The snuff horn, or snuff box, of the title was mentioned in 1961 as being in Dunedin.
I infer from the inscription that James RICHARDSON Snr (1782-1868), a smith in Edinburgh, belonged to the Eastern & Western Hammermen of Portsburgh, Edinburgh.
I suspect there's a bit of exageration going on as to it being "hundreds of years old" in 1848 when it was given to James Jnr ((1826-1902) as James Snr was the earliest blacksmith RICHARDSON of our family in Edinburgh, that I know about anyway, although it would be good to find earlier ones. I suppose the horn/box might be older though.
James' father Robert was a smith at Rutherford Whitelaw (nr Maxton) and seems unlikely to have moved to Edinburgh given he was shown as being in Morebattle in 1797, when he would be 50.
The attached are the two letters referencing the snuff horn/box.
It would be great to be able to find this.

6th May 2008:
It has now been found to still exist, in the family still, and is kept safe.
I have hopes of shortly being able to include photographs of it, and hopefully also the letter inside it, and may be privileged to be able to actually see it.

1961 Feb 19th - Letter from Tish ( Catherine Sutherland RICHARDSON, d/o Andrew William Alexander RICHARDSON) to Bessie (WHITE nee GRANT her cousin)

Pg 1 1961 Feb 26th - Letter From Bessie (WHITE nee GRANT) to Grace (JARVIE nee LILBURNE)

Pg 2 1961 Feb 26th - Letter From Bessie (WHITE nee GRANT) to Grace (JARVIE nee LILBURNE)

 
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