Notes
This butter knife was once part of a flatware set owned by John Henry (1796–1868) and his wife, Elvira McClelland Henry (1808–1875), at Red Hill. It matches a set of dinner and salad forks also in the collection (2023.32.1-8).
The knife bears the maker's marks "G&S" for the silver company William Gale & Son of New York, New York, and the retailer "Mitchell & Tyler" based in Richmond, Virginia. William Gale (1799–1867) was one of the most innovative silversmiths of the 19th century, working with both coin silver and sterling mediums. He patented a steam-powered process for manufacturing flatware in 1826, by which a thick sheet of silver was rolled through a machine, die pressed like a coin, and emerged as a piece of flatware with a pattern on each side.
Upon the completion of his son William Gale Jr.'s (1831–1855) apprenticeship, Gale was able to incorporate “William Gale & Son” in his maker's mark from 1853 to 1859, putting the creation of these forks within that time. The pattern is known as "Mayflower," which began production around 1840.
Retailers Mitchell & Tyler operated in Richmond between 1845 and 1866.
Following the death of John Henry in 1868, the knife 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.