As Shown Above, Descriptive Details & Images Below :

Top : GEORGE III SILVER SHELL & SCROLL-BACK MARROW SPOON
William Collings, London, 1774, / 9" Long / 1.9 oz.

Middle : FINE & LARGE GEORGE I BRITANNIA STANDARD MARROW SCOOP
Edward Wood, London, 1725 / 10.75" Long / 4.5 oz.

Bottom : GEORGE III IRISH SILVER MARROW SCOOP
Arthur Murphy, Dublin, 1808 / 9.25" long; 1.7 oz

The large bowl with a single drop heel beneath a cast shcll and scroll,
the small scoop verso script-engraved with the initial "H"

Condition : Excellent; good marks / some cast over;

crisp casting and engraving

9" Long / 1.9 oz.

PRICE : Please Inquire

#7565

One of the nicest marrow scoops we have handled,
of extremely heavy gauge silver at 4.5 oz.,
having the usual double ended form, the larger bowl verso
crested with Saracen's Head*

Condition : Excellent; very crisp marks; the makers mark cast over but legible

10.75" Long / 4.5 oz.

SOLD 

#7602

Please Inquire

The crest (Fairbairn's Pl. 190, .5) :

'a Saracen's head affront couped at the shoulders'

is one which many families bear and difficult to identify with any certainty as to the precise owner.

The families include the following :

Alkene, Askue, Ayskew, Barnsley, Blondell, Bouche, Briscoe, Briscoe, Buller, Burwell, Byfleet,

Carver, Chandos, Charlewood, Charlwood, Cobham, Creswell, Edington, Flamank,

Holcombe, Howndhile, Howndhill, Hubbard, Irby, Irton, Lambsey, Lameseym Lecton,

Mainot, Manley, Marshall, Menzies**, Middleton, Morgan, Mure, Powell,

Ricard, Rochead, Roughead, Rudger,Slaway, Stapylron, Strelley,

Ward, Warner, Weston, Whitte-wronge, Wilder, Wilimams, Wittewrong, Winnington, Wynne

**Menzies is among those who bore the 'head of the Saracen',

and casts light on the relevance of the head.

Menzies is an ancient Scottish name, probably originating in Normandy.

As early as 1249, Sir Robert de Menzies became Chamberlain to King Alexander II.

Sir Robert's son, Sir Alexander Menzies, was a supporter during the War of Independence of Robert the Bruce,

who declared himself King of Scotland in 1306, after murdering Guardian of Scotland John Comyn.

As atonement for the murder, Bruce requested that upon his death, his heart be taken to the Holy Land on pilgrimage.

A group of Scottish Crusaders, led by James Douglas (Black Douglas) veered en route through Spain,

to assist the Spanish against the Saracens (who had occupied the Holy Land since 1292).

A Menzies was a member of that group.

Douglas carried Bruce's heart is a black iron casket about his neck.

At the Battle of Teba de Ardales, they found themselves surrounded by Saracens,

at which time Douglas cast the casket into the midst of the Saracens,

calling the knights to charge with the cry : "Vil God I Zal" (With Gods will, I shall).

The knights fought off the Saracens and recovered Bruce's heart,

which was eventually taken to Melrose Abbey.

The cry became the Menzies motto,

the defeated Saracen from whom the heart was taken, the crest.

Of usual double ended form, the larger scoop snub-ended and engraved with a crest :
A monkey statant proper environed about the middle with a plain collar changed or

For the Family of Fitzgerald

Condition: Good to excellent; slight horizontal abrasion to back of the smaller scoop;
maker's mark poorly struck but legible; other marks crisp

9.25" long / 1.7 oz

PRICE : Please Inquire

#7566

The Crest of the Family of Fitzgerald

The crest as engraved upon this George III Irish Sterling Silver Marrow Scoop
by Arthur Murphy hallmarked Dublin 1808
is that of the family of Fitzgerald. It may be blazoned as follows:

Crest: A monkey statant proper environed about the middle with a plain collar changed or

Given that this marrow scoop was assayed at Dublin and therefore upon the balance of probability
and without any evidence to the contrary this marrow scoop
was most probably in the possession of a gentleman of the Fitzgerald family.
Apart from the principal house of the Fitzgeralds, the Dukes of Leinster,
other cadet branches of the family and their descendants
undoubtedly bore this very same crest,
notably the Fitzgeralds, of Little Island in the County of Waterford and of Boulge Hall in the
County of Suffolk, although this particular family were said to have differenced their crest with
cadency marks on occasion.
An examination of the pedigree of the Dukes of Leinster shows several gentlemen
and their sons who were living around the time of the manufacture of this marrow scoop
who could well have owned it as part of their family plate.
It certainly would not have owned by the Duke of Leinster of the time
as there are no incidents to the peerage shown (i.e. a duke's coronet).
Given naivety of the engraving mentioned in footnote 1,
this would indicate that it owned by a minor branch of the family

As an interesting aside, legend has it that in the 13th century the infant son of Maurice FitzGerald
was snatched from his cradle by the family's tame ape. Thereafter the ape carried the child to the top
of the battlements of the castle. By all accounts, the ape eventually returned the child to its cradle.
Another version of the legend states that in the mid-13th century, a fire broke out in the Fitzgerald
house and the infant who was to become the first Earl of Kildare was forgotten in the panic to
evacuate the dwelling. The child was said to have been rescued by the family's pet ape, and in
remembrance of the event, an ape was adopted as the family's crest.

The ape is traditionally a symbol of sin, malice, craftiness and lust. It is thought to have indicated a
moral obligation on the part of the bearer to conquer all sins, and been a reminder of one's morals,
ethics and religion.

1 The engraving of the crest is naïve hence the monkey being passant (which is a fault often found in
reproduction of the Fitzgerald crest), together with the 'chain' attached to the collar not being finely executed.

Heraldry Courtesy of John A. Tunesi of Liongam

MSc, FSA Scot, Hon FHS, QG

For a special recipe including bone marrow :  
 

"Onion Soup with Braised Beef Shank & Bone Marrow Croutons"

from French chef and restaurateur Daniel Boulud,

the first recipe in his book -

"Café Boulud Cookbook"
 

CLICK HERE

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George I - George III Silver Marrow Scoops & Spoon, England & Ireland, 1725-1808 

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