Presentation Shovel
1894 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
As well as providing increased mobility, opening up hitherto inaccessible areas, and spawning some of the grandest architecture of the 19th-century, the railway age offered silversmiths a valuable opportunity for making elaborate spades, trowels and scissors to be used by eminent persons at inauguration ceremonies. Lady Alice Northcote, who had the honour of using the spade, was the wife of Sir Henry Stafford Northcote, M.P. for Exeter, and was the adopted daughter of the first Lord Mount Stephen, President of the Canadian Pacific Railway Company.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Wooden with electroplate handle with engraved inscription |
| Brief description | Presentation shovel, with leaf branch decoration and metal flower motifs on handle, made by Ellis, Tucker & Depree, Exeter, 1894 |
| Physical description | Presentation shovel, top half section of wooden rod: Column-like with petal decoration at centre, and decorated below with a wreath around rod. Front of wooden handle: Metal with floral decoration and plain plaque at base centre. Four screws. Reverse of wooden handle: Flower motif at base with decoration either side. On each side of wooden handle: Leaf branch decoration and one metal flower motif. |
| Dimensions |
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| Marks and inscriptions | ("Front of blade: at base, floral decoration carrying through on attachment to handle. Inscription ‘ Presented to the Honble. Lady Northcote, by the contractors, Messrs. James & John Dickson. On cutting the first sod of the Exeter Teign Valley & Chagford Railway, 7th Novr. 1894’~Reverse of blade: Base & tip decorated. Inscription ‘Directors. David F. Carmichael Esq. (Chairman). The Right hon. The Viscount Exmouth The Lord Norreys. The Hon. C.M. Knatchbull-Hugessen. Thomas Cory Esq. Walter Pring Esq. Consulting Engineer. R.Elliot Cooper Esq. Engineer. W.Lidstone Esq. London Solicitors. Messrs. Hurrell & Mayo. Exeter..Messrs. Gidley & Caunter. Mayor of Exeter. Edward J. Domville Esq.’
Top right hand corner is inscribed ‘F.T. Depree, Silversmith Exeter’") |
| Credit line | On Loan from the Science Museum Group |
| Object history | "National Railway Museum Loan Ellis, Tucker & Depree, Exeter 1st mentioned in 1882 (Henry Samuel Ellis mentioned in 1853, Exeter) LADY ALICE NORTHCOTE was the adopted daughter of the first Lord Mount Stephen (of British Columbia, Canada) who was the President of the Canadian Pacific Railway Company. Her husband, whom she married on the 2 October 1873, was Sir Henry Stafford Northcote who was Charity Commissioner, M.A., for England & Wales and also M.P. for Exeter. Top half section of wooden rod: Column-like with petal decoration at centre, and decorated below with a wreath around rod Front of wooden handle: Metal with floral decoration and plain plaque at base centre. Four screws. Reverse of wooden handle: Flower motif at base with decoration either side On each side of wooden handle: Leaf branch decoration and one metal flower motif. As well as providing increased mobility, opening up hitherto inaccessible areas, and spawning some of the grandest architecture of the 19th-century, the railway age offered silversmiths a valuable opportunity for making elaborate spades, trowels and scissors for to be used by eminent persons at inauguration ceremonies. Lady Alice Northcote, who had the honour of using the spade, was the wife of Sir Henry Stafford Northcote, M.P. for Exeter, and was the adopted daughter of the first Lord Mount Stephen, President of the Canadian Pacific Railway Company. |
| Summary | As well as providing increased mobility, opening up hitherto inaccessible areas, and spawning some of the grandest architecture of the 19th-century, the railway age offered silversmiths a valuable opportunity for making elaborate spades, trowels and scissors to be used by eminent persons at inauguration ceremonies. Lady Alice Northcote, who had the honour of using the spade, was the wife of Sir Henry Stafford Northcote, M.P. for Exeter, and was the adopted daughter of the first Lord Mount Stephen, President of the Canadian Pacific Railway Company. |
| Other number | 1999-7115 - Lender Object Number |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | LOAN:NRM YORK.1:16-1999 |
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| Record created | March 15, 2004 |
| Record URL |
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