Each shaped circular with waved gadrooned rim cast and chased with lambrequins, shells and foliage, the centre engraved with a coat-of-arms beneath a baron's coronet, encircled by the arms of the cities or towns of London, Bath, Chester, Great Yarmouth, Berwick, Bristol, York, Worcester, Boston, Exeter and Bristol, engraved on reverse with an inscription, marked underneath
18¾ in. (47.5 cm.) diameter
215 oz. 5 dwt. (6,696 gr.)
The arms are those of the Legge for Henry Bilson-Legge, 2nd Baron Stawell (1757-1820).

The inscription reads:
'THIS AND A SIMILAR SALVER
WERE OBTAINED IN EXCHANGE FOR
A GREAT NUMBER OF BOXES
PRESENTED IN 1757
BY THE VARIOUS CORPORATE BODIES OF GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND
TO THE
RIGHT HONORABLE HENRY BILSON LEGGE
ON THE 9TH APRIL 1757
MR LEGGE AND MR PITT
WERE DISMISSED FROM THE ADMINISTRATION
OF THE DUKE OF NEWCASTLE
MEETINGS WERE IMMEDIATELY HELD
IN THE PRINCIPAL CITIES OF THE KINGDOM
AT WHICH ADDRESSES AND
THE FREEDOMS OF THEIR CORPORATIONS
WERE VOTED TO THE DISCARDED MINISTERS
WHO ON THE 22ND JUNE
IN THE SAME YEAR
WERE RESTORED TO THEIR OFFICES
AMIDST THE ACCLAMATIONS OF THEIR
FELLOW COUNTRYMEN.'

The Freedom Boxes presented to Henry Bilson-Legge (1708-1764), by descent to his son,
Henry Bilson-Legge, 2nd Baron Stawell (1757-1820), by descent to his daughter and heir,
Mary, wife of John Dutton, 2nd Baron Sherborne (1779-1862) of Sherborne Park, Gloucestershire, who commissioned the sideboard dishes, by descent to, Ralph Stawell Dutton, 8th Baron Sherborne (1898-1985), of Hinton Ampner House, Hampshire, then under the terms of the will of Edward Dutton, 4th Baron Sherborne (1813-1919) to his kinsman,
Michael John James George Robert Howard, 21st Earl of Suffolk and 14th Earl of Berkshire (1935-2022), then by descent.

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Lot Essay

THE BILSON-LEGGE FREEDOM BOX SIDEBOARD DISHES
Commissioned by John Dutton, 2^ndBaron Sherborne (1779-1862) and his wife Mary, daughter of Henry Bilson-Legge, 2^ndBaron Stawell (1757-1820). These dishes commemorate the achievements of Mary’s grandfather, the statesman Henry Bilson-Legge (1708-1764). The numerous freedom boxes he received in 1757 following his resignation from the post of Chancellor of the Exchequer, in sympathy with Pitt the Elder’s dismissal from office, were exchanged for the two impressive sideboard dishes adorned with the arms of the donor cities and a long dedicatory inscription.

JOHN DUTTON, 2ND BARON SHERBORNE
The 2nd Baron Sherborne, the son of James Dutton, 1st Baron Sherborne (1744-1820) and his wife Elizabeth Coke, daughter of Wenman Coke of Holkham, Norfolk, played a significant role in the architectural development of Sherborne House. Park. His marriage to Mary Legge in 1803 later brought a considerable inheritance on the death of her father Henry Bilson-Legge, 2nd Baron Stawell of Somerton in 1820. Lord Stawell’s father had been Lord Chancellor and a younger son of the Earl of Dartmouth.

It can be no coincidence that Lord Sherborne started to correspond with various architects around 1820, looking to complete his father’s intention of rebuilding the family seat. Sir Robert Smirke (1780-1867) was involved briefly, but it was not until the late 1820s that work started under the architect Lewis Wyatt (1777-1853), son of Benjamin Wyatt. Wyatt was noticeably absent for much of the time and numerous problems later emerged include dry rot in a number of the ground floor room. Remedial work was carried out by Anthony Salvin (1799-1881), who designed many of the ornate ceilings. The firm of Morant and Son finished in the interiors with work commencing in 1838.

Lord Sherborne enlarged and aggrandised his grandfather’s dinner service, using the services of Paul Storr to create dish covers and more utilitarian pieces such as the knife tray, lot 458.