American Silversmiths

Samuel Minott
(1706-1766)
Sarah Prescott
(1712-1737)
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Samuel Minott
(1732-Bef 1803)

 

Family Links

Spouses/Children:

1. Elizabeth Davis

Samuel Minott
  • Born: 22 Dec 1732, Concord MA
  • Marriage (1): Elizabeth Davis on 7 Oct 1762 in Boston MA
  • Died: Bef 17 Oct 1803, Boston MA

  General notes:

Silversmith

  Events in his life were:


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  • Alternate Mark 33

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  • Alternate Mark

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  • Alternate Mark (attributed to Minott by Winterthur)

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  • Alternate Mark

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  • Alternate Mark
  • He worked in 1753-1803 as a silversmith in Boston MA
    Listed in city directories beginning in 1789 with a shop on Ann Street. 9

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  • Mourning ring, 1754
    Museum of Fine Arts, Boston 10
    d: 13/16"
    Engraved "F. (?) Brattle ob • 10 July 1754 • 11 years." possibly for Elizabeth, the daughter of William and Katherine (Saltonstall) Brattle.

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  • Porringer, c 1755-1800
    Museum of Fine Arts, Boston 33
    h: 1 3/4"
    d: 5 1/8" (lip)
  • Receipt, 1755 9

    William Brattle Esqr to Samuel Minot Dr
    1755 Octor 21to a pair of flowd Silver knee Buckles£0=

    8-0

    Novembr 14to a Silver Strainer wt four ounces one pennywight1=

    7-0

    to makeing Ditto0=

    14-8

    to two Large Silver Spoons wt four ounces five penny & a half1=

    8-6

    to makeing Ditto0=

    5-4

    decem 2to a Silver punch Bole wt fifteen ounces six grains5=

    0-1

    to makeing Ditto

    0=

    18-0

    10=

    1-7

    Cr By 2 spoons a Silver Cup & a peppercaster

    7=

    17-2

    Balance Due

    2=

    4-5


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  • Communion dish, 1764
    Museum of Fine Arts, Boston 10
    h: 1 5/16"
    d: 13 1/16"
    wt: 24 oz, 7 dwt
    Engraved on rim: The Gift of the Honble THOMAS HANCOCK ESQR / arms / to the CHURCH in Brattle Street Boston 1764. Hancock originally left a £100 bequest for the purchase of two flagons, but the church, having four flagons already, used the funds to purchase six dishes -- three by Minott and three by John Coburn.

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  • Communion dish, 1764
    Worcester Art Museum
    h: 1 1/8"
    d: 13"
    Engraved on rim: The Gift of the Honble THOMAS HANCOCK ESQR / arms / to the CHURCH in Brattle Street Boston 1764. Hancock originally left a £100 bequest for the purchase of two flagons, but the church, having four flagons already, used the funds to purchase six dishes -- three by Minott and three by John Coburn.
  • He was a partner in 1765-1769 with Josiah Austin in Charlestown MA as MINOTT & AUSTIN 4

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  • Cann, c 1770
    Private Collection
    h: 5 1/4"
    wt: 12 oz, 10 dwt
    Owned by Massachusetts governor John Hancock
  • He was a partner circa 1770 with William Simpkins in Boston MA as MINOTT & SIMPKINS. 3

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  • Tankard also marked by William Simpkins, Bef 4 Nov 1770
    Private Collection
    h: 8 3/4"
    wt: 28 oz, 10 dwt
    Engraved The Gift of / Mrs. Sarah Adams: (Relict / of mr. Edward Adams late of / Milton.) to the first Church in / Braintree..
  • Advertised in the The Boston Weekly News-Letter (Boston MA), 1 Oct 1772, "at his Shop opposite William's Court, Cornhill" he offers assorted groceries and pottery and was pursuing "the Goldsmiths Business in all its Branches as usual at his other Shop Northward of the Draw Bridge ." The goods enumerated included tea, delft, silver-mounted swords, coral beads, plate and jewelry. 3

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  • Memorial pendant, c 1775
    Private Collection
    l: 1 1/2"
    w: 1 1/4"
    Engraved on back "Mercy Wiswell Ob. 25 July 1775 AE+43 / Bradstreet Ob. 30 Jan 1773 AE+4 / Robert Ob. 10 June 1773 AE+2 / Elizabeth Ob. 23 July 1775 AE+9" for Mercy (Minott) Wiswall and three of her children. The piece is unmarked, but attributed to Minott based on Mercy's family relationship to him, John Wiswall's Tory sympathies and presence in Boston at the time, and Minott's known inventories of such goods.
  • Boston MA, 1776: arrested as a Tory by order of the Common Council. 3
  • Advertised in the Independent Chronicle (Boston MA), 8 Jun 1786, offering for sale, ". . . at his shop Northward of the Draw-Bridge" an extensive selection of silver, jewelry, and fancy goods. 9
  • Buhler:, . 10
    Samuel Minott is said to have bought tools from Edward Winslow's estate, which would have been just as he was completing his apprenticeship to an unknown master (possibly William Holmes). He began his career as a fashioner of tutorial plate at least as early as 1758. In August 1761 he was debited by Paul Revere for silver. His mark is found with that of Josiah Austin, Joseph Coolidge, and William Simpkin, indicating his extensive retail trade. He appears in the first Boston Directory in 1789 as "Minot Samuel, goldsmith, and importer of plated and jewellery-ware, Ann-street". He was still there in 1796, but had added his house address on Court Street. His estate was inventoried October 17, 1803; there was 84 oz. of plate and numerous silversmithing tools. The appraisers were Samuel Belknap, Stephen Howe, and Azor G. Archibald.

Samuel married Elizabeth Davis, daughter of Unknown and Hannah Winslow, on 7 Oct 1762 in Boston MA. (Elizabeth Davis was born in Apr 1738 in Boston MA, christened on 30 Apr 1738 in Boston MA and died on 14 Dec 1823.)




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