Charleston Loan Exhibition

37 Abraham Portal (English, bap. 1726-d. 1809) Punch bowl London, England, 1768/1769 Silver H. 4 x Diam. 9 inches Engraved: Won by Trial, the property of Willm Allston Esq r. at Newmarket, 1768; stamped on bottom: lion passant, crowned leopard’s head, date letter and AP Historic Charleston Foundation, Charleston, SC, 96.1.1 In 1754, the South Carolina Jockey Club, founded in Charleston in 1734, established the New Market Race Track, named for the famous English track. William Alston was one of the most notable members of the Jockey Club, and his stud book traces the pedigrees of some of his horses back sev- eral generations to famous English Arabians. Held in February, Race Week was the center of Charleston’s social season, and although only the most prominent attended the exclusive balls held in honor of the event, all of the city’s citizens were encouraged to attend the races. In Charleston, it was the custom until the 1780s to present silver plate rather than cash prizes to the owners of winning horses. Tankards, cans and punchbowls—commemorative yet functional forms—were common prizes and used during celebrations after the race. Charleston silversmiths not only fashioned silver to be presented for the winners, but they also collected bets, as evidenced by Alexander Petrie and John Paul Grimke, and even sponsored races. Isaac Peronneau offered “a three pint silver TANKARD, and a silver PUNCH BOWL, value Two Hundred and Fifty Pounds, by any nine mares, horses, or geldings, to run a quarter of a mile and catch riders.” 1 This bowl was among the silver plate imported to Charleston, but it is quite possible that a local silversmith rendered the engraving. At the time of the bowl’s manufacture, Abraham Portal, silversmith and aspiring playwright, was in partnership with Harry Gearing and operated a shop “at the Crown and Anchor” in Ludgate Hill” 2 Portal was apprenticed to the famed London Huguenot silversmith Paul de Lamerie (1688-1751). Mainly involved in the retail trade, Portal outsourced much of his work to other London silversmiths for production. BSC 1. South Carolina Gazette, Charleston SC, September 24, 1750. 2. Gazetteer and New Daily Advertiser, London, England, May 4, 1768.