A Coalport breakfast cup and saucer from the 'Nelson Set Tea Service', circa 1802

A Coalport breakfast cup and saucer from the 'Nelson Set Tea Service', circa 1802 Of generous size, the border of oak leaves shaded in green with gold acorns on both the interior and exterior of the cup and around the saucer, the full arms and insignia of Nelson printed and hand-coloured and gilt filling the centre of the saucer, the cup with the shield and motto 'TRIA JUNCTA IN UNO' beneath a coronet flanked by the crests of the San Josef and the chelengk, saucer 15.7cm diam (2) Footnotes: Provenance Vice-Admiral Horatio, Lord Nelson Emma, Lady Hamilton Probably Viscount Bridport, Christie's, 11 July 1895 Three similar cups and saucers were sold by Bonhams on 23 April 2024, lots 55-57, where the history of the service is discussed in full. The 'Nelson Set' comprises a dessert service of Paris porcelain and a tea service of Coalport porcelain, both decorated in London with Horatio Nelson's full arms below oak leaf borders. These were reputedly presented to Nelson in 1802 by the City of London. After his death at Trafalgar in 1805, most of the contents of Merton including Nelson's china passed to Emma, Lady Hamilton. Around 1813 the 'Trickey Inventory' was drawn up as surety for loans for an increasingly financially desperate Emma. The 'Nelson Set Tea Service' is listed amongst others in this document. Sometime after Emma's death in 1815 the service appears to have been acquired by Nelson's niece, Charlotte and her husband Samuel Hood, 2nd Baron Bridport. Their son Alexander Nelson, Viscount Bridport inherited on his father's death in 1868 and much was sold that year by Christie's, described as 'Nelson's relics'. By repute the mother of the present owner of this lot acquired the cup and saucer from a person with the surname 'Culme-Seymour'; the name being much associated with a long line of naval officers. Sir Michael Seymour (1768-1834) was granted a baronetcy in 1809 and was made Rear-Admiral in 1815. His grandson, the third baronet Sir Michael Culme-Seymour (1836-1920) enjoyed a long naval career culminating in being granted the honorary offices of Vice-Admiral of the United Kingdom and Lieutenant of the Admiralty in July 1901 by Edward VII. An annotated copy of Christie's catalogue for the sale of Viscount Bridport's silver, sold on 12 July 1895, the day following the sale of the Nelson's china, records 'Seymour' as the buyer of lot 165, a pair of silver salt cellars, which Nelson had received after the Battle of Copenhagen. It seems probable that the Culme-Seymour family acquired the present lot directly from the sale in 1895 or very soon after. For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com For further information about this lot please visit the lot listing