The silver box presented to Robert Peel by TCD in 1812. (Click on image to enlarge)
A Dublin silver box presented to Robert Peel in 1812 when he was Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland has been discovered by silver dealers L. and W. Duvallier. Peel, who as Home Secretary helped to create the modern police force – they were bobbies in England and peelers in Ireland – served twice as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.
The engraved underside of the box. (Click to enlarge).
The silver box, made in 1810 by Aneas Ryan, has a hinged lid engraved with Robert Peel’s coat of arms within a leaf border. It commemorates the award of an honorary LLD degree to him by Trinity College, Dublin (TCD). The sides are engraved with the TCD Coat of Arms.
Sir Robert Peel (1788-1850) was elected MP for the Irish rotten borough of Cashel, Co. Tipperary, when he was 21. Only 24 voters were eligible. His sponsors were his father (who bought the seat) and the Chief Secretary for Ireland Sir Arthur Wellesley, the future Duke of Wellington Peel became Chief Secretary for Ireland in 1812. He opposed Catholic Emancipation and was dubbed “Orange Peel” by Daniel O’Connell. The enmity between the two was so great that they agreed to fight a duel, but it never took place. Peel served as Prime Minister twice, in 1834-35 and from 1841-1846.