Pewter of the Bronze Age in the Near East. The earliest piece of pewter found is from an Egyptian tomb from 1450 BC. The constituents of pewter were first controlled in the 12th century by town guilds in France. By the 15th century, the Worshipful Company of Pewterers controlled pewter constituents in England. This company originally had two grades of pewter, but in the 16th century a third grade was added. The first type, known as "fine metal", was used for tableware. It consisted of tin with as much copper as it could absorb, which is about 1%. The second type,
River aux Vases (Mississippi River) River aux Vases (Mississippi River) River aux Vases is a creek that rises in Union Township in western Ste. Genevieve County, Missouri and flows into the Mississippi River about two miles north of St. Marys, Missouri. The stream's original name - La Rivière aux Vases - is French meaning "The muddy or swampy River" and referred to quicksand and soggy conditions around the creek, especially crossings. The earliest French colonial families had long-established family sugar camps (les sucreries) along the creek to process sugar. In 1797 the younger son of Pierre de Lassus, Commandant of New Bourbon received a grant