Rare Midrib Tablespoon, Elias Davis, Newburyport, Mass.

“Elias Davis of Newburyport, Massachusetts, remains an elusive figure, mentioned in only a few documents,” writes Patricia E. Kane in her monumental and definitive tome, “Colonial Massachusetts Silversmiths and Jewelers.” Davis was born in Newburyport in 1746 and died there in 1783. Some references list his name as Edward Davis, or posit that there were two Newburyport silversmiths named Davis, but Kane thinks this is an error. "However, it is suggested here that they are one and the same man and that the proper first name is Elias," she writes. His silver is rare. This is a very good midrib or Hanoverian tablespoon, c. 1770, which is 8 3/8 inches long, and has a very strong shell and nice drop. It is hallmarked with mark “B” in Kane’s book (p. 368). There is a period block monogram, P H, on the back of the handle.