• Born: 1608, Norwich Norfolkshire England
• Marriage (1): Mary Cross about 1641 in Hampton NH
• Died: 7 Oct 1693, Boston MA

  General notes:

Silversmith

  Events in his life were:

• Apprenticed: William Rawlins, in 1626-1635, in London England. ¹

• Flynt & Fales. Sanderson's mark was registered at Goldsmith's Hall in London in 1635, but he left soon after for the colonies. He was one of the first settlers in Hampton, New Hampshire. After three years he moved to Watertown, Massachusetts and from there to Boston. ³

• Freeman: 7 Sep 1639, in Hampton NH. ³

• Partnership: John Hull, circa 1652-1683, in Boston MA. As HULL & SANDERSON. The earliest known piece of American silver is a dram cup made by the partners, now in the Yale University Art Gallery. The partnership orginally began after Hull was appointed Mint Master and recommended Sanderson as his partner. Sanderson came to Boston and was admitted as an inhabitant on 30 May 1653. ³

• Master: Joseph Sanderson, in 1653, in Boston MA. ¹

• Example: Cup by HULL & SANDERSON, circa 1660, in Private Collection. H: 6 7/8"
  wt: 10 oz
  Engraved B over R A for Richard and Alice (Blower) Brackett.

• Master: Benjamin Sanderson, about 1662, in Boston MA. ¹

• Example: Caudle cup, in The Second Church, Dorchester MA. Engraved "C over A E" for Augustine and Elizabeth Clement and "The gift of M^rs Elizabeth Clement to the Church of Dorchester, 1678".

• Example: Miniature caudle cup, circa 1665, in Private Collection. W: 4"
  Engraved E T likely for a member of the Tilton or Turell family of Boston, in which the cup descended for eleven generations.

• Example: Caudle cup, circa 1665, in Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Prick engraved BB in a scroll cartouche for Beriah Bright.

• Master: Robert Sanderson, about 1665, in Boston MA. ¹

• Example: Tankard, circa 1670-1680, in Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. H: 8 3/16"
  d: 6 5/8" (base)
  wt: 41 oz, 11 1/2 dwt
  Made for Isaac and Mary (Balston) Vergoose. Only tankard known from the first generation of American smiths. ¹⁰

• Example: Cup, circa 1675, in Winterthur Library. H: 4 1/2"
  d: 4 3/4" (of top)
  Engraved S over T A for Thomas and Anne (Tyng) Shepherd.

• Example: Beaker (one of a pair), circa 1678, in Private Collection. H: 4 3/8"
  Engraved "The Gift of L over T * A" The pair were bequeathed to the First Parish Church of Dorchester by Thomas and Alice Lake.

• Example: Caudle cup, circa 1680, in Private Collection. H: 3 13/16"
  Engraved "The Gift of Eliezer Moody to the Church in Dedham 1720."

Robert married Mary Cross about 1641 in Hampton NH. (Mary Cross was born about 1607 in Hampton NH and died on 21 Jun 1681 in New Haven CT.)