A large Victorian silver twelve-light candelabrum, Barnard & Sons, London, 1859

The arms are those of Edward Crofton, 2nd Baron Crofton (1806 – 1869), who was elected as an Irish representative peer in 1840. He owned Mote Park House, County Roscommon, Ireland, and was involved in the creation of a branch of the Midland Railway which partly ran through his land.

The 30 December 1859 edition of Freeman's Journal describes the presentation of the current lot to Lord Crofton:

'The return journey commenced at two o'clock, and the train arrived at Moate-Park House, where it was intended to present to Lord Crofton a public testimonial in commemoration of the great services he rendered in originating and promoting the railway....The accompanying testimonial was also presented. It is a magnificent candelabra of twenty-four lights, manufactured of the purest silver, the workmanship being of the most splendid character.'

The description of the candelabrum as twenty-four lights is curious, and The Roscommon Herald on 31st December also gives the same number. It may have been that the candelabrum was constructed to allow the number of branches to be changeable, a theory supported by the Dublin Evening Mail on the same day which describes it as twelve-light but gives a heavier weight and greater height than the current lot:

'...the testimonial consists of a richly wrought vine and scroll branches, and festoons of flowers, silver candelabrum, twelve-lights, weighing 700 ounces, standing three feet six inches in height...on third shield, turning first sod of the railway, with view of train in the distance.'