Francis Warren Bonham and his Plate

Miniature of Francis Warren Bonham, blogger's collection

Francis Warren Bonham was born in 1740 in Ballintaggart, County Kildare, Ireland.  He attended Trinity College in Dublin where school records show he was one of the socii comitates, or fellow commoners, which meant he paid twice the normal fees for tuition and room and board, but could finish his studies in three years instead of four.  Francis Warren Bonham graduated on July 15, 1756 and was called to the Irish bar in 1764.  On January 23, 1766, he was elected a member of the Royal Dublin Society.  The following year, Bonham married Mary Ann Leslie, daughter of James Leslie, Bishop of Limerick, and together they had one son (John) and one daughter (Joyce).  In 1776, he married again to Dorothea Herbert of Muckross, with whom he had five more children, only two of whom lived to adulthood, a son Francis Robert and a daughter Susanna.  Bonham inherited the family property in County Kildare in 1781, but he moved to England before the end of the century.  In 1808, when he made his will, Bonham stated he was "late of the City of Dublin but now of the City of Bath."  He died in Richmond, Surrey on September 8, 1810.

Following is an excerpt from Francis Warren Bonham's last will and testament:

"I give such articles of plate as have the mark or crest of the thistle or any other mark crest or arms than those of the mark crest or arms of my own family unto my said son John Bonham...I give to my said daughter Susanna Bonham my two two-handled silver cups with my arms and crest thereto and as to all other my plate...I give...unto my said son Francis Robert Bonham."

The thistle is the crest of the Leslie family of Ireland, of whom Bonham's first wife Mary Ann was a part, so he leaves all his plate with this crest to their son John.  I would assume that most of the silver Bonham leaves his heirs is Irish.  What forms did the silver with the Leslie crest take that he left to his son John?  Do the two-handled cups with the Bonham arms and crest survive?

Sources:
Burke, Ashworth Peter. Family Records. Harrison, 1897. Google Books. Web. 18 Feb. 2015
Burtchaell, George Dames and Thomas Ulick Sadleir. "A Register of the Students, Graduates, Professors, and Provosts of Trinity College, in the University of Dublin."  
    Ireland Genealogy Projects Archives, n.d. Web. 18 Feb. 2015.
Fisher, David R. "BONHAM, Francis Robert." The History of Parliament.. Institute of Historical Research, n.d. Web. 18 Feb. 2015.
"Past Members: Francis Warren Bonham." RDS. RDS Foundation Programme, n.d. Web. 18 Feb. 2015.
The National Archives: PROB 11/1515

Snuff Spoons or Early Salt Spoons?

Geoffrey Wills, in his book Silver: for pleasure and investment, has this to say about salt spoons: "[E]arly eighteenth century examples are miniatures of ordinary spoons.  They were followed by some in the shape of a ladle and others with a bowl in the form of a shovel."  He goes on to say the following about snuff spoons: "[M]iniatures of ordinary spoons were made during the eighteenth century for keeping inside a box to assist in taking snuff" (130).

I recently found two small rattail spoons, pictured below.

Left to right: Spoon by Andrew Archer and spoon by John Ladyman

Top to bottom: Comparison of Ladyman marks on snuff spoon (left) and tablespoon (right); Archer marks.  Can you make out the lion's head erased?

Size comparison of spoons, left to right: Archer snuff spoon, Ladyman snuff spoon, Ladyman teaspoon, Ladyman tablespoon

The first, by Andrew Archer, is 3 1/8 inches long and, if I squint my eyes just right, the second mark looks like the lion's head erased.  For its size it has a good gauge.  The second spoon is just over 3 1/4 inches in length and is made by John Ladyman.  The complete maker's mark is not present, but comparing it to other pieces in my collection with his mark, I feel confident attributing it to Ladyman.  The lion's head erased is clear.

So, are these snuff spoons or early 18th century salt spoons?

Sources:
Wills, Geoffrey.  Silver: for pleasure and investment. New York: Arco Publishing Company, Inc., 1969. Print.