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Gift from Winston Churchill, Silver Box and Letters
- Winston and Clementine Churchill presented this silver box to their secretary, Jane Welby
- The box is engraved with their names, Jane’s name and the presentation date of 1955
- Personal cards and letters from Clementine document their continuing friendship
- The Dutch silver box bears a Chester import mark for 1908
- Get complete item description here
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Dutch silver, imported by Berthold Muller
Hallmarked Chester, 1908; presented in 1955
For six years, Jane Welby served as Winston Churchill’s personal secretary, taking his dictation through his return to Downing Street and his second premiership. In 1955, Winston and his wife Clementine gave her this silver box, engraved with their names and hers. Clementine’s accompanying note brings the gift into the private world they shared. . .
Dutch silver, imported by Berthold Muller
Hallmarked Chester, 1908; presented in 1955
For six years, Jane Welby served as Winston Churchill’s personal secretary, taking his dictation through his return to Downing Street and his second premiership. In 1955, Winston and his wife Clementine gave her this silver box, engraved with their names and hers. Clementine’s accompanying note brings the gift into the private world they shared with Jane: it was “For a few of your trinkets.”
The letters and cards that accompany it show that Jane remained close to the Churchills long after she left Winston’s staff. Clementine sent Christmas and birthday greetings, thanked Jane in 1960 for helping with television films of Winston’s war memoirs and wrote again in 1969 to thank her for a birthday telegram. Interestingly, Clementine chose reproductions of Winston’s paintings for the family Christmas cards and added personal notes to Jane. A 1963 telegram sent in Winston’s name reads, “Thank you so much dear Jane.” Together, these messages follow a relationship sustained well beyond Jane’s years as his secretary.
The box itself is Dutch silver, with village scenes and figures framed by Rococo-style scrollwork. Imported by Berthold Muller and hallmarked at Chester in 1908, it had already lived a history of its own before the Churchills chose it for Jane. The engraved gift and accompanying correspondence preserve the personal relationship that gave it lasting meaning.
Engraved “To Jane Welby from Winston and Clementine Churchill 1955”
Box: 1 1/2" high x 9" wide x 3 1/4" deep
Provenance:
Jane Welby, by direct presentation from Winston and Clementine Churchill in 1955
Private collection, UK
M.S. Rau, New Orleans
| Period: | 20th Century |
| Origin: | Other |
| Type: | Trophies/Presentation Pieces |
| Style: | Louis XV |
| Depth: | 3.25 in. (8.26 cm) |
| Width: | 9.0 in. (22.86 cm) |
| Height: | 1.5 in. (3.81 cm) |
Buy With Confidence
For over a century, we've placed important art, rare jewels and exceptional objects with more than 14,000 collectors worldwide, and have been recognized by trusted publications including Robb Report, The New York Times, Wall Street Journal and more.
On Approval
Examine select works in person before you commit
125% Guarantee
Full credit plus 5% annual appreciation for five years
Trusted Expertise
Over two centuries of combined experience across our specialists
