A Stratford Toast to Paul Revere
By David Wright
Town Historian
A Stratford Toast to Paul Revere
With Stratford having had so many renowned Revolutionary War figures pass through town before, during, and following the Revolutionary War, it is no surprise to find that the town also contained Revolutionary War relics. One such relic was a tankard made by Paul Revere in 1760. The tankard was in the Harold C. Lovell family for generations. Mr. Lovell noted that the tankard had been used to serve beverages to many historical Bostonian and Revolutionary War heroes.
In the spirit of commemorating General Lafayette’s final visit to Stratford on August 21, 1824, we thought it would be in keeping to recognize some of the artifacts from that time period within our town.
The tankard was described in local papers at least twice: once in 1917, and the second time in 1963. In the 1917 article, Harold Lovell’s son, Harold Lovell, Jr., is shown with the tankard. In the 1963 article Mr. Lovell is shown with the tankard at the Stratford Trust Company.
In a The Stratford News article from January 21, 1963, we find, “The vaults of the Stratford Trust Company house a piece of American Revolutionary history, a $25,000 Silver tankard made by Paul Revere of horse riding fame, owned by H.C. Lovell, president of the bank.
According to Lovell, the tankard was made by Revere about 1760 for John Skillings of Boston, whose coat of arms, which is registered in Boston Heraldry, is on the tankard. Skillings, who owned docks in Boston Harbor next to those of John Hancock, passed the cup on to the Major Ezra Beaman, the fourth great grandfather of Mr. Lovell.
Beaman, a member of the Sons of Liberty, was involved in the Boston Tea Party and fought at Bunker Hill.
As an aid to General George Washington, he was involved in the siege of Boston and served under the general all during the Revolutionary War. After the war, Washington, during his visits to Boston, stayed at the home of Beaman. On such occasions Beaman invited the leaders of the Sons of Liberty, men such as John Hancock, John Adams, Paul Revere, Dr. Warren, and others.
It is believed that with such illustrious guests, Beaman used his finest pieces of silver, probably serving these immortal men with the tankard owned now by Lovell.
Bridgeport Herald
April 15, 1917
Paul Revere’s Memory Calls Upon Every Man to Stand by His Colors
…there has been lying below them in the town vault a relic of Paul Revere’s own handiwork.
A large sliver tankard, engraved with a coat of arms, the name “REVERE” and the mysterious initials “S. N. E.,” it was handed down through generations to Town Clerk Harold C. Lovell from his great-great-great grandfather, Major Ezra Beaman.
This cup is now on exhibition in a window of G. W. Fairchild & Sons’ jewelry store, where it cannot fail to stir the imagination of whoever stops to look. For the very hands that fashioned and engraved it held fast to the bridle of the horse whose hurrying hoof-beats struck out a spark, which “Kindled the land into flame with its heat.”
Mr. Lovell was once offered $1,000 for this tankard, but he refused to let it pass from the family and it is now the property of his small son and namesake, aged seven.
Major Ezra Beaman, one of the most influential men of his community when he died in 1811, was a captain of militia at Shrewsbury, Mass., at the beginning of the Revolution.” Search has failed to reveal, however, just how or when Ezra Beaman came into possession of the tankard made by Paul Revere.
This Bridgeport Herald article from 1917 contains many very interesting historical details of the Revolutionary War era. You may read the article in its entirety at https://bit.ly/hcltankard.
