A fine pair of Berlin KPM porcelain plates, in the French style, made for the VAN RENSSELAER family of New York, USA. Monogram E,V,R.
  
  Originally from the Netherlands, they settled near New York and were a prominent family from the 17th to 19th Centuries. As Herman Melville said in his book 'Moby Dick' ;
 "It touches one's sense of honor, particularly if you come of an old established family in the land, the Van Rensselaers, or Randolphs, or Hardicanutes." One of the wealthiest early families, the Manor of Rensselaerswyck, covered an area of 1 million acres. 
  FORT CRAILO in the town of RENSSELAER a fortified Manor house, dating from about 1663 was where the song 'YANKEE DOODLE DANDY' was written by a British surgeon, Richard Shuckburg in about 1758. He watched the provincial militia and was amused by their drills. Fortified for the French and Indian war, it was no longer used for military purposes from about 1783.