A GEORGE III SILVER TWO HANDLED OVAL TRAY by John Crouch I ...

Estimate

£2,000 - £3,000

A GEORGE III SILVER TWO HANDLED OVAL TRAY

by John Crouch I and Thomas Hannam, London 1798, the shaped rim with cast scalloped and leaf scroll mounts, the interior with leaf scroll engraving, on cast panel feet, 5cm high x 70cm wide x 44.5cm deep, 125 tr. ozs, with presentation engraving worded 'Presented to William Green Esq., by Francis Bligh Hockey Esq. March 1834'

Provenance: Presented to William Green, thence by family descent.

Note: The Greens had a prominent timber ­importing and coal business in London and Bedford. At the date of inscription (1834) William was living at Pavenham Bury, a house in the village of Pavenham, Bedfordshire.  This house was demolished some years ago and is now a housing estate (The Bury). 

In 1836 his eldest son, Thomas Abbott Green, bought Felmersham House, a decent farmhouse with stables, coach-house and barn in the nearby village of Felmersham.  He demolished the house and built a larger one on the site, naming it Felmersham Grange. 
In 1852 Thomas Green moved into Felmersham Grange. At various times Thomas was High Sherriff and Deputy Lieutenant of Bedfordshire.

His son, Henry Hilton Green, doubled the size of the Grange by adding an eastern extension. He was also High Sherriff of Bedfordshire. 

In 1915 he died, and a year later his eldest son Francis Abbott Green also died. The double death duties may have been the reason for the sale of Felmersham Grange in 1918 to Sydney Wells of the Charles Wells family of brewers. 

Some years ago Felmersham Grange was split into two houses, West Grange (the original house) and East Grange.