An Impressive Silver Gilt Racing Trophy Presented by John Attwood M.P. as Prize for Yachts Not Exceeding 35 Tons at the Lyme Regis and Charmouth Regatta in 1846 and Made by Hunt and Roskell

This fine trophy is of lidded cup form with design inspiration clearly having been derived from the Warwick Vase. The piece combines typical neoclassical form, vine leaf decoration and nautical motifs such as the dolphin finial. The chasing of the ornament is particularly noteworthy-as would be expected from the finest makers of the Victorian period who held the royal warrant for many years.

The trophy is inscribed “The Gift of J Attwood Esq MP to the Lyme Regis & Charmouth Regatta 18 August 1846”. The Lyme Regis Regatta is believed to have been established around 1825 and continued uninterrupted every August until 1889, being re-established in 1898. The Lyme Regis Regatta generally is discussed in Ebb and Flow: The Story Of Maritime Lyme Regis by Peter Lacey.

The 1846 Regatta

A newspaper report from the 1 st of August 1846 in the Exeter and Plymouth Gazette previewed the event, scheduled for the 18 th of August. It stated that “A silver cup, value 35 Guineas, presented by John Attwood Esq., M.P., for yachts not exceeding 35 tons. Old Admeasurement”. In actual fact the weather on the 18 th was poor and so the race was not able to take place on that date, taking place on the 19 th of August instead. There were three starters in competition for the cup:

The Lily of Devon (30 tons) owned by W. F. Moore Esq. and under the Royal Western Yacht Club (Plymouth) flag

The Geraldine, owned by “_ Fitzgerald” (sic) and under the Royal Thames Yacht Club flag The Grand Turk (29 tons) owned by Thomas Fox Esq. and under the Royal Western Yacht Club (Plymouth) flag

The race was described in Bell's Life in London and Sporting Chronicle, Sunday 30 August 1846 in great detail as follows:

“The interesting match of the day was between two crack clippers of the R. W. Y. C…..The Geraldine, R. T. Y. C., belonging to _Fitzgerald Esq., also entered for this cup but the breeze was too strong to give her a chance against her more powerful antagonists. The race started with a fine breeze at west, and in running down off the wind to the eastern mark boat, the Grand Turk headed her opponent, but on hauling their wind to fetch the southern mark boat, the breeze freshened, and the sailing between these two yachts was most interesting. Each had at this time as much canvas as she could drag under, with a head sea, and in a very short time the Lily both weathered and passed the other, and there appeared little doubt of her winning, but, unfortunately, when at some distance ahead, she carried away her weather cross tree, and was in consequence obliged to take in her gaff topsail, which gave the Grand Turk the advantage, and she succeeded in reaching and passing the starting boat about a minute before the Lily. By this time the Lily had got her small gaff topsail set and she again looked as if determined to wrest the cup from the other. On rounding the eastern mark boat for the second time she again came up close to the Grand Turk, and the latter, finding that she could not contend with her opponent against a head sea, most judiciously tacked, obliging the Lily to do the same. The race was now most exciting, the two vessels almost touching each other when tacking; the Lily to leeward of her antagonist, and partially becalmed by her sails. The Lily now edged away to leeward, thinking to pass by this means, and get again fairly in to the breeze. She had scarcely done so before the strop of the inner block of her peak halyards broke short off, which caused the peak of the sail to drop, and it was some time before it again could be hoisted, and the sail again made to stand. It was now evident that the Grand Turk must win, unless she met with some casualty, but she proved herself to be not only a very fast but a fortunate vessel, coming in the winner by three minutes and a half. The way in which the Grand Turk was handled by her crew excited much admiration. Two more splendid cutters than the Lily of Devon and the Grand Turk, of their tonnage, cannot we think, be found amongst any of the yacht clubs”.

John Attwood M. P.

The M. P. for Harwich in Essex, Attwood lived in his grand mansion Hylands Park in Chelmsford which still stands today, expanding the already large house at great expense.

https://hylandsestate.co.uk/explore/hylands-house/history/

Attwood had made his fortune as the owner of an ironworks in Birmingham but having achieved his goal and become a politician, by decidedly underhand means including bribery and other widespread corruption, he had a very short career. Elected in 1841, the accounts of the bribery used by his electoral agents led to him being forced out of parliament in 1848. Attwood had dreamed of getting a peerage, completing his journey from working man to gentleman, but died in disgrace and poverty in France hiding from his creditors in 1865.

Hunt and Roskell

A continuation of the firm set up by the great Paul Storr after leaving Rundell, Bridge and Rundell, Hunt and Roskell were the most important firm of silversmiths in the mid to late 19 th century in London with royal warrants awarded by Queen Victoria and by the French emperor. They won countless awards at the International Exhibitions held during this period, including the Great Exhibition of 1851, and the firm continued independently until 1889 when it became part of the J. W. Benson company, still trading as Hunt and Roskell, until it was closed in 1965.