98 



AMERICAN HOMES AND GARDENS 



March, 19 13 



Revere was the son of a 

 silversmith who had come to 

 the colony from France 

 where the name was Rivoire. 

 The third of twelve chil- 

 dren, Paul early entered his 

 father's shop, and when he 

 was nineteen he carried on 

 the business at his father's 

 death. His political activity 

 and the prominent part he 

 took in the affairs of the 

 times probably occupied only 

 a share of his attention, for 

 he has left work which fully 



lost in oblivion. Much of 

 their work is yet in existence, 

 but comparatively little is 

 known of the makers or 

 where they lived and worked. 

 George Ridout, an English- 

 man, settled in New York 

 about 1746 and conducted a 

 shop "near the ferry stairs." 

 Richard Van Dyck had a shop 

 in Hanover Square, which is 

 now blocked and choked by 

 the structures of an elevated 

 railroad. Freeman Woods 

 worked at 1 1 Smith Street, 

 and not far away was the 

 shop of Adrian Bancker, son 

 of a Mayor of Albany. 



attests his industry as well as 



his excellent ability and con- Tea-set by Paul Revere. Presented to Edmund Hartt, constructor of 



summate skill. the frigate Boston by his fellow-citizens in 1 799 



But Revere was not the only Boston metal worker whose Newport in its earlier days was a seaport of much promi- 

 work won renown in those early days. John Hull was nence and importance and grew wealthy from the corn- 

 regarded as the dean of Massachusetts silversmiths, and merce which passed in and out of its harbor; metalsmiths 

 the records of the period describe him as a merchant prince nourished in those prosperous days, as many examples of 

 of New England. His partner was Robert Sanderson, early Newport silver abundantly testify. Philadelphia, 

 and for 30 years they coined the pine tree shillings, the noted always for its good taste as well as for its encourage- 

 making of which was regarded in England as an act of defi- ment of whatever lends comfort or luxury to the home, gave 

 ance to the royal prerogative. It was long a tradition in ample support to workers in silver, and Philadelphia silver- 

 New England that Hull gave as his daughter's dowry her smiths were well to the fore with wares which rivaled even 

 weight in pine tree shillings. those of the very eminent craftsmen of Massachusetts. 



Jeremiah Dummer, of a family still prominent in Massa- The early silversmiths were necessarily very able and 



chusetts, was also an important member of the guild of 

 silver workers, as was also his brother-in-law, John Cony, 

 who, besides being one of the subscribers 

 toward the building of King's Chapel in 

 1689, also engraved the plates for the first 

 paper money used in America. Another 

 influential craftsman was John Edwards, 

 whose shop was at 6 Dock Street, and still 

 another was Edward Winslow, who re- 

 ceived his permit as goldsmith from the 

 selectmen in 1702. Records of many of 

 the early New York silversmiths have been 



clever engravers, for much of the excellence and beauty of 

 their wares depended upon the skill with which they en- 

 ■ graved the lettering, crests, coats of arms 

 and other decorations which they used. 

 The same engravers designed and exe- 

 cuted many of the early American book- 

 plates, and the brilliant cartoons of one 

 early engraver, who was primarily a sil- 

 versmith, form a bitter arraignment of 

 the policy of the British government of the 

 day. Their skill in designing and engrav- 

 ing also played an important part in the 



A group showing a fluted tea-urn, sugar-bowl, and tea-pot by Paul Revere, and other pieces by his contemporaries 



