Name/Title
Silver CannEntry/Object ID
1983.63.1Description
Cann made of American coin silver. It is traced around the bottom and has a scroll handle. It is engraved "CMH."Use
A cann—similar to a tankard or mug—is a drinking vessel with a bulb-shaped body and a low foot-ring.Context
Given that her initials match the inscription on the side of the drinking vessel, Caroline Martha Hampton (1807–1883) likely owned this cann before it was passed down through the Hampton family. The mug was made by Garret Eoff (1779–1845) of New York. Although the exact operating dates of his business are not known, most of his work is dated between around 1810 and 1820.
Caroline was the daughter of Wade Hampton I (1754–1835) and Mary Cantey Hampton (1779–1863). She and her husband, John Smith Preston (1809–1881), met at White Sulphur Springs in Virginia and were married at the Hampton-Preston Mansion in 1830. Together, John and Caroline spent the first five years of their marriage living in Virginia. Then, after the death of Caroline’s father, the Prestons began splitting their time between Houmas—the Louisiana sugar plantation they inherited from Wade Hampton I—and Columbia, where John established a legal practice. In Columbia, John, Caroline, and their growing family lived at the Hampton-Preston Mansion with Caroline's mother, Caroline’s sister Susan (1816–1845), and eventually Susan’s children.
In 1863, the Prestons temporarily relocated to Richmond, Virginia, and while they were there General William Tecumseh Sherman (1820–1891) marched through Columbia and took control of the Hampton-Preston Mansion. A supporter of the Confederacy, John Preston retreated to Europe with his family until 1866. Upon their return to Columbia, the family sold much of their art collection to recover some of their funds, and in 1872, they were forced to sell the Hampton-Preston Mansion at auction. John and Caroline's son, John Preston, Jr. (1836–1880), purchased the house and deeded the property back to Caroline. Despite this, the family could not maintain the home, and Caroline sold the mansion the following year.Made/Created
Artist Information
Artist
Garret EoffRole
MakerDate made
circa 1820Notes
Garret Eoff, New YorkInscription/Signature/Marks
Type
InscriptionLocation
Outside of MugTranscription
CMHMaterial/Technique
InscribedDimensions
Height
3-1/2 inDiameter
3 inRelationships
Related Person or Organization
Person or Organization
Caroline Hampton Preston
