Silver skillet by James Birkby, Hull, 1650
This is a skillet which is an old fashioned name for a saucepan. Skillets are usually a rounded bowl on legs like this. This is quite a fancy, silver skillet. Some would have just been made in pot or ordinary metal.
This was made by Hull silversmith James Birkby. Birkbyâs workshop was in Church Lane, near Holy Trinity Church. This was an area used by many silversmiths before him.
Many of Hullâs silversmiths were based in the same location on Church Lane, Which is now demolished. This was close to Market Place, near Holy Trinity Church. Eleven silversmiths are known to have worked at the Church Lane premises including James Birkby.
In 1645, silversmith Robert Robinson took on an apprentice called James Birkby. After serving his apprenticeship, Birkby bought his freedom in 1651 and established his own business in premises very close by. James Birkby died at the age of 32.
This is a plain circular silver skillet with a cover on three paw-feet. The side of the skillet is engraved with a coat of arms belonging to the Hawkesworth family. There is also an inscription in Latin:
âEx dono Walter Hawksworth, Jenero & Ecclaesia de Hawksworth in Comitat Yorkshire Ano Domi 1650â.
This was purchased from Christies in London in November 1994, with grant-aid from the Rupert Alec Smith Fund. The skillet belonged to William Randolph Hearst. It was taken from St. Donatâs Castle, Wales prior to being sold at Christies in 1938. It was then sold to Major Rex Benson and then again at Sothebyâs in 1944 to How of Edinburgh.
