Notes
This serving spoon was one of a set commissioned by or for Elvira McClelland Henry (1808–1875) sometime after her marriage to John Henry (1796–1868) in 1826.
The spoon bears the maker's mark of James Watts (d. 1888). Based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Watts's firm was a prolific flatware manufacturer and operated between ca. 1835 and 1888. It is believed that this particular mark, featuring an eagle's head facing right above a bar and chevron, is an earlier iteration, dating the spoon to sometime between the 1850s and the early to mid-1860s.
The stamp of E. D. Guthrie indicates the retailer. It is not known where Guthrie was located, but based on other silver items purchased by John and Elvira Henry, it is likely that Guthrie was located in Richmond, Virginia.
The turned-down fiddleback design and prominent fins above the bowl were popular in the 19th century. Until 1840, fiddleback handles turned down, but gradually began to turn up again during the mid-19th century.
Following the death of John Henry in 1868, the spoon appears in an estate inventory taken at Red Hill as part of "1 Set Silver ware, spoons, forks, knives & Ladle, Fruit Dish & Boxes & castors." This grouping of items was valued at $125.
Susan Hill Dabney (1892–1986), a great-great-granddaughter of Patrick Henry through his son, John, placed this knife on long-term loan to the Patrick Henry Memorial Foundation on October 26, 1976. The butter knife was accessioned into the collection on November 4, 2022.