On February 3, 1774 the surviving son of Martha Washington, John "Jacky" Parke Custis, married Eleanor Calvert, uniting two of the most well connected and wealthy families in colonial America. Although young, (nineteen and sixteen respectively), the couple recognized the importance of surrounding themselves with fine goods that spoke of their fortune, taste, and gentility. They soon assembled an impressive array of imported English silver which included this punch strainer. Drinking punch in the eighteenth-century was a convivial social occasion with a distinct equipage. The strainer neatly removed remnants of spices and fruit pulp from the potent mixture of spirits, citrus juice, sugar, and spices.