
We have a beaver top hat that belonged to William Gentry as well, see our store.
Some History:
William Richard Gentry, (1869-1959) was a prominent lawyer in St. Louis. He attended the University of Missouri. He studied languages in Europe in the mid 1890s. He taught French and German at University of Missouri. Later he became a lawyer. He married Mary Lee Payne and they had a son, WRG Jr. in 1897. Mary Payne Gentry died in 1901, most likely from complications from childbirth.
There is a Payne-Gentry historical home and museum in Bridgeton, MO.
He was the grandson of Richard Gentry and Anne Hawkins Gentry, who were colorful frontier characters who played a large part in the founding of Columbia Missouri.
Richard Gentry (b 1788 - d 1837) came to Missouri from Kentucky. He and his wife started out in St. Louis, but after a land spat that resulted in the shooting of a man, Gentry moved his family to Smithton, which would become Columbia, MO. Richard was Columbia’s first mayor. Richard Gentry was quite the frontiersman. Having come from Kentucky, he served in the battle of 1812, and was appointed a colonel in the Missouri Militia in 1822. In 1826 he was elected to serve in the Missouri Senate. In 1830 President Andrew Jackson appointed him Post Master of Columbia, Missouri, a post he retained unto his death. In 1832 he participated in the Blackhawk War, defending an area in northern Missouri from the Sauk and Fox Indians led by Chief Blackhawk. He served as chairman of a society dedicated to educating Columbia’s womenfolk, which begat the Columbia Female Academy, which was the beginning of Stephens College. In 1838 Gentry went to Florida to participate in the Seminole Wars under future president Zachry Taylor. He was killed in Florida at the Battle of Lake Okeechobee on Christmas Day, 1837. He is immortalized in a very fine painting by Caleb Bingham.
Richard Gentry’s wife, Ann Hawkins Gentry, was no pioneer slouch. She carried her youngest child all the way from Madison County, Kentucky to St. Louis, Missouri riding sidesaddle on a thoroughbred racing mare. Eventually she would have a total of thirteen children. Richard was often gone on his various endeavors, and she was left alone to run their farm and tavern by herself. When her husband died in the Seminole Wars a family friend, Senator Thomas Hart Benton, helped her secure a post as the second female postmistress in the United States, and she ran the mail service from the corner of her tavern. When news of her husband’s death reached her she reportedly said, “I’d rather be a brave man’s widow than a coward’s wife.”
Richard Gentry (b 1788 d 1837)
(Mary Lee Payne Gentry 1869-1901)
Please see our store for more silver, jewelry, antiques, & collectibles!
PLEASE SEE OUR STORE FOR MORE SILVER, ANTIQUES, JEWELRY, AND COLLECTIBLES!
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