John Mair of Calcutta

[dognose]

Hi,

This is an example of the marks and work of John Mair of Calcutta. As can be seen from the below report, he returned to Great Britain in the late 1790's, apparently having made his fortune.




The Scots Magazine and Edinburgh Literary Miscellany of 1815 has this report of his death.

12th January. At London, in the 56th year of his age, John Mair, Esq. a native of the parish of Rhynie, Aberdeenshire, justly and sincerely regretted, by an affectionate family and numerous friends, who ever held him in great estimation. Mr Mair went to Calcutta early in life, where he followed the profession of a jeweller with success, and the greatest respectability ; and returned to Britain about eighteen years ago ; since which time, his whole life has been occupied in doing disinterested acts of kindness to his friends, and providing for many of his young countrymen. Justly may it be said of Mr Mair, that few men, with his means, ever did more good ; for his heart and purse, with great modesty, were ever open to distress.

Trev.

[dognose]

It would appear that John Mair was also a skilled diesinker. In 1793 he was awarded an East India Company contract for the supply of approximately seven thousand medals in gold and silver denoting the victory in the Mysore war.

Information as to the mode adopted for supplying these Medals is obtained from a military letter from Bengal, 27th October, 1793.

"That the Master of the Calcutta Mint found that it would be inconvenient to strike the Medals there, in consequence of which the Government entered into a contract for that purpose with Mr. Mair, of Calcutta, a well-known silversmith"; and the following stipulations as to their manufacture are mentioned : " Each Medal to have a perfect impression, to be milled round the edge, and to have a loop fixed at the top for suspension. Each Gold Medal was to be of the value of 2 gold mohurs and 10 rupees; the large Silver Medals, 2 rupees 10 annas; and the small size, 1 rupee 8 annas."



Obverse: A Sepoy, erect, holding with his right hand the British colours, in his left the Mysore banner reversed.

Reverse: " For Services in Mysore, A.d. 1791-1792," within laurel branches, around which is the legend, in Persian characters, "A token of the bravery of the troops of the English Government, in the war in Mysore, in the year of the Hegira, 1205-1206."

John Mair was paid six thousand Sicca rupees for his work plus the cost of the gold and silver. The medals were assayed at the Calcutta Mint and Mair was also allowed the use of the Mint's fly press to strike the impressions.

Source: Historical record of medals and honorary distinctions conferred on the British Navy, Army, and auxiliary forces: from the earliest period
By George Tancred
Published by Spink & Son, 1891

Trev.

[Granmaa]

A few snippets from The Makers of Indian Colonial Silver by Wynyard Wilkinson

31st October 1776 - Apprenticed to James Gordon of Aberdeen for seven years.

1783 - Went to London to gain experience, acting as an agent for James Gordon & Co and working as a journeyman.

1789 - Arrives in Calcutta.

1793 - East India Company mentions that cutting the dies for the Mysore medal "employed an ingenious man above three months..."

March 1796 - Requests pass to England with his two children.

Miles
.

[dognose]

The text from which the line "employed an ingenious man above three months..." appears to come from a letter from the Government of Bengal to the Court of Directors, dated 27th October 1793, part of which is shown below:

.....and by whom the medals should be struck, we had resolved on the date above mentioned, that the Mint Master should make the necessary preparations for striking the medals as soon as he should be furnished with a design, but that officer informed us that they could not be struck so neatly finished by the people employed at the mint, as by a practical worker in gold and silver. We therefore entered into an engagement with Mr Mair, the principal Silversmith in Calcutta, who has undertaken to strike and deliver the number of medals required for the sum of Sa Rs 6000; each medal to have a perfect impression, to be milled round the edge, and to have a loop fixed at the top for suspending it.

.....An expence of Six thousand Rupees for mere labour is certainly considerable, but it is at the same time proper to mention that the mere cutting of the dyes employed an ingenious man above three months, and that any imperfect are to be replaced without additional charge. Even had the medals been struck at the Mint, there would have yet have been some more work to be done by a Silversmith, and dyes must have paid for as a seperate charge, and it is not easy in this country to estimate the value of ingenious labour.

It would appear that John Mair took the responsibily for the amount of dies that would be required for the production of these medals, which is why he probably insisted on the use of the fly press at the Calcutta Mint. The previous contractor Young & Shepperd were not afforded the luxury of the use of the fly press and were obliged to use hammer blows to make their impressions, often resulting in the cracking of the precious dies.

Trev.
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[dognose]

Another example of the work of John Mair.






Tablespoon, 8 3/4" (22.5mm) in length, 60 gram in weight.

Trev.

[dognose]

John Mair was recorded as the son of James Mair of Scundarg, and as Miles has already noted, was apprenticed to James Gordon, Jeweller and Goldsmith in Aberdeen for a period of seven years as from 31st October 1776. George Mair of Scundarg was recorded as the Cautioner. The indenture was registered on the 23rd July 1778, before the completion of the apprenticeship.

Source: The Goldsmiths of Aberdeen 1450-1850 - Dr. I.E. James - 1981

Trev.