Tankard

Object Name:

Tankard

Object ID:

1993.062

Creator:

Donne, John -- Pewterer

Place of Origin:

London, England

Date:

1686

Description:

Tankard. Presented to Hannah Emerson Dustin (1657-c.1736). Pewter. Cylindrical shape, tapering slightly from bottom to top, with attached handle and hinged lid. Incised band around base ring and several around rim. Wriggle work decoration covering entire body, including: portrait of King William III, a lion and unicorn (from British coat of arms), and flowers. Portrait flanked by letters "W" and "R". Maker's mark stamped inside bottom: hand holding chess pawn between thumb and forefinger, with initials "[I]D" below and date "[16]86" above. Decorative engraving is of type known as "wriggle work." S-shaped handle with a D-shaped cross-section. Lid hinge is attached to handle and appears to have a pewter pin. Thumb piece extends straight up from lid. Thumb piece has a scrolled top. Lid has a flat brim and a slightly rounded top. Small amount of scroll work on edge of brim opposite handle. Rounded top of lid is fully decorated with wriggle work, which appears to be sunflower design.

Material:

Metal
Pewter

Dimensions:

H-6.875 W-7.375 Dia-5.125 inches

Provenance:

Said to have belonged to Hannah Emerson Dustin (1657- ca.1736) of Haverhill, MA, who was captured by Indians in 1697 and taken to New Hampshire, where she escaped after killing her captors. Descended through Dustin family to Merrill family of Exeter, NH. Tankard is said to have been presented to Hannah for her bravery, perhaps by Francis Nicholson (1655-1728), Governor of Maryland. Tankard descended through the line of Hannah Dustin's oldest child, Hannah Dustin Cheney (1678-). Owners of the tankard have included Sarah Elizabeth Coffin Cutter (1831-1923); great-great-great-great-granddaughter of Hannah Emerson Dustin), who gave it to her granddaughter, Mary A. Cutter Pillsbury (1875-1941), in 1916. Mary Cutter Pillsbury sold the tankard to her first cousin, Harry Merrill (1874-1959), in 1927. Harry's son was the donor family of David Dustin Merrill (1911-1975); David Dustin Merrill's widow, Nancy Carnegie Merrill (1923-2012) of Exeter, NH, organized this donation.

Credit Line:

Gift of the families of H. Emery Merrill, Marjorie Merrill Sloane, David Dustin Merrill Sr, and Sydney Merrill

People:

Dustin, Hannah (1657-1736), Donne, John, Nicholson, Francis (1655-1728), Coffin, Sarah E. (1831-1923), Cutter, Mary Alice (1875-1941), Merrill, Harry (1874-1959)

Subjects:

King William III, Pewter, Tankards