Peter Oliver (1682-1712), the 9th
great-uncle of my sons, was a well-known colonial silversmith In Boston,
Massachusetts. A silversmith is a person who crafts objects from silver and
need to go through an apprenticeship to learn the craft.
Peter was one of six siblings – one
of two boys, and his parents were Peter Oliver (1682-1712) and Susanna Sweet
(16471684). In 1695, at the age of 13, Peter was apprenticed to John Coney, a
master silversmith, to learn the silversmith trade. (An interesting side note
is that Paul Revere’s father was also an apprentice of John Coney.)
Peter was married two times. His
first wife, Jerusha Mather (1684-1710), was the daughter of the well-known
Puritan minister Increase Mather. Peter and Jerusha were married on March 8,
1709, in Boson, and had one daughter who only lived for five months. After
Jerusha’s death in 1710, Peter married Hopestill Winslow (1680-1754) on March
1, 1711, in Boston. Peter died the following year on April 27, 1712, at the
young age of 30. Peter and Hopestill did not have any children.
At the time of Peter’s death, there
were several epidemics spreading throughout New England: measles, smallpox, and
“malignant distemper” (aka influenza). So,
Peter, his daughter, and his first wife, could have been victims of any of
these illnesses. In fact, as part of his opening statement in his Last Will and
Testament, Peter—anticipating his death—states that he was “sick and weak in
Body but of sound and perfect memory and understanding, blessed be God, and not
knowing how soon I may department this life make my Last Will and Testament. .
. .” Peter died three days after the writing of his Will.
Peter was, and still is, known for
his excellent silversmithing. So, let’s look at some of his most well-known
pieces.
This first piece
is a chocolate pot. It was made about 1705, is 10½ inches high, and weighs 26
Next, a porringer
made about 1710. The porringer is engraved with the initials TBM for Thomas and
Mary Barton who were married in 1710. Today, this piece is in Boston’s Museum
of Fine Arts.
The third piece
is a flagon. It was made in 1711, is 11-7/8 inches high, and weighs over 47
ounces. The flagon is engraved "Mrs. Elizabeth Wensley / To the Second
Church / of Christ in / Boston / 1711." The flagon, made as a gift, was
presented to the Second Church of Christ after the death Elizabeth Wensley, who
died in 1711. Mrs. Wensley was the
mother of Peter’s second wife Hopestill Winslow. And, Hopestill’s step-father,
was the minister of the Second Church of Church. Today, this piece is in the
Winterthur Museum and Library in Delaware – a former du Pont family residence.
Below is Peter's silversmith mark he would have used on all the pieces he made.
It's too bad that
Peter died at such a young age. Just think of the silver pieces that he could
have completed.
______________
Sources used:
Caufield, Ernest. “The Pursuit of a Pestilence.” Proceedings
of the Antiquarian Society, April 1950, pp. 21-52. Accessed 2-5-2020 at: http://www.americanantiquarian.org/proceedings/44807204.pdf
Voss,
William Erik. “Silversmiths & Related Craftsmen.” American Silversmiths,
Rootsweb, 2014,
freepages.rootsweb.com/~silversmiths/genealogy/makers/silversmiths/index.htm
