Maxwell Shipwright Family Silver Tobacco Box, 1698
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
1698
This 17th-century English silver tobacco box is of oval form, measuring 3.5 inches (9 cm) in length and weighing 126 grams. The cover is finely engraved with the contemporary arms of the Worshipful Company of Shipwrights, a feature noted as potentially being the oldest known representation of these arms on silver.
The box serves as an extensive genealogical record, with its interior and the underside of the base bearing intricate inscriptions detailing various members of the Maxwell family, including Peter Maxwell (dated 1698), his son Robert (died 1746), William (died 1797), and further descendants through 1827. The object displays London hallmarks, with an identified maker's mark of 'WS' in a heart, attributed to William South, a smallworker who registered his mark in 1670.
The construction of the box reflects the high quality of period silversmithing, combining functional utility with heraldic display and familial documentation, documenting several generations of the Maxwell family through the 18th and early 19th centuries.
Evidence at a glance
- Linked sources
- 1
- Photograph views
- 1
- Catalogue references
- 0
Counts describe this entry’s documentation, not authenticity, rarity or completeness. Photographs may show one specimen; check each caption and licence.
Physical characteristics
- Length
- 3.5 in (9 cm)
- Weight
- 126 g
- Material
- silver
Technical characteristics
- Hallmarks
- London, possibly William South
Design
- Obverse
- engraved with arms of the Shipwrights' Company
- Inscriptions
- Maxwell family lineage (Peter, Robt, Willm, Robt) with dates of death
Identification
- Source note
- Described from a single auction-house listing published on Invaluable (reproduced with Invaluable's permission). Details apply to that one example; other examples of the type may differ, and the listing is supplementary evidence, not authentication.
- Maker named in listing
- William South
Catalogue references
No catalogue numbers recorded. Numbers are only published once transcribed from a verified edition of a standard catalogue — they are never inferred.