George II Sterling Silver Teapot

George II Sterling Silver Teapot, London, 1752-53, John Swift, maker, inverted pear-shape with rocaille C-scrolls and floral sprays throughout, engraved inscription to underside "The Gift of Col. Isaac Royall to Miss Sarah Hatch 1753," ht. 5 1/2 in., approx. 15.5 troy oz.

Note: Isaac Royall was born September 1719 in Antigua, West Indies. His father moved Isaac and the rest of the family to a 500-acre estate in Charlestown, Massachusetts. After his father's death in 1739, Isaac inherited the property and expanded the house, which remains a prominent landmark in Medford to this day. As one of the colony's wealthiest men, Royall served as justice of the peace, chairman of the Medford board of selectmen, and represented Medford to the colony's legislature. He also served as an overseer of Harvard College. With the outbreak of war in 1775, Royall fled to Nova Scotia before moving to England. He died in 1781. He left a land bequest to Harvard College to establish the school's first law professorship, which led to the founding of the law school in 1817.

Miss Sarah Hatch may be the daughter of Brigadier General Estes and Mary Hatch. Sarah celebrated her thirtieth birthday in 1753 and died a spinster in Boston in 1779.