The Estates of James Bisback & Jonny Kalisch

November 09, 2015

LOT 81

Lot 81

Minton Plate from the Lord Milton Service, c.1867

Minton Plate from the Lord Milton Service, c.1867
Lot 81 Details
Minton Plate from the Lord Milton Service, c.1867

painted in colours on the centre with ‘The Cameron “Claim”, William’s Creek, Carriboo’, the pierced rim with etched gilding, one oval reserve painted with the Milton cipher
diameter 9.3" — 23.5 cm.
impressed marks, printed MINTON’S CHINA and retailers’ marks for Phillips of London in puce, painted title in puce script

Estimate $1,000-$1,500

Realised: $13,200
Price Includes Buyer's Premium ?

Lot Report

Exhibited:

Milton and Cheadle’s Great Adventure, Jonny’s Antiques, Shakespeare (with label, #16)

Note:

The Cameron “Claim,” William’s Creek, Cariboo. (Dessert Plate 16)
“The extraordinary yield of the Cariboo mines may be inferred from the fact that in 1861 the whole of the colonies of British Columbia and Vancouver Island were almost entirely supported by the gold obtained from Antler Creek alone; and from that time to the present year (1865), or for four years in succession. William’s Creek has also alone sustained more than 16,000 people, some of whom have left the country with large fortunes. And yet William’s Creek is a mere narrow ravine, worked for little more than two miles of its length, and that in the roughest manner.”
Milton & Cheadle, page 369

John ‘Cariboo’ Cameron, after some success in both the California & Fraser River gold fields, returned home to Cornwall, Ontario, to marry his childhood sweetheart, Sophia. In 1862 he returned to the Cariboo with his pregnant wife and consolidated several claims on William’s Creek. On December 22nd 1862, just two months after Sophia’s death from typhoid, Cameron & Co. struck it rich. In fact, it was one of the biggest strikes in the area. A community named Cameronton mushroomed around the site of the claim. Like most miners, Cameron left soon after making his fortune, taking $300,000.00 and his wife’s preserved body home to Ontario. Having gone through his fortune, Cameron, with a new wife, returned to the Cariboo in 1886 to try his luck again. He died in the west in 1888, and an observer at the funeral commented that there was a good turnout but it would have been much bigger had he still been rich.

CONDITION DETAILS

In good condition

LOT 81
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About Condition Ratings

  • 5 Stars: Excellent - No discernable damage, flaws or imperfections
  • 4 Stars: Very Good - Minor flaws or imperfections visible only under close inspection using specialised instruments or black light
  • 3 Stars: Good - Minor flaws visible upon inspection under standard lighting
  • 2 Stars: Fair - Exhibits flaws or damage that may draw the eye under standard lighting
  • 1 Star: Poor - Flaws or damage immediately apparent under standard lighting (examples: missing components, rips, broken glass, damaged surfaces, etc.)

Note: Condition ratings and condition details are the subjective opinions of our specialists and should be used as a guide only. Waddington’s uses due care when preparing condition details, however, our staff are not professional restorers or conservators. Condition details and reports are not warranties and each lot is sold “as is” in accordance with the buyer’s terms and conditions of sale. In all cases the prospective purchaser is responsible for inspecting the property themselves prior to placing a bid.