Jacob Hurd, Silversmith
The son of Jacob and Elizabeth Tufts Hurd, Jacob Hurd was born in either 1702 or 1703. He was the most important and prolific silversmith of his generation, producing over 500 objects. Hurd received many of the most important commissions for public presentation objects and was the favored artisan among Boston’s elite.
In addition to his work as a silversmith, Jacob Hurd was prominent in the Massachusetts militia, serving initially as First Sergeant of the Artillery Company in 1745 and later as Captain of a Boston company. His son, Nathaniel Hurd (1729 to 1777) was also a silversmith and engraver, as was his son Benjamin (1739 to 1781). Jacob died in 1758.