The Poets Bowl

poets,  James Russell Lowell and Maria White Lowell,  as well as

the bonding of four of the most famous abolitionists in the pre-Civil

War era.  Many credit the Poets Bowl with being a spark that

started the Civil War.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    It also has the reputation of being one of the sparks that started             

 the Civil War-- much like the Sons of Liberty Bowl helped 

to "spark" the American Revolution.    All of the initials on the Bowl

were some of the greatest "politicians and agitators" of the day-- especially, 

James Russell Lowell (the famous poet) and his wife, Maria White Lowell 

(also a poet).

     Lowell was later Minister to Spain and Ambassador to

Great Britain among his many other accomplishments.

       The premier silversmith, Benjamin Burt was rated by

his silversmith and jeweler peers to be "the best" in colonial

America (even better than Paul Revere). 

Evidence of this was when George Washington

visited Boston in 1789, all of the goldsmiths

and jewelers picked Benjamin Burt to lead

the group of goldsmiths and jewelers in the

"greeting" of George  Washington.   The extreme

"quality of craftsmenship" and "silver grade" by

Burt were known worldwide and in the colonies

he was sought after as "the best."    Further, he tended to make

more special or "one  of a kind"  masterpieces for the Boston elite. 

Burt was again asked by all of the goldsmiths of the day to lead 

the memorial procession for George Washington in 1800.

        The Poets Bowl is believed to be a one-of-a-kind

bowl made by Benjamin Burt for the Lowell family and the

exquisite engraving was believed to have been done by

Henry Pelham who did virtually all of the engraving for

Benjamin Burt and who was also the half brother of 

John Singleton Copley (the distinquished colonial artist

that painted Benjamin Burt).   This engraving exists on no

other bowls or objects produced by Burt and is considered

to be in "keeping" with the romance of the Poets Bowl and

the poets engraved on the Bowl.   This may be

Pelham's best work "ever" on the Poets Bowl.    James

Russell Lowell and Maria Lowell added the initials in 1846

for the "Whites" wedding.    It is further known that Pelham

returned to Ireland in 1775, so that the decorative engraving

must have been added before that time.

         Benjamin Burt's silver creations were much in demand

by the wealthy of Boston.

         During the American Revolution,  Burt served actively with

both the Massachusetts and New York Artilleries.   This placed

him under the direct command of George Washington.   Burt

was present as the battle of New York city under George

Washington and he also served under Washington at the

Yorktowne peninsula in the 2nd New York Artillery-- a

unit that distinguished itself in helping keep the British (under

Lord Cornwallis)  trapped until the French fleet arrived in 1781.

His outstanding war service further earned him the great

admiration of his goldsmith peers.

       William A. White, was editor and publisher of three prestigious 

journals (the Excelsior, the New Englander, and the

Washingtonian).   White also lectured throughout the U.S. and

was highly sought after due to his "magnetic and friendly"

personality (see initials "WAW" engraved on the Bowl).  William

was the most active abolitionist of the four and fequently gave lectures

on abolition throughout the U.S.   William was also a close friend and

mentor to Frederick Douglass and was often attacked with him by

pro-slavery mobs (see letter from Frederick Douglass to William

Abijah White written from Edinburgh, Scotland).  In 1843,  William

spent months traveling with Frederick Douglass and George Bradburn

throughout the country giving pro-abolitionist lectures and speeches.

       White was also a state Republican Party chairman and had a

national reputation.   This was  "Lincoln's party" in later years.

         White had been roommates with Lowell at Harvard and 

introduced his sister,  Maria,  to Lowell at "White's Hill" in 

Watertown, Massachusetts.   Maria has been described as the

"prettiest girl in New England."

          James Russell Lowell fell in love with Maria "on first glance"

and asked her father (a Bank President and cattle baron and one

of the wealthiest men in New England) for Maria's hand in 

marriage and the father, Abijah White,  refused him until he

could become "financially responsible."    After Lowell's first

publication was successful-- the father changed his mind and

allowed the wedding.    James and Maria lived in Elmwood,

where the President of Harvard University resides today. 

          The Poets Bowl was originally a wedding present to

William Abijah White and his wife Harriet Tilden Sturgis from

James Russell Lowell and William's sister, Maria White Lowell.

The Bowl grew to become famous as a "bond" of the group's

political  and philosophical activities and was often passed

back and forth between the Whites and Lowells so that it

would be protected after some of the parties early deaths.

William and Harriet White had it until their early deaths and

then the Bowl was held by James Russell Lowell for a time, for

his wife Maria, but eventually he turned the Bowl back over

to the son of William and Harriett White,  William Howard

White.    

          James Russell Lowell was deeply in love with Maria

(White) Lowell and always called her "ML" as a pet name.

The initials on the bowl are even more significant due to

these initials representing this extreme affection Lowell had

for Maria-- she is known to have inspired much of his

"romantic poetry" due to this almost obsession Lowell was

known to have had for Maria.

           After Maria's early death at age 32,  Lowell entered

a "deep depression" phase in his life and poetry and

often wandered through Elmwood and its surroundings

mumbling "ML why have you left me?"     Lowell was

known to have considered suicide due to the untimely

loss of his "great love" Maria.   James and Maria were

truely one of the greatest love stories of the ages and this

great love was evident in all of their "romantic"

poetry.   "Great Little Watertown"  c. 1930 by the

Watertown Historical Society is probably the best

reference material for this great union of James Russell

Lowell and Maria White and Elmwood and White's Hill.

All of the greatest poets and writers of the day would

gather at White's Hill in Watertown to discuss the great

causes of the day and poetry.   This is where James and

Maria were first  introduced by William White.

             The Poets Bowl is a silver masterpiece created by

silversmith Benjamin Burt and was used by this famous group

of patriots and intellectuals from two of the greatest Boston blue

blood families of them all ( the Whites and the Lowells),  as

a symbol of their unity of cause and purpose.

    The Whites were descended from William White, the 11th

signer of the Mayflower Compact and the father of 

Peregrine White, the first baby born in New England of 

English descent.    Uncommon to the rest of the passengers,

White had two man servants on board.  White had a wife

on board named Susana and son named Resolved  (who had

been born in Holland 5 years before the voyage to America).

     During the late 18th century in colonial Boston,  Abijah White,

a descendant of William White (of the Mayflower) became 

one of the wealthiest men in colonial Boston and lived on 

"White's Hill" in what is now East Watertown.  

     William Abijah White's portrait by the famous painter

William Page (the "American Titian")   survives today

with the White family (direct descendants).    The artist, Page,

was James Russell Lowell's best friend (next to William

White), and Lowell's first publication of poems was dedicated

to him.  Notably, John White, a descendant of the Mayflower is

displayed prominently on the "Sons of Liberty Bowl," as well.

Notably,  the Whites are also descended from John White who was

the grandfather of Virginia Dare of the lost colony in North

Carolina (1587-1589).  The Whites are truely America's "first

family."   They had the first child born in America twice.

         Based on the purchase price of the Sons of Liberty Bowl by

the Boston Museum of Fine Art in 1949, the Sons of Liberty Bowl

has an estimated value of more than $4,500,000.    The Poets

Bowl has an insurance value of $3,400,000 based on the 1949

purchase price of the Sons of Liberty Bowl brought forward.

The Poets Bowl was lost for over 120 years and was found recently in

an old family trunk that had valuables of Harriet Tilden Sturgis ( HTS

engraved on the Bowl).   Harriet was the daughter of Nathaniel Sturgis--

the head of Russell & Co., the largest importer of opium in the

China trade in the 1800s and the wealthiest family in New England.

Her brother,  Russell Sturgis, was the head of Barings Bank in London, and 

John Hubbard Sturgis was the architect for the MFA in Boston.

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