Rare silver salver is on display at Baddesley
A rare Georgian salver by a daring woman silversmith is on display at Baddesley Clinton.
A rare discovery has rewritten the story of the silver collection at Baddesley Clinton.
New research has revealed that a Georgian salver at the house bears the mark of Dorothy Mills – one of the few women to register as a silversmith in the 18th century. This substantial salver, engraved with the Ferrers family arms and dating to 1752/3, is now believed to be the only example from Mills’ workshop in a publicly accessible UK collection and will go on display at the house.
At a time when women were almost invisible in the silversmithing trade, Dorothy Mills did something extraordinary: she defied her late husband’s express instructions to wind up the business by stepping into it and registering her own maker’s mark at Goldsmiths’ Hall in 1752. For a woman in Georgian London, this was a bold and rare move – asserting her independence in a world dominated by men and running a workshop that produced high-quality silver for fashionable clients. Her career was prolific but very short, and work bearing her mark is now extremely rare.
She was, however, neither the maker nor designer of the salvers and other silverware that came from the workshop – others were the craftsmen behind them – but her management of the business sets her apart from the majority of women at the time.
This salver is not only a beautiful example of Georgian silver but also a tangible link to an important woman in the craft.
The salver itself is a striking piece of mid-Georgian silver, with an ornate rim of scrolls and shells, ball-and-claw feet, and a rococo cartouche engraved with the arms of Thomas Ferrers and his wife, Margaret Kempson. Its survival is remarkable, not only for its craftsmanship but for what it represents: ambition, resilience, and female autonomy against the odds.
Recent research uncovered the full story of Mills’ rise and fall. After her husband’s death, she ran the workshop successfully for nearly two years before a legal case brought by her late husband’s nephew – seeking to protect the interests of Mills’ young son – challenged the management of the business after her remarriage. The dispute led to the dissolution of the workshop and the end of Dorothy Mills’ brief but significant career.
James Rothwell, National Trust National Curator, Decorative Arts, said: “In the 18th century, silver was more than tableware, it was a statement of taste, wealth and social standing. Owning pieces like this signalled refinement and success, and for families like the Ferrers, it was a way to express identity and status in a changing world.
“This salver is not only a beautiful example of Georgian silver but also a tangible link to an important woman in the craft. Understanding Dorothy Mills’ story matters because it shines a light on women’s role in a trade where they were almost invisible, and it adds a new chapter to the history of Baddesley Clinton and its owners.”
Inspecting the Mills Salver
The Salver has been kept in storage at Baddesley, but is now on display.
The Ferrers family, whose arms grace the salver, owned Baddesley Clinton for over 400 years, from the reign of Henry VIII until 1940. Prominent members of the Warwickshire gentry, they were known for their deep Catholic faith and antiquarian interests. Despite periods of financial difficulty, they maintained a taste for fine craftsmanship, and this salver represents a moment of refinement and relative prosperity during the mid-18th century. The salver was a major purchase as it would have cost in the region of £12 – twice the annual wage of a housemaid at the time.
Dorothy Mills is not known to have been a supplier in her own right and so it is likely that the Ferrers family would have acquired the salver and other silver through a leading supplier of the period, Frederick Kandler.
Visitors are now able to view the Mills salver in the Dining Room, alongside other historic artefacts that tell the story of the Ferrers family and their remarkable home.
