Edwardian Inverness Provincial Silver MacNeil Sporran

Discovering faded glories in the form of a fine Inverness Scottish provincial silver sporran and bringing back to life is always a joy.

This was the case with this Edwardian provincial silver sporran. Hidden under layers of dirt and tarnish was a Scottish provincial Inverness mark for William Buchanan Taylor of 27 Church St, Inverness 1904 - 1933

The moth had destroyed much of the fur at the front, but the back showed promise for restoration. The back had a small military style back purse and a tooled design in the leather.

The thistle cantle has a wonderful deep embossed design set with the rock crest of the MacNeil’s of Barra. set in the centre of the cantle.

Marked on the rear of the cantle is the Inverness provincial silver hallmark ‘W.B.T.’ in a rectangular punch, for William Buchanan Taylor, and ‘INVss in a rectangular punch as the town mark for Inverness.

CLAN - MacNeil or Macneill

BLAZON - A Rock Ppr.

SOURCE - Fairbairn's Book of Crests, 1905 ed.

William Buchanan Taylor of Inverness

William Buchanan Taylor is thought to have been born about 1877. In the 1901 census he was listed as a Goldsmith. He registered his first silver hallmark with the Edinburgh Assay Office in 1904 and is thought to have work until 1933. William died in Inverness in 1942.

William Buchanan Taylor silver used hallmarks, ‘W.T’ and ‘W.B.T.’, both contained within oblong punches with clipped corners, these were used along with a ‘INVss’ Inverness mark. The hallmarks were entered in the Edinburgh Assay Office register and his first assays were in 1904. He also registered an incused punch without outline 'TAYLOR' with the Edinburgh Assay Office.

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