Section II, 1918 [135] Trans. R.S.C. 



Old Church Silver in Canada. 



By E. Alfred Jones, M.A., London, England. 



Presented by Duncan C. Scott, F. R.S.C. 



(Read May Meeting, 1918) 



Much space would be needed for a minute description of the old 

 silver vessels preserved in Canadian churches and ecclesiastical 

 institutions. 



These vessels may be divided into three classes, namely: 



(1) Vessels of European origin, imported into Canada or presented 

 to churches by devoted members and other persons. 



(2) Vessels of American manufacture. 



(3) Vessels wrought in Canada. 



To the first of these classes belong such historical Sacramental 

 services as those in the two Nova Scotia churches of St. Paul's, Halifax, 

 and Christ Church, Windsor; in Trinity Church, St. John, New Bruns- 

 wick and in the Episcopal Cathedral in the City of Quebec. 



The royal service in the historic church of St. Paul's, Halifax, 

 consists of four vessels, which were made by Francis Garthorne of 

 London, a well-known royal silversmith to the courts of William and 

 Mary and Queen Anne. The chalice and one of the flagons are 

 engraved with the royal arms of George HI and are stamped with 

 the maker's mark only. The other flagon and the alms dish have the 

 royal arms of Queen Anne as borne from 1707 till 1714 and reveal the 

 partially erased cipher of that sovereign superimposed by that of 

 George III. These two vessels bear the London date-letter for the 

 year 1711-12 as well as the maker's mark. This service is said to 

 have been transferred from Annapolis Royal to St. Paul's. 



The substitution of one sovereign's arms and cipher, as has been 

 done on this service, for those of another was not unusual in the 

 17th and 18th centuries. Much of the plate at Windsor Castle was 

 altered in this manner at the accession of successive sovereigns.^ 



Francis Garthorne, the above maker, made several services of 

 Sacramental vessels for American Colonial Churches, which, happily, 

 have escaped the vicissitudes of time, and are reverently preserved 

 to this day. Passing mention may be made of the royal services 

 presented to Trinity Church, New York, by William and Mary and 



' The Gold and Silver of Windsor Castle, by E. Alfred Jones. 



