In the U. S. Census reports in 1850 and 1860, George Washington identified his birthplace as Kentucky, either in 1804 or 1807, the latter a discrepancy between the two census returns since their entries vary. Nothing more is known of him until 1850 when the census taker visits him in Houston. Then Capron gave his occupation as a jeweler, a term that suggests that rather than a manufacturer, he was a merchant who retailed finished goods. He noted that he had accumulated real estate valued at $500. By 1860, his property had appreciated to $1,500 and was now combined with a “personal estate” of $2,000, presumably much of it invested in his retail stock.

This ladle may have been used for a variety of condiments, sauces, or melted butter. While the handle is struck only with Capron’s stamp, in all likelihood it did not originate locally, but instead in the large manufactories in the Northeast, a practice that then was commonplace throughout much of the South.