How heavy is a standard mahogany cabinet?

Mahogany is a dense timber. A full-sized piece usually takes two strong people to move the bottom section alone. Most split into two parts at the waist. You remove the top half before trying to lift the base.

Can the upper shelves be adjusted?

Sometimes. Many feature wooden supports resting on a saw-tooth rack. These racks let you shift the height. Others use fixed shelves.

We have some low ceilings in our cottage and I was wondering if the top cornice on these can be removed to make them fit?

It depends on the construction. Some cornices slide off easily because they sit on a separate frame resting on pegs. Others are nailed or glued firmly into the carcase structure. Removing those requires a cabinet maker and will alter the proportions of the piece.

My husband wants to use one in the kitchen to hold stacks of modern plates, but will the original wooden shelves actually take that much weight without bowing?

Georgian cabinet makers built things to last. A solid oak or thick pine shelf will hold a substantial stack of dinnerware without much trouble. Very wide spans might show a slight dip in the middle. If the shelves are thin mahogany or later replacements, they might struggle under heavy ceramic weights.

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Chippendale Georgian Cabinets

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Standing tall on bracket feet or slender legs, a Georgian cabinet combines glazed upper doors for displaying porcelain or books with a solid lower section to keep household linens and papers neatly out of sight.