27/05/2026
A remarkable consignment of family history coming to auction.
We are offering a substantial collection of silverware in our next sale to include this stunning serving tray. It bears the armorial crest of the Freshwater family, a historically significant Essex landowning family whose lineage is associated with Heybridge Hall, with roots reaching back to the 13th century.
This impressive piece is hallmarked for Sheffield, 1928, by Cooper Brothers & Sons Ltd, and engraved with the family armorial crest featuring crossed fish beneath a crown, together with the motto Natat Neque Mergitur — “It neither swims nor sinks.”
Objects such as these are more than fine silver; they are tangible links to family history, place, and heritage. For descendants of the Freshwater family, local historians, or collectors of armorial silver, this is a rare opportunity to acquire a piece connected to an enduring Essex lineage.
