HISTORY OF THE OLD SHEFFIELD PLATE
AND ITS COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT

This text is the result of a long and careful translation of the most important text ever written on the subject of “Old Sheffield Plate”:

“History of Old Sheffield Plate”

by the silversmith Thomas Bradbury, written and edited for the first time in 1912 through the memories of those who, like Bradbury, were still custodians of the secrets of this technique, the last generation to have learned this art as young people which later became obsolete. After years of oblivion, this fascinating story is now much discussed by operators in the sector and collectors. Often truths are mixed with legends and even more often a single cauldron of the world of silver plated is created, thus grouping together the noble Sheffield Plate made by electrolysis with its historically and materially more important ancestor made by die casting. The topic is so complex that not even Bradbury (quote) was fully aware of it, there are secrets and formulas that unfortunately disappeared together with their users or even missing documents that could shed light on some steps or tricks. While you read this treatise, always keep in mind one very important thing, namely that when the author says "today" he means in 1912, therefore even somewhat archaic terminologies or concepts now distant from us must obviously be read in the perspective of those last sumptuous years one step away from the nineteenth century and another away from the European decay brought about by the First World War of 1914.

Note that it mentions the existence of fakes already in the early 1900s.

Francesco Li Volsi

PREFACE

The aim of this work is to broaden the knowledge of the specimens of Old Sheffield Plate articles, which are now very valuable; trace the origin of the processes by which they were produced, provide some details about the producers and their factories, the localities, the workers and the methods adopted; this together with other details that could be interesting both for collectors and for those who trade in the products of a long-standing industry that has now fallen entirely into disuse. It is incorrect to say that the production of silver plated items on copper by the casting process, with silver edges and fine supports, and silver shields 1 , is a lost art. A large percentage of the molds from which these items were made in the past are still present in Sheffield, while the rolling mills still roll the sheets of molten silver and copper as in the past. There are also workers capable of undertaking the difficult processes of soldering on silver supports, rubbing-in 2 of silver shields and applying fine silver edges. The industry in its ancient form, however, seems destined never to be resurrected commercially again; we live in an age where people who buy plated items demand them in the cheaper varieties. The manufacturers and retailers come together to completely satisfy the public in this regard. The idea is gaining ground that modern plated items only need to last a few years - until owners tire of their styles, or the items are no longer used.

In writing on the subject of Old Sheffield Plate , it was felt essential to include some details regarding the production of close-plated ware 3 , silver cutlery, silverware and Britannia Metal . 4 The welding of layers of fine silver onto baser metals – a method long termed “ close plating ” – has such an ancient origin that it is lost in the mists of time.

The production of silver and silver-plated items began in the cutlery sector. Later, cheaper material than Sheffield plate , and more practical than pewter, was required. “ Britannia metal ” then developed. In Sheffield the main manufacturers, in the past as today, produced cutlery and articles, both in silver and plated; although the production of Britannia metal was not despicable overall in recent times, if a company had sufficiently large buildings to guarantee the introduction of further production activities.

In the discussion of the previous topics, the main aim in view has been the most correct possible representation of the production process by means of illustrations, with reproductions of specimens, manufacturers' names and brands found both on the Old Sheffield and on the close-plated articles . The names in the lists of Sheffield makers who registered a plater's mark at the Assay Office in Sheffield embrace virtually the entirety of the silversmiths of the time. Consequently, it was deemed necessary to provide a chronological representation, as accurate and orderly as possible, of the makers' hallmarks, as well as the authentic date letters, crown shapes and styles, and lions found on ancient silverware.

The hope is that such matters will now be stated on clearly defined lines, so as to afford every possible aid to collectors desirous of inquiring into the origin of their specimens.

The Author's task has been greatly facilitated by the publication of the official registers of all silver and pottery hallmarks, entered in the books of the Assay Office at Sheffield, to whose custodians he wishes to acknowledge his debt.

Even those who have lived in Sheffield all their lives have great difficulty in discovering credible information about the conditions under which the industry was founded and developed; However, diligent research among the dusty archives of his own and other companies has allowed the Author to recover many forgotten facts, which have shed new light on these conditions. At the same time he has endeavored, with what success it is up to the reader to judge, to provide human interest to the narrative by including all that is known of the personality and character of the characters to whom the Sheffield Plate owes its origin and excellence.

The quantity of Old Sheffield Plate produced abroad that can be found in this country today, or found abroad but produced in England, required the writing of a separate article on the subject. The hope is that the marks reproduced, and the details provided in Part VII of this work, will help shed light on a subject which for a long time in the past rather baffled collectors.

The author trusts that the observations in the chapter: "Known places of production of Old Sheffield Plate ", will in turn help to resolve the age-old question of where plated ware was first produced.

On the subject of Britannia metal - an industry that has endured for 140 years now -, except for the few lines mentioned here, nothing, as far as the author knows, has yet been published.

I must thank with utmost gratitude for the invaluable help provided with the historical parts of the book Mr. Robert Eadon Leader, Graduate in Literature, descendant of one of the first and most accomplished blacksmiths and platemakers connected with our city, and who inherited the enthusiasm for the hometown, its trades, its personalities and the ancient history for which all true Sheffield natives are so proud of themselves. Mr. Leader's collaboration was particularly valuable because of his familiarity with our early documents, topographic and personal, and because he dedicated himself to preserving, before it was too late, details relating to our ancestors, their trades, customs and interests, together with much else which, in the changes brought about by the rapid development of the city, the introduction of advanced manufacturing methods and the colossal growth of the great steel factories, might soon have been lost into oblivion.

To Messrs. M. S. D. Westropp of Dublin, Clement H. Casley of Ipswich, Arthur Westwood of Harborne, near Birmingham, and B. B. Harrison of Sevenoaks, I must extend sincere thanks for their untiring assistance in recording and researching particulars concerning unusual specimens and other matters of 'interest; to Mr. W. P. Belk of Sheffield, for many suggestions of arrangement which have proved of inestimable use; and to Mr. GR Travis of Sheffield, for assisting me on the subject of the Old Sheffield Plate in France. From Mr. Pawson of Sheffield, I received valuable assistance in discovering local data and interesting material. Great assistance was given to me by Mr. A. Nicholson, of the Assumption Office in Sheffield. His grandfather has been ably described by one who can scarcely remember him as the last of the gentlemen Old Sheffield Plate makers.

I am also obliged to my brothers and Miss Bradury, the staff of T. Bradbury and Sons, especially Mr. G. H. Cottam, for bringing together the specimens of moulds, tools, etc., here illustrated; to Mr. G. Kinman for guiding me in technical matters; of Mr. Hunt for gathering information from old ledgers and manuscripts, and for his assistance in registering trade marks; of Messrs. T. Bradley and S. W. Turner.

By Maj. Carrington of Bideford, and the late Mr. Wm. A. Carrington of Bakewell, for assisting me in researching the family tree; of the late Mr. W. A. ​​Ellis and Mr. P. M. Ellis of Birmingham, in connection with the practical aspects of fusion plating; also Messrs. Walter Willson of Richmond, J. H. Ellett Lake of Exeter, and F. Lyne of Bristol, whose careful recordings of the marks on the various pieces passed through his hands were most valuable to me, and who also sent me unusual specimens to examine; from Mr JB Mitchell-Withers of Sheffield, for providing information relating to his ancestor, Mr T. Boulsover; I also owe full acknowledgments of gratitude to Mr. W. Sissons for his valuable assistance in compiling documents relating to the early history of his firm and other matters connected with the subject of the Old Sheffield Plate.

For assistance in collaborating and loans of china for illustrations, I am indebted to Countess Sackville, Earl Fitzwilliam, Sir T. Freake, Baronet, Mr. Samuel Roberts, MP, Col. H. C. Surtees, the Mr JG Nairne of the Bank of England; by Mr. Walter Prideaux of Goldsmiths' Hall; the late Rev. J. Matthews of Broxbourne, and the Rev. F. L. Shaw, Vicar of Eyam; of the Keepers of the Assay Office at Sheffield, of the Cutlers' Guild, of Mr. L. T. O'Shea of ​​the University; by Mr. ACC Jahn of the School of Art; by Mr. Bernard Watson, Graduate in Literature, Tasting Expert; by Mr JC Bennett of the Sheffield Smelting Company; of Col. Hughes, Companion of the Order of Bath, of Messrs. D. Vickers, Justice of the Peace, Arnold T. Watson, James Dixon, Justice of the Peace, Lennox Dixon, T. Bowker, AL Billot, TR Ellin, RT Wilson, W. Thorpe Haddock, AJ Hobson, Justice of the Peace, and Miss Hobson, of Messrs. B. Hoole, Herbert Hutton, Sidney Nowill, A. C. Ridge, Leslie Roberts, John Rodgers, H. B. Sandford, T. A. Scott, Henry Steel, W. O. Stratford, W. Walker, Cecil Wilson, all of Sheffield; by Mr WL Spiers of Sir John Soane's Museum; of Mr. L. Crichton., of Dr. W. Jobson Horne, of Messrs. George Lambert, A. M. Parsons, W. H. Rickatson, Frank C. Wheeler, G. N. Withers, Waldeck, all of London; of Messrs. Hiatt Baker of Almondsbury, near Gloucester; H. Hamilton of Belfast; by Dr J. Torrey Junior of Blundellsands; of Messrs. Joseph Spiridion of Cardiff; S. Barnett of Chester; HS Benzie of Cowes; of the Artistic and Industrial Section of the Irish National Museum; of Messrs. Hamilton Blake and EJ Inches of Edinburgh; former Glasgow City Councilor Sorley; of Messrs. Francis Mallett of Bath; G. H. Clapham of Manchester; F. A. Hawley of Hampstead; of Messrs. J. and H. Barraclough of Leeds; of Messrs. J. W. Usher of Lincoln; Alfred Bethell of Newton Kyme, near Tadcaster; J. Taylor of Northfield, near Birmingham; Alfred T. Johnstone of Rednal, and A. F. de Navarro of Broadway, Worcestershire; of Messrs. WT Freemantle of Barbot Hall, Rotherham; J. Tearoe, Justice of the Peace of Sanderstead; E. Plimmer of Shrewsbury; by Dr. A. M. Roberts of Southport; by Mr CA Head of Hartburn Hall, near Stockton-on-Tees; by Mr. Norman Haggie of Sunderland; by Dr. George Porter of Surbiton; of Messrs. H S Hare of Taunton; F. Ross of Winchester; WT Sears of Normanhurst, near Northhampton; Ernest Hill of Woking; Percy WL Adams of Wolstanton, Staffordshire; WJ Fieldhouse of Wooten Waven, and TP Barker of Four Oaks, Warwickshire; of Messrs. W. Birmingham Base; Felix Alfermann from Berlin; Henri Boulhet, Pinton, and Christofle of Paris; by Mr. Holbrook of New York.

Among members of the trade, my thanks for the kind grant of specimens go to Birch & Gaydon, Chapple & Mantell, Dobson & Son, Elkington & Co., Heming & Co., Holmes & Maplesden, Spink & Son Ltd., M . & S. Lyon, Mappin & Webb, F. B. Thomas & Co., Vander & Hedges, and Lambert, all London firms; to W. Dickinson and E. J. Vokes of Bath; SD Neill of Belfast; to D. & M. Davis, and to I. S. Greenbergh of Birmingham; to JH George, JH Mogg and FS Smith of Bristol; to T. Worthington, of Burton-on-Trent; to H. Winston of Cardiff; to A. Jack & Co., Martin & Co., and to A. Paget of Cheltenham; to Butt & Co. Ltd. and Lowe & Sons of Chester; to HC Galton of Christchurch; to HE Norris of Cirencester; to E. Johnson, JE Ledbetter, L. Wine and B. Wine of Dublin; at Wilson & Sharp in Edinburgh; to Bruford & Son, and to JE Lake & Son of Exeter; to R. & W. Sorley of Glasgow; to C. Basker & Son of Grantham; to Oswin & Co. of Hereford; to B. Mallinson & Son of Huddersfield; at Green & Hatfield in Ipswich; to S. Leighton of Lancaster; to Curtis & Horspool, and to William Withers of Leicester; to EE Dunthorne, Robert Jones & Sons, and RH Reed & Son of Liverpool; to L. Hall of Louth; to Sidney Blackford of Lynton; to ET Biggs of Maidenhead; to M. Beaver, D. F. Davis, and John Hall & Co. of Manchester; to H. T. Simmonds of Monmouth; at Ford & Son of Newark; to C. Ince of Newport; to Robinson & Co. of Northampton; to George Wood of Nottingham; to F. Cambray of Oxford; to E. Emanuel of Portsea; at Page, Keen & Page of Plymouth; to J. Cockburn and J. H. Harvis of Richmond; to R. Smith & Son of Scarborough.

 

FREDK. BRADBURY

SHEFFIELD,

OCTOBER 1912

THE HISTORY OF THE OLD SHEFFIELD PLATE

INTRODUCTION

Old Sheffield Plate is the term used to describe flat-ware [7] or hollow-ware [8] items, for tableware or for domestic use, made of silver-coated copper by melting; the production period dates from around 1743 and lasted approximately 100 years; it was then gradually supplanted by electrolytically silvered objects. In Sheffield plated ware, silver is spread over copper and the metals are joined by melting, hardened and strengthened by pressure between rollers. Unfortunately, as a rule, the knowledge of the average collector does not extend beyond the knowledge that Old Sheffield Plate consists of silvered copper, and they are sometimes tempted to buy electrolytically silvered-on-copper items when they see copper exposed in plain sight. Such items are not infrequently described as “ Real Sheffield ” 7 and “ Sheffield Plate ”, omitting the word “ Old ”. Our city is not, as has often been imagined, an Eldorado in which to find magnificent surplus examples of ancient plated wares, despite the fact that almost all pottery was produced there in times gone by, a period which today is familiarly described as " Old Sheffield ". There is a time-honored saying in the city - not without elements of truth - that good cutlery can be purchased almost anywhere except Sheffield, and both the cutler and the platemaker sought markets for their wares beyond outside the city limits. But undoubtedly there is still a large quantity of Old Sheffield Plate in Sheffield, mostly in private hands, and carefully preserved by the descendants of those who originally made it for their own use.

At Sheffield Parish Church there will be an exceptionally large Old Sheffield smooth plate or chopping board, used regularly to carry water to the source at baptisms. It is finely preserved and must have been used for a considerable number of years. It bears the mark of T. & J. Creswick. The church also contains - among other earlier specimens - some patens and jugs, the latter of a very large size, two of which were produced during the reign of Queen Anne, and in an excellent state of preservation. The pottery is well worthy of inspection by those interested in ancient silver.

At the Royal Infirmary of Sheffield there is a common communion service in Sheffield Plate honored by Thomas Law & Co. in 1800, including a paten, a chalice and a jug, bearing this mark (the flattened vase).

That Sheffield is a very old place from an industrial point of view is confirmed by a reference in Chaucer's "Reves' Tale", where the factor is described as follows:

“A thwytel 8 from Sheffield carries him in the barrel,

his face was round and his nose was snub."

There is a story of Edward III's hunting visit to Sheffield, so six centuries ago the city was not unknown to the court. The population of Sheffield in 1615 amounted to 2,207, of whom 1,222 were servants and children, and 725 "all poor beggars". However, this would lead one astray, except to remember that the information applies only to the city of Sheffield, not to the diocese, and that the wealthier inhabitants lived in the suburbs. A more useful comparison is made by taking the figures for the entire diocese. They indicate a population in 1736 of 14,105 inhabitants; in 1801, of 45,578; in 1841, of 110,891; in 1871, of 239,941. In 1905, when the borders had been extended, it was 440,414, and in 1911 it was 454,653.

Mary, Queen of Scots, spent approximately 14 years of her imprisonment in Sheffield, between 1571 and 1584, in the care of the Earl of Shrewsbury. At Sheffield Manor, now in complete ruin, there still exists a small detached building, carefully restored some years ago. One of his rooms, presumably reserved for the Queen's use, has beautiful interior decoration, including a finely executed Shrewsbury family coat of arms over the fireplace. It is claimed that this part of the Manor was built especially for her by the Count to prevent her escape.

An interesting portrait of Sheffield in the early Old Plate period is found in a letter from Horace Walpole to Mr. Montagu, dated 1 September 1760. The writer says:

“On my way to Lord Strafford I passed through Sheffield, which is one of the dirtiest cities in England, in the most charming condition, where there are 22,000 inhabitants who make knives and scissors. They pay £11,000 a week to London. A local man discovered the art of plating copper with silver. I bought a couple of candlesticks for two guineas which are very nice."

Among the city's ancient charitable institutions at least one was founded for the benefit of the local trade in silver and Sheffield Plate . In 1815, Mary Parsons, sister of John Parsons of J. Parsons & Co., extensive manufacturers of Old Sheffield Plate and silver, mainly candlesticks, "with affectionate regard to the memory of her brother", bequeathed a sum of £1,500 to credit for an investment, the proceeds of which would be distributed equally among 46 old and infirm Sheffield blacksmiths, in shares of £1 each, with a gift of £2 to the Vicar to recite an annual sermon on St John's Day. Increased by the sum of £175, raised in 1879 from the working manufacturers and blacksmiths of Sheffield, the endowment of this charitable institution now stands at £1,709, 17 shillings and 7 pence. Usually around 50 men received the annual fee of £1, and candidates were selected at an annual meeting of working blacksmiths. Benefits are limited to brasssmiths, pieceworkers and candlestick makers who have apprenticed in Sheffield and worked regularly in the trade. The beneficiaries usually go in procession to the church to listen to the sermon, after which the portion is distributed in the sacristy.

PART I

THE INVENTION

THE OLDEST PLATING METHODS

 

The methods by which the very first platers performed their work on larger articles used for decorative purposes are not very clear.

The dominant fact to always keep in mind is that, as in the case of today's electrolytically silvered items, the silver coating was applied after the items had been forged. The “French” method of plating, prior to the discovery of the fusion plating process, consisted of burnishing a thin sheet of silver struck at a low temperature onto the metal before oxidation took place, and although other sheets could be added, they could not never achieved a perfect union. A casing wrapped around the edges in baser metals had been tried, but it had a lamé-like appearance and was almost unusable.

That from ancient times cutlers used a process of plating baser metals with silver and gold for the ornamentation of knives is evident. As early as 1379, the cutlers of London had established that the silver used for this purpose - "finishing knife handles" - had to be of good alloy; while even earlier, i.e. in 1327, the Society of Goldsmiths of London granted letters patent complaining that "the cutlers in their workshops cover the tin with silver with such meticulousness and skill that the same cannot be distinguished and separated from the tin, and thanks to this they sell the tin thus covered as precious silver, to the great damage and deception of us and the people." [9]

In the reigns of Henry IV and Henry V various parliamentary laws were passed prohibiting the gilding of any metal other than silver, and the silvering of any article except knights' spurs or articles of noble armour. Probably the same method, passed down for many centuries, is referred to in two of the regulations in the first code of local laws promulgated in 1625 by the Sheffield Cutlers' Society. One of these prohibited the use of gold or silver on the blades, brackets or handles of knives worth less than 5 shillings per dozen; the other established that for the damasking, inlaying and studding of superior quality knives, no material of a lower quality than good alloy silver or gold should be used.

Failure to comply with these laws led to disputes and arbitrations; and in an arbitration ruling (1628) we have a clear picture of the violations caused by “counterfeit material, by which an ignorant any or other person may be induced to take the same for silver or gold”. The local law is described as “relating to the mixing of gold and brass, or of silver with tin or pewter for use or employ in the shading, damasking, gilding, silvering or other ornamentation of knife handles, brackets and blades, or of any part thereof, or in any other article of cutlery".

It is instructive to note that the defense mounted by the transgressors against these Ordinances consisted partly in the fact that they contravened one of the laws mentioned above, that of Henry V, chapter 3, (1420), and it will be seen later how (with all probability) undertaking repairs to a single knife of the species referred to in this dispute helped to reveal to Thomas Boulsover the possibilities of fusion plating – in other words, to lead to the invention of the Sheffield Plate .

The above references to the earlier use of silver and gold for plating and ornamental purposes in England naturally lead us to the question: Previously, how were these knife handles and blades plated? Certainly not through a process of short duration, or incapable of withstanding the use of items subjected to constant and daily consumption. As an answer to our question, we need to look at what is called “ close plating ,” in one form or another. This is the only system by which steel or iron, even today, in any established manner and with fully satisfactory results, can be covered with silver. Close plating has been so persistently associated, and consistently confused, with fusion plating, that it will not be out of place here to explain the former in detail.

Practically any metal susceptible to welding can also be subjected to close plating . The process is, however, laborious, and is usually applied only to smaller articles of everyday use which require a greater resistance force than ordinary hollow-ware , or the possession of a sharp edge, for example knife blades and snuffers; or pointed or pointed ends, such as forks, skewers, cheese paddles, or lobster utensils; or force, as in the case of bridle bits, spurs, harness fittings, and carriage door handles.

Although close plating , as performed in the past and today, is absolutely simple in its main aspects, only with the utmost patience can one achieve, and with constant practice maintain, expert manipulative skill. The process can be described as follows: - After having first been smoothed and perfectly cleaned, the article to be plated, to ensure complete adhesion of the substance to be deposited, is immersed in ammonium chloride, which acts as a flux, and later in molten tin. A silver foil, thinned by beating and cut to the required size, is then placed on the article and fitted as evenly and perfectly as possible. After having superimposed the silver foil on the steel in every part by pressure, a heated soldering iron is delicately passed over the entire surface. By means of this operation the tin is melted and forms a weld between the steel and the silver that covers it. The surface is then carefully smoothed along its entire extension with a heated soldering iron; carefully removed the abrasive fragments and metal particles and flattened the edges by burnishing, the surface is then ready for finishing by hand or with the aid of a sanding machine, as is usual with all articles, whether plated or silver.

This method of close plating , which we must consider as the forerunner of the equally established fusion plating process, barely survived after the latter came into common use. This is because it could not prevent the new competitor from gradually monopolizing the production process of common receptive and ornamental pottery. The method of close plating appears to have been so effectively supplanted by its more formidable rival, fusion plating, that we have to wait until the early part of the 19th century. before, after a few years of effort, it becomes appreciated again. In the 18th century At least two advanced patents for close-plating had been produced, one by Samuel Roberts, adapted for making spoons and forks from iron or "any compound or white metal ", and also for making candlesticks from the same materials. His patent sounds like a decisive attempt to resurrect close plating by testing its possibilities in those articles that required both utility and decorum on a daily basis. However, these products were not successful, being too heavy to use. They were also prone to rusting. In the year 1779, ten years before Roberts' advanced patent, another patent had been produced by a London jeweler, Richard Ellis, who significantly mentions his method as a "new way" (i.e. supposedly an improvement in close plating ) . A careful examination of his patent description leads us to the conclusion that it refers to the solder elements used during the implementation of the close plating method. Here, however, as in Roberts' case, the obscurity of the expression almost suggests that, however comprehensible the process may have been to the inventors themselves, the desire was to confuse the reader rather than to clarify what was undoubtedly the result of a lot of reasoning and careful research. Little was known of both thereafter, and throughout the period of the Sheffield Plate industry, the only means by which this older process was prevented from dying out were its adaptation to cutting blades and snuffer handles. , to the ornamentation of steel buckles, and its use by cutlers for knife blades. The durability of close plating items depends on whether they were exposed to excessive heat or humidity. The blade of a knife or fork plated by this method, if held for a moment in the flame, quickly loses its silver coating, while in a humid environment the metal of the lower layer tends to rust, and consequently the silver bubbles form.

Sir Edward Thomason (of Birmingham), in his “ Memoirs of Half a Century ,” vol. I, p.36, sheds interesting light on the subject of close plating and its revival in the early 19th century. His observations are as follows:-

In early January 1810, I enlarged the production facilities to add a new business - the steel plating of knives, forks, spoons, etc. For in this period the idea prevailed that there was no affinity between steel and silver, and that a tool must be found which combined or had an affinity for both. This instrument was tin, an object previously known but which had not been acted upon as scientifically as it should have been. I succeeded, and my manufactures in this new series were appreciated by the public, as the following letter dated 26 February 1810, Northumberland House, and signed "Percy" will prove:-

Northumberland House, 26 February 1810.

"Gentleman,

having mentioned his plated steel knives and forks, and imitation silver spoons and plates, to a gentleman about to leave for a country where there is great difficulty in procuring earthenware, he is very desirous of taking some with him. I will therefore be very obliged to you if you send me as soon as possible a dozen copies of each article, with the relevant bill, since I must hope that in the meantime you have managed to make some plates. However, should there be any shop in town to which you send your goods, it would perhaps be better to direct me to that shop, rather than have the items flown in from Birmingham, so that I might see a greater variety to choose from. I am anxious, Sir, to know whether you have lately produced any new invention, and, furthermore, whether you have been able to convert Japanese leather to any use. Should the Club you mentioned to me when I was in Birmingham publish your dissertations or lectures, I would very much like to see them.

"Rest,

“His obedient servant

“PERCY.”

“Egr. E. Thomason, Church Street, Birmingham.

I can say that the new production has occupied a large part of my free time this year, to see which classes of articles could meet my expectations; and it seemed that this method of plating was confined to small articles, and that the table-plates to which the noble Earl Percy alludes, could not be properly made.”

BOULSOVER'S DISCOVERY OF FUSION PLATING

Desolately vague and unsatisfactory are the accounts handed down to us on the way in which Thomas Boulsover 10 laid the foundations of the Old Sheffield Plate, focusing on hitherto unknown affinities between metals. Tradition has it that in 1743, while he was pursuing his craft as a cutler and was engaged in the banal repair of a knife handle, the behavior of the silver and copper used in the decoration attracted his attention. What did he see? Chroniclers provide different answers to this question. Hunter 11 , avoiding details, simply says that, since the handle of the knife was composed partly of silver and partly of copper, Boulsover was "struck" by the possibility of combining the two metals. Others, more precise, assert that this combination actually occurred before Boulsover's eyes, having been caused (1) by the melting, due to accidental overheating, of the silver and copper in the handle; or (2) by the fact that the silver thus melted adhered closely to the copper of a penny which he had accidentally inserted into the vice as a wedge. Another version rather lingers on a later event – ​​the discovery that metals, after coming together, in combination under pressure retained their ductility separately, while behaving as a single object when manipulated. It was this, the statement goes, that surprised Boulsover when, wishing to spread the silver so as to cover an exposed spot, he put the handle of the knife "through the rollers," and found that instead of the silver expanding on its own, it the copper stretched together completely in unison. 12

That this, and not adhesion by fusion, was the vital discovery seems an irresistible conclusion. By subjecting an old copper penny and a sixpence coin to the flame of a blowtorch, anyone can easily demonstrate in a rudimentary way the role that smelting played in the production of Old Sheffield Plate . And he will find it impossible to believe that, despite the common use of soldering, it fell to Boulsover to be the first in 1743 to cause a torch to come into contact with silver and copper. It may be, however, as has been suggested, that the commercial importance of this had not "struck" anyone before him, and that it only became instructive when combined with the discovery that the joined metals were completely homogeneous and workable. Although the fortuitous presence of suitable rollers, unusual accessories for a cutler's shop, aroused suspicion, it seems possible that this was the real discovery.

It is at least very unlikely that Boulsover could have been fortunate enough to be favored by two simultaneous "accidents", one revealing the feasibility of fusion plating, the other that joined metals could be stretched indefinitely under pressure. However, lacking any explanation from Boulsover himself, and any strictly contemporary narrative, it must be admitted that these are all conjectures. Weighing the odds is of little help in solving the mystery of what really happened in Boulsover's attic. Perhaps, after all, there was some combination of intelligent seeking, good fortune, and what is, in a familiar expression, called the power of making two and two four. 13

Other activities for which he laid the foundations in subsequent years, such as the creation of rotary rolling mills, the production of saws (by means of the new rolling process), spades, shovels, etc., would, one must believe, have passed on the memory of him up to us today, as one of the greatest pioneers of the commercial industries of the 18th century.

It is said that the old saw manufacturing process involved the laborious method of obtaining the blade by beating a steel bar. Boulsover is credited with substituting for this method the simpler one of rolling, with the advantages of which his experience of silver plating had made him familiar. He also introduced the ingenious but then innovative method of adjusting the teeth of the saws so as to give “pitch” without the inconvenient main concern of keeping the cutting side of the blade thicker than the back. It was for this industry that he built workshops on the stream below his house at Whiteley Hood – beginning, as he said, with a purse that had no neck and ending with one that was only a neck. At Bowser (i.e. Boulsover) Bottom the workmen's sheds can still be seen. The remains of the mills, clearly visible not long ago, are now, however, almost entirely destroyed. However, the dam that provided hydraulic energy remains. Shortly after Boulsover's death, his daughter, Mrs. Hutton, built a small chapel for the workmen between the mills and the Hall . It still stands, used as a barn, as part of the Mason farm (see illustrations, p.3).

DESCRIPTION OF THE METHOD

The Boulsover method of fusion plating is still being performed today, and the best we can do is to recount point by point the description given by Mr. William Adcock Ellis, whose firm has been steadily engaged in this method for over a century. Mr. Ellis has also kindly provided the ingots pictured here. It should be noted that the modern procedure differs only in certain minimal details from the methods adopted in the very early years of the industry.

“About a century ago, when trade in Old Sheffield Plate was at its highest, it was discovered that the most reliable metal on which to plate, and most suitable for sheet rolling, was copper lightly alloyed with zinc and lead, a mixture discovered thanks to an experiment to produce an easily workable metal, neither too hard nor too porous, while the silver coating was lightly alloyed with copper in the same proportion as common silver (i.e. 925 parts pure silver versus 75 parts alloy).

An ingot of the above metal was taken, which varied from a thickness of 1½" to 1¾", and 2½" wide by 8" long, or larger, depending on the weight and size of the plated plate required for production, and the surface (or both surfaces during plating on both sides of the ingot) was planed to remove casting irregularities, resulting in a solid surface. Then the ingot was filed and scraped until all the imperfections on the face disappeared. The silver plate was then cut almost to the size of the face of the copper ingot, and with a thickness of the quality of the pottery required 14 ; this after having treated the plate in a similar way to the copper ingot. Then the two prepared surfaces were placed together, taking great care not to allow any dirt or moisture to remain on the surfaces; then these surfaces were pressed together with force so as to make the two faces fit together in an absolutely regular way. Today this press molding process to expel all air particles, before casting, is carried out by means of a powerful hydraulic press; previously it was carried out by a man, called a “ bedder ” 15 , who held a piece of iron weighing about 20 pounds, while a second man hit it with a heavy hammer. This flattens the two surfaces, embedding the silver into the copper.

To protect the silver from fire, a copper plate was spread over it, covered with a plaster solution to prevent it from adhering to the silver. The three pieces of metal were tied together with wire (or the five pieces in the case of double-plated metal, i.e. the one in which both sides had been silvered), then the edges where the silver and copper came into contact. The ingot was then ready for the smelting process and deposited into a furnace heated with coke fire, where it was placed, and watched with the utmost care through a small hole in the furnace door, until the silver plate of the ingot of copper did not begin to "cry" (this is the technical term), that is, it did not begin to drip down the sides of the ingot. The time had now come to remove the ingot from the furnace, and great care had to be taken when moving it. Appropriate pliers were used to firmly grasp the ingot by the sides and hold it in place during movement. Finally, the ingot, after enough time had passed for it to cool, and before sending it to the rotating mills, was carefully thoroughly cleaned by immersing it in acids and then rubbing it with sand and water.

In the event that some imperfection appeared on the plate after the lamination method, a section of the plate could be cut and eliminated, or the "French Plating" method, described on p.96, could be used as an alternative; but since the time taken up by this process weighed more than the small section of material eliminated, there was little incentive to use it.”

As to the question of whether plating on all four sides of the ingot had ever previously been undertaken, one experiment proved that by covering all four sides of an ingot with copper plates coated with silver and plaster, it could not be carried out inside a quantity of heat sufficient to bring the copper to the necessary melting temperature.

When only two faces of the ingot are plated, by exposing two sides of the copper surfaces to the furnace, the required heat is readily achieved.

TO WHICH PURPOSES WAS THE INVENTION OF MELTED POTTERY FIRST APPLIED AND HOW THE TWO PIONEERS FOLLOWED OTHER INDUSTRIAL INITIATIVES

Some extremely interesting additional information on the Old Sheffield Plate industry is given by some manuscripts left by Charles Dixon, a candlestick maker, who was born in Sheffield in 1776 and died in 1852. For some years before his death he took great care in compiling a register of events, anecdotes and trends of the times in which he lived, and as he freely associated with men then engaged in the manufacture of the Old Sheffield Plate , his recollections on this subject are of such importance as to merit reproduction in his own picturesque phraseology of the writer;-

“A person named Thomas Boulsover was the discoverer of the art of plating copper with silver. He was a cutler by profession. In the year 1743 he had a work in his hand in which the back of the knife was covered with silver soldered onto it. Realizing that he had run out of silver, he placed it all, just as it was, among the rolls at random, and found that the hard and the soft stretched together, which made him think about cause and effect.

Boulsover then began to carry out experiments. He discovered that the silver melted before the copper, and lay on the surface of the copper in a fluid state, so that when the heat had been applied long enough to melt the silver, it and the copper became a single solid body 16 , which could be laminated to any size or thickness.

The first use which Mr. Boulsover made of his discovery was in the manufacture of plated buttons, which seemed to answer his expectations very well. Since the discovery of plating was his, he kept it secret, and for a long time he had no opposition in this activity.

He cut out the buttons "on the fly" with a pallet and an awl, welded to the base, and then burnished and smoothed them. The greatest difficulty encountered was the need for money to expand their business thanks to this. He had no capital or little of it, and until then what he earned came from the result of his manual work.

Mr. Pegge, of Beauchief 17 , who knew Mr. Boulsover and his family a little, was the person to whom he decided to turn for help. Receiving him courteously, Boulsover explained the nature of his difficulties, showing him the models and providing him with details on the prospects for selling the buttons. Mr. Pegge understood the feasibility of the speculation and lent him £70, wishing him success. At the end of 12 months Mr. Boulsover visited Mr. Pegge again. Mr. Pegge says, “Well, Thomas, how are you? What, did he come to borrow more money?” “No, sir,” was the reply. “I have come to pay you the money I borrowed from you with interest.” “Really, Thomas?” "Yes, sir". “Well, Thomas, I don't want you to insult your business to pay me. I don't want money if it will be useful to you for a little longer; pay me only if you are able to save it conveniently.” “Oh, yes sir, I can spare him; and I also have a lot of money to carry on my business." “Well, Thomas, your trade must be as profitable as making money.” "Yes, sir; but it is a better business than making money, for I am able to sell my buttons comfortably for a guinea per twelve pieces, and the silver does not cost more than three shillings per twelve pieces; therefore making money costs more than it costs me.”

He paid Mr. Pegge and thanked him. He was very successful with his buttons, and by decorating them he obtained a great variety of designs. In business for some years, he sent his moldings, which he had taken great care of, to Mr. Read, refiner, at Green Lane, and in a short time he sent him back silver to the value of £100 - the workshop shapes were worth it.

The above story shows how, after some experiments, Boulsover had applied his invention to the manufacture of buttons, and to other small articles which had previously been made only of silver. It was Joseph Hancock (who will be discussed in more detail later) who understood the wider commercial possibilities of the new process, which he applied to a wider range of goods, initially manufacturing saucepans, then coffee pots, hot water jugs and candlesticks. , etc.

The late Thomas Nicholson tells an anecdote that Boulsover was treated very badly by a representative he employed in the early days of his invention. Hired to visit Boulsover's clients, this individual passed many of the orders he received to an accomplice in Sheffield, while making it clear to his employer that he was unable to conduct business on his behalf, as no one believed in the new method. Be that as it may, Boulsover devoted himself mainly to other ventures, in which he spent a substantial sum of unprofitable capital, while later wealth was built by those who had limited themselves to the production of plated pottery. After spending about fifteen years in manufacturing, Joseph Hancock abandoned the manufacturing of finished products and turned to trading rolled metal for manufacturers. We can place the date of this turning point between the years 1762-65, about the same time as Boulsover took up the manufacture of saws, etc. Originally the metals were transformed into plates by beating thanks to manual labor in the rooms where they had first been melted. They were later rolled by hand power, and about the same time that Joseph Hancock began rolling metal commercially, horsepower and water power followed. Finally, steam was used to operate the rolling mills.

The foregoing explains why, in the quotation from the old Lists given on the following pages, Boulsover and Hancock are not included in either 1774 or 1787 in the silver plate category. In the first list Boulsover appears under this heading, “Boulsover, Tho. & Co., Manufacturers of Saws, Fire Guards, Sharpened Tools, on Sycamore Street”; the only Joseph Hancock mentioned is “Hancock Joseph, Cutler, in Norfolk Street”. Boulsover is not mentioned in the 1787 Directory, in which Joseph Hancock is described as “laminator of plated metal, in Union Street.” There is reason to believe that earlier (about 1771) he had been engaged in the same industry in High Street, on or near the site later occupied by the silver-plated metal-making operations of William Hutton & Sons , now home to the Newsome, chemist, building. He established the Old Park Silver Mill, which still exists, on Club Mill Road, Hill Foot, substituting water per horsepower for plated metal by rolling.

The books of Thomas Bradbury & Sons show how Hancock laminated pottery for his predecessors in the years 1783-1787 –

DOCTOR.		MR. JOSEPH HANCOCK, SHEFFIELD -AGAINST-				CR.
1783	At the checkout	£	Shillings	Penny	1783	£	Sc.	P.
9 Aug		5	5	0	24 June
13 Sept		5	5	0	For balance from OL, p.244	176	15	4
1 Nov		5	5	0	For lamination as above. Invoice in 1783	73	10	6
20 Dec		5	5	0	1784	65	12	6
1784					1785	58	12	2½
17 Feb		5	5	0	1786	56	6	7
29 May		5	5	0	1787	30	14	8½
21 Aug		5	5	0

There are also in the same ledgers some entries relating to Boulsover, as a purchaser of goods from the same firm (M. Fenton & Co.) in the years 1778-79-80-81-82.

THE NEW INDUSTRY AND ITS POSSIBILITIES

As a result of Boulsover's discoveries, supplemented by those of Hancock, a new and important branch quickly sprang up on the already existing cutlery industry. There was naturally a brief initial or experimental stage during which, in the hands of the inventor, the new process was put to the test, since its potential needed to be motivated. Mr. Leader, in his " History of the Cutlers' Society ", does not accept the version that explains Boulsover's limitation to the silver-plated manufacture of buttons, snuffboxes and light and small articles, with the fact that he did not immediately understand the possibilities of his discovery. Leader leans towards the opinion that Boulsover wisely sought, at the outset, to demonstrate the value of the method by its practical application to the articles in which the Sheffield industry was chiefly active. And among these there were not only cutlery items, the ingenuity of which can be understood from the large number of "silver cutlery makers" who quickly used the new material; even minor manufactures which can be said to be almost indigenous to the place were ready and available, admirably adapted to experiments, and these products had a ready market. The production of buttons, for example, in the 18th century. it became important quickly enough to justify joining the Cutlers' Society in defending this trade, even though it was outside the corporation's jurisdiction. The dispute in question was in the interest of the manufacturers of uncovered buttons, and the result left them free to carry on their secondary business without inconvenience arising from the old statutes passed in the interest of the manufacturers of textile-covered buttons. This victory shortly preceded the discovery of Boulsover, which thus stood out in a booming local business. Producing not only buttons of horn, but buttons perhaps of silver and certainly of baser metals, such as brass and an amalgam known as “ alcomy ” (which was said to resemble gold), the adequacy of the new method for enlarging a existing trade would have been immediately evident in many Sheffield workshops. His adaptation did not eliminate the cheaper buttons derived from the clothing of the humble, nor did plated pottery supplant silver buttons. It did, however, provide for the needs of an intermediate class ready to pretend to have a precious metal that it did not actually possess.

It is worthy of note that the plated button, the very first article produced by Boulsover, would hold its place among the many productions made from plated molten metal with more tenacity than any other experimental article.

Courtesy of Messrs. Firmin & Sons, of London, the author is able to illustrate on the following page examples of buttons made from a molten copper plate, some of which were obtained from molds existing from the reign of Queen Anne (probably used in those days for punching silver buttons).

Messrs. Firmin are perhaps the oldest button manufacturing company in the country; their business can be traced back to 1702 and undoubtedly existed before then. The method of producing these buttons has not changed significantly in its main characteristics since the days when Boulsover manipulated them with the help of a pallet and an awl. Messrs. Firmin state that copper-plated buttons for uniforms and liveries are now made of plated molten metal to the same extent as before, and that, since the discovery of the new process, this method has been continually and systematically carried forward in their factory. Electroplated buttons are not able to withstand the heavy wear and tear of current use.

(An interesting advertisement in a Dublin newspaper, the “Faulkener's Journal” of 24 February 1747, runs thus: “John Roche, Usher's Quay, Dublin, manufactures gold, silver and plated buttons.”)

CANS

Box making was also an old Sheffield industry too profitable to be scorned, and ripe for expansion such as that brought about by the Boulsover discovery. In 1680 the Knifemakers' Society, acting as an intermediary between the producer and the consumer, established a warehouse in which it received the goods and undertook their distribution on behalf of the producers, and the transaction records show that (in addition to the cutlery) they were deposited at the Company and were sold in considerable quantities to merchants, snuffboxes and money boxes, produced by the Freemen of the Company (including one Isaac Hancock). 18 The trade appeared so profitable that when the Society of Cutlers later let itself be betrayed by a manufacturing zeal that was in itself ill-advised, it was setting up a box trade among its activities. This episode is not only interesting as such, but is linked to the history of the Old Sheffield Plate , as Thomas Law, one of the very first tacklers, played an active role in managing, sourcing the materials needed for, and perhaps even manufacturing, the cans. This speculation was, however, very short-lived, and Law eventually purchased some of the tools and utensils, while the stock he had accumulated was shipped to London to be sold. Unfortunately there is nothing to indicate whether this foray into industry underlines an eagerness on the part of the Cutlers' Society to share in the benefits of Boulsover's invention, then six or seven years old, or whether the boxes were of the type manufactured in 1860 – of iron and perhaps brass, the lids of which were engraved or “written” with drawings or lettering . 19

Among the very first objects to which the old tacklers turned their attention were snuffboxes of all sizes. Boulsover and Hancock both made these cans, usually with removable, unhinged lids. As the plating industry developed, Sheffield manufacturers concentrated their efforts on larger items, and although box making was still carried on in the city when Sketchley's list of 1774 was published, the business he gradually slipped into a branch of the Birmingham jewellers. Some small surviving specimens were obviously used as hairpiece boxes; others happen to be just big enough to hold four George III shillings.

The following two pages provide some illustrations of top quality examples, with lids and bases decorated in bas-relief. The lids not rarely show that they have been engraved by hand; others were made from finely cut steel molds. The source of origin of the boxes depicted here is uncertain; the date of manufacture dates back to approximately the years 1750-1765. The lids, manufactured separately, were joined and attached to the top surface of the boxes by overlapping the sides to secure them rigidly, and to make them more practical, a loose sheet of unplated copper is secured under the lids. The bases are fixed by the same methods, the sides hot-stamped by boiling and soldered together, the joints remaining clearly visible. The insides of the boxes are not covered with tin as was usual with Sheffield-made items, and reveal bare copper once the lids are removed. Some collectors attribute the manufacture of these boxes to the French. It may be that the covers, which often depict classical subjects, were imported from Sheffield manufacturers and therefore finished. However, since these boxes sometimes bear typical English characters and lettering in English, they are most likely of local production, although at first glance they appear however unforeseen. Furthermore, being normally made with removable lids, they are likely to be among the earliest examples of the Sheffield cast ware industry.

BUCKLES

It is impossible to share the opinion of many writers on the Old Sheffield Plate that, among the articles in the production of which the pioneers of fusion plating were interested, shoe buckles had their place. Part-plated buckles had been known since about 1659, when they became fashionable. Specimens can be found today in some collections, but their method of plating is too obscure to justify any confident statement as to its precise nature. It is evident, however, that the worker capable of making and decorating knife handles with silver could just as easily treat buckles in a similar manner. And when we turn to examples of buckles from the Boulsover period, we find them made for the most part by close plating 20 , although there are others of solid silver, steel or common iron, gilded brass, gold-like and other cheap varieties of combined metals . Cast-plated buckles, however, are conspicuous by their absence, explained by the fact that their manufacture presented three difficulties. First, the copper base would have been too soft and bendable to withstand rough use; second, to obtain the necessary thickness on the bridge and the taper towards the ends, endless and careful hammering would have been necessary; and third, the cutting process would have exposed large unworked sections of bare copper to the inherent difficulties of handling, for the purposes of plating the sides. And beyond this, it should also be remembered that the tin soldering of many delicate decorations on such small items could not be done in such a way as to ensure adequate durability. Very rarely do we come across gold-plated buckles with a copper base, but their manufacture, involving extremely delicate treatment, must have been expensive. Mr. S. Mitchell, giving in 1840 a list of articles made by Thomas Boulsover, makes no reference to the plated buckles so often attributed by others to their ancestor.

PART II

WHAT IS KNOWN ABOUT THE VERY EARLY SHEFFIELD PLATE MAKERS

THOMAS BOULSOVER

Boulsover was born in the year 1704, and died at Whiteley Hood Hall, in September, 1788 (being interred in St. Paul's Church, Sheffield, on 12 September). He was generous and free from distrust to a degree that perhaps allowed others to obtain from his invention the fortune that was rightfully theirs. By kind permission of the great-grandson of this eminent man, Mr. J. B. Mitchell-Withers of Beauchief, near Sheffield, the author is able to reproduce a portrait of his ancestor. An Old Sheffield plated tray given by Boulsover to his daughter, Mr. Mitchell-Withers' great-great-grandmother, on the occasion of her marriage to Joseph Mitchell in 1760, is illustrated below.

JOSEPH HANCOCK

The widespread occurrence of the Hancock surname in Sheffield, and the fact that there were numerous contemporary Joseph Hancocks during the 18th century, make the identification of their numerous personalities difficult. The result of careful research forces us to recognize that while our knowledge of the silver plater Joseph Hancock is uncomfortably thin, the scant accounts usually accepted about him are also not free from strong doubts. Eyam claims that he was descended from a family whose fate constitutes one of the most heartbreaking tragedies of the Plague in that village in 1666. The tradition may contain some elements of truth, although the Church Records of Eyam have been searched in vain for evidence, nor is it It is possible to find in the records of the Society of Cutlers any confirmation of the statement that his ancestor was apprenticed to a person in Alsop-Fields, near Sheffield; except that he was an Isaac Hancock mentioned in 1680 as a distributor of snuffboxes intended for sale to the Cutlers' Society. On that date a mark was awarded to this Isaac, proof that he had passed the qualifying apprenticeship and obtained the Freedom, but since the documents of his apprentice contract and his admission have not been found, there are no indications of his parentage . Even the oft-repeated assertion that Joseph Hancock served as an apprentice to Thomas Boulsover himself does not stand the test of fact. He was born in or about 1711, so under normal conditions he would have been indentured in 1725, and would have been entitled to the Freedom on coming of age in 1732. The list of apprenticeships of that period contains two entries: (1) Joseph , son of Benjamin Hancock, apprenticed in 1728 for 3¾ years to Thomas Mitchell, cutler; (2) Joseph, son of Simon Hancock, of Barlow, nailmaker, deceased, apprenticed in 1732, for 1 year 8 months, to John Green, cutler, admitted to the Liberty in 1734. Of these the former answers best to the criteria of our research. It is assumed that the apprentice, having been, as was usual at that time, taught by his father, was sent to complete his training under another master. Although no admission to Liberty is recorded, his time as a pupil would have ended in 1732, the year Joseph Hancock, the future silver plater, came of age. And given Boulsover's connection to the Mitchell family, the apprenticeship to Thomas Mitchell is not without significance, as it suggests that some confusion could easily arise over time between this name and that of Boulsover as Hancock's master. This would be especially possible if, as is likely, Boulsover and his relative, Mitchell, worked in the same buildings. In fact, we note that in 1774 the Assessor's Office established its residence in a "dwelling recently occupied by Mr. Thomas Boulsover, located at the head of a court in Norfolk Street", owned by Mr. Joseph Mitchell 21 . It may also be noted that Boulsover himself did not gain Freedom until 1726, if this entry refers to him: “Thomas, son of Samuel Boulsover, apprenticed to Joseph Fletcher, cutler, Freedom in 1726.” It must be admitted, however, that although this Samuel is a native of, and apprenticed to, the Parish of Ecclesfield, no record of the birth of Thomas Boulsover has been found in that register.

Such speculations would be useless if an oft-made assertion could be proved that Joseph Hancock was a brasssmith by trade, for in that case he would have been ineligible as a member of the Cutlers' Society. This thesis can immediately be rejected, because there is no shadow of a doubt that the Joseph Hancock with whom we are dealing was the Joseph Hancock Master Cutler in 1763-4. This is proven by irrefutable evidence. In a description of Sheffield, published in 1764 in the " Gentleman's Magazine ," the Rev. Edward Goodwin, a careful and well-informed authority on all things concerning the city, speaks of this Joseph Hancock as the "present Master Cutler." Newspaper announcements of his death in 1791 repeat the assertion; and Mr. Hunter 22 , who wrote while the memory of Hancock was still alive, and who probably knew his widow, who died only in 1802, had no hesitation in speaking of Hancock as a member of the Cutlers' Guild, "father of the silver-plated manufacture”, and Master Cutler in 1763. Appointed Assistant in 1757, this Master Cutler successively held the positions that led him to the presidency, and then served, as was custom, for another twelve months as Researcher, leaving the office in August 1765. In the same year that he was Master Cutler, Joseph Hancock was elected Trustee of the city. He was one of the thirty original Keepers of the Assay Office appointed under the Act of 1773, and continued to hold both positions until his death on 25 November 1791, aged 80.

The year 1761, in some records, has been given as the date Joseph Hancock began manufacturing plated wares. It will be seen later that Charles Dixon, mentioned above, places it in 1751.

In his historical introduction to the 1797 Directory, Rev. Edward Goodwin gives the date “about 1758.” He says (p.21):-

Silver-plated brass and copper buttons were made by Mr. Thomas Boulsover about 50 years ago. But about 1758 a manufacture of this composition was begun by Mr. Joseph Hancock, an ingenious mechanician, on a more extensive scale, comprising a great variety of articles, such as tea-pots, coffee-pots, beer-steins, cups, candle-sticks, &c. etc. Since then this branch has been continued by various companies with great profit, which has greatly contributed to the wealth and population of the city."

And from the same pen we have, in the communication to the above-mentioned “ Gentleman's Magazine ” (1764), a further indication of Hancock's various activities. After speaking of the silver-plated manufactures, Goodwin states: “There is similar reason to believe that snuffboxes, candlesticks, etc., were first made here, of a quality of coal called kennel , or long-flame bituminous coal (formerly obtained near this locality), by Mr. Joseph Hancock, the present Master Cutler”. The memory of these bituminous coal articles 23 has been lost, but an earlier reference is found in the account of a visit made to Sheffield by the Countess of Oxford in 1745, when her lordship "was generous enough to make gifts" to her retinue. of carbon articles”. For our present purpose this is important, as it emphasizes what was said later about the ease with which Sheffield craftsmen substituted newly invented pottery for the materials usually used in the manufacture of many articles.

Reviewing earlier references to the plating industry one cannot help but be struck by the extent to which, in the eyes of his contemporaries and immediate successors, Hancock eclipsed the fame rightfully belonging to Boulsover. It is clear that in local consideration the former more than the latter was, to use a term often applied to him, "the Father" of manufacturing. We have noted above a persistent determination to regard Boulsover's discovery as accidental, and to belittle the use to which he made it; this trend increased as Boulsover's efforts took other directions and Hancock showed greater resourcefulness. A newspaper article on Hancock's death (1791) reads: “This gentleman might well have been called “The Founder of the Plated Trade” in Sheffield, as he was the first person who commenced a manufacture of such articles.” And when the widow died in 1802, the statement was repeated in similar terms. In “ Peak Scenery ,” published in 1818, Ebenezer Rhodes, Master Cutler in 1808, and probable direct acquaintance of both Boulsover and Hancock (he was 26 when Boulsover died) took it further, completely ignoring Boulsover. Speaking of the Hancocks of Eyam (part I, p.42), he wrote:-

About the year 1750 a certain Mr. Joseph Hancock, a descendant of this family, discovered, or rather recovered, the art of covering copper ingots with plated silver, subsequently flattening them under rollers, and working them into an assortment of articles imitation silver plated work. He introduced this business to the city of Sheffield, where it has since become one of the most important and lucrative enterprises. Birmingham has attempted to challenge this elegant manufacture, but, with the exception of the Soho factory, it cannot expect much.”

The first impression one gets from reading this is that by "recovered" Rhodes meant that the art of fusion plating, of which he was unaware that Boulsover had been the discoverer, had already existed and been lost. From what follows, however, it is clear that the writer did not realize the essential differences in manufacturing processes. Silver plating meant to him silver plating and nothing else, and he was not interested in manufacturing methods. In fact he goes on to explain:-

“I have not hesitated to use the term “reclaimed” as applicable to the art of which Mr. Joseph Hancock has been considered the founder, for I am well aware that the practice of covering one metal with another more precious one is very ancient. That silver-plated articles, especially candlesticks, were in use during the reign of Henry VII, admits of almost no controversy. A specimen of the workmanship of that period was recently recovered from the monument to Lady Idonea Percy in Beverley Cathedral; a circumstance sufficient in itself to prove the correctness of the opinion expressed here. A few years ago, when there were fewer restrictions upon commercial pursuits, nearly 50,000 of the inhabitants of the city of Sheffield derived employment and support from a manufacture recently introduced by a branch of the unfortunate family whose rapid and almost total extinction is sadly commemorated by the gravestones. of Riley."

The darkness that surrounds Joseph Hancock's ancestors also surrounds his descendants. A certain William Hancock, previously registered as a blacksmith at the London Goldsmiths' Hall, testified before a committee of the House of Commons in 1773, complaining about the treatment of his wares by the London Tasters 24 . And White's Sheffield Directory for 1833 (p.44 note), incorrectly stating that “the first producers of Britannia metal were Messrs. Ebenezer Hancock and Richard Jessop,” he adds, “The former was the son of the aforementioned Joseph Hancock, the famous silver plater.” However, except that in 1793 there was a snuffbox maker named William Hancock, the William Hancock of 1773, and the later Ebenezer Hancock, have similarly eluded further research.

Having provided Dixon's views on the discovery of the fusion plating process and its subsequent adaptation by Boulsover, it is interesting to learn what he has to tell us about Joseph Hancock and the uses to which he put Boulsover's invention.

“Mr. Joseph Hancock, in 1751, being a man of a small capital, and a man of genius and enterprising mind, was the first to make any practical improvement in the use of silver-plated metal. It was he who went from a button to the candlestick, to the tray, to the ornamental centerpiece, to the splendid cup, etc. Thus one can see how one of the most popular professions of the city and the kingdom originated from humble beginnings, and the gradual progress achieved in the activity is astonishing.

The first items manufactured by Hancock were internally plated casseroles 25 . Among the items manufactured were plated vegetable spoons and forks, joined in two parts and filled with tin solder. Manufacturers then made salt shakers that generally contained blue glass to hold the salt. Some candlesticks were then made, and one, the Corinthian, was in excellent taste: in its construction, attention was paid to preserving the Order. The manufacturers used to mold and join the beak of the candlestick holding the candle in two parts, not knowing at that time how to plate the metal on both sides, and they called the two parts cow and calf. They also used to join any article or part of an article for double-plated metal in the same way.

A few years after plating was discovered, the art of double-sided plating, or double-plating metal, was discovered. This created a wide space for the exhibition of genius. Then the platers started the production of plates and lids, tureens, bread baskets, butter gravy boats, teapots, sugar bowls, cream jugs, etc. etc., and when the art of plated metal wire for drawing 26 was perfected, new ideas arose and the production of supports for cruets and liqueur jars, toast holders, snuffers, candlesticks, etc. began. etc.

While it grew in the plated articles sector, the trade also expanded into the silver sector and was the catalyst for great progress in this field. The silversmiths faced a considerable inconvenience, as they were obliged to send the artefacts to London, York, Newcastle or Chester to be tasted, there being at that time no tasting office in Sheffield. Transporting the goods there and then back to Sheffield was accompanied by considerable delays and expense. It was only in 1773 that a parliamentary law was passed for the Sheffield Assay Office, which was then subjected to heavy restrictions. Manufacturers were not permitted to use the same quantity or alloy to the Sheffield standard as was permitted in any other Assay Office in the kingdom: the Sheffield alloy was equal to 3 ounces and 5 penceweights of copper per 50 ounces of silver (valuable), so that at that time if by mistake or other reason any article had not been approved by the Sheffield Assay Office, it could have been approved at any other office. In 1775 there were 3,070 pounds of manufactured goods tasted in Sheffield, which proves the increase in trade in silverware, and the trade in plated wares grew in a greater proportion.

Growing further, the trade encouraged both the employer and the employee, and in the many manufactories then established, the study of patterns and fashions rapidly increased, and the ornamental making of molds was greatly encouraged.

The trade owed somewhat to Wegwood and other fine porcelain makers for many of the finest designs. The study of ancient ornamental designs constituted another source of models. While in London I learned of a person who purposely went to Westminster Abbey to discover something that might attract the attention of customers, if used in the making of teapots, vases, ice buckets, etc.

When Hancock had been in business for some time, he quickly realized how wide the possibilities for speculation were in the employment of capital. Numerous companies started trading, made up mainly of respectable, upright and persevering men. Messrs. Winter & Parsons, Tudor & Leader, Ashfort, Ellis & Co., Matthew Fenton & Co., Messrs. Roberts, Young, Mortons, etc. etc., were part of what we can call the old school; however it is to these people that we owe professional training in the trade from its infancy. There was great competition between them as to which company could produce the best and cheapest items.

When the trade was in its infancy, workers of the rank of foremen or directors were obtained from the blacksmith shops of London, and large numbers of brasssmiths were employed to emboss and hammer the parts of some articles. All the parts of the candlesticks were made from the molds under the press hammer, then joined to form the pedestal or stem, and were invariably subjected to strong brazing (or soldered in silver). This constituted a considerable expense: if on the one hand it took more time to carry out the work, on the other hand leaving the articles in a soft or more malleable state compared to today when they are soldered with tin makes them much more convenient for the buyer, and more resistant. Another source to which the masters in search of workers resorted were those men skilled in the production of cutlery or in any other activity, of which they had come to know, and who if possible they hired; from here there were some of the best laborers in the city, and at the same time good workers were considered very valuable. There have been instances of men owing their masters £100 at one time, and I will give one example.

Henry Sephton, who resided in Cross Burgess Street, and worked for Roberts the Elder (there being a Roberts the Younger at that time – the present Mr. Samuel Roberts), kept a hound horse, called “Fido”. He went to the warehouse and said to Roberts, “Well, Sir, I have looked into my account and found that I owe you £95; be good enough to get me the other £5 and make £100 debt. I will then start working with great zeal and soon I will be able to repay the amount." Roberts lent him the money to encourage him to perform his work and receive compensation. The silver platers have generally been a very respectable body of men, and I have rarely heard of any bad behavior from any of the trade. Their earnings all at once were considerable, averaging from 30 to 45 shillings a week, and some excellent workmen earned much more. At that time the masters were in the habit of keeping large stocks of goods on hand, by way of speculation, which was a great disadvantage to them, and owing to the vagaries of changing fashions the goods were often sold at a lower price. Thus they lost some of what would have been the profit, but it still kept the men busy.

 

Dixon's statement on the demand for work and the recruitment of brasssmiths in the new industry finds significant confirmation in the following advertisement, which appeared in Ward's " Sheffield Public Advertiser ", 26 June 1764:- "Two or three good men wanted brasssmiths to work in plating. Anyone who wishes to serve in this branch can find an excellent boost by applying to the printer of this newspaper.” Around 1772, the Cutlers' Society complained that "numerous members had abandoned the business of cutlers to become manufacturers of silver and plated articles, and yet such Freemen continued to apprentice at Cutlers' Hall, and the indenture clarified that such apprentices so appointed would be instructed in the work, trade or occupation of cutler; nevertheless, the apprentices were essentially employed in the silver and silver plate trade, and not at all in the cutlery trade, and they never learned the trade adequately.” The Company consequently warned that such conditions deprived the poorly educated apprentices of the right to freedom as cutlers, and that they could be refused admission once their contracts expired. 27

Some of the industry's earliest examples in the form of household articles are illustrated here. Pay attention to the illustration of the Tureen on p.32, since it is the very first authentic article that can be attributed with certainty to Joseph Hancock.

THOMAS LAW

In addition to what has been written about Boulsover and Hancock, the following details about other makers in the early days of the Old Sheffield Plate trade are of interest. The majority of these, like Boulsover and Hancock, were originally cutlers. Thomas Law, already mentioned in connection with snuffboxes (p.19), was born in 1719, entered the books of the Society of Cutlers as an apprentice in 1730, obtained his Freedom in 1738, and became a Master Cutler in 1753. He died in 1775. His successors in the business registered a trade mark, the squat vase [trademark], in 1784 (8 September), at the Sheffield Assay Office.

A few years after the death in 1819 of John Law, son of the first Thomas Law, the family's long connection with the industries of Sheffield came to an end, although the name was retained until 1828 in the law firm of Atkin & Oxley, "successors of the late John Law & Sons.” Through various changes of company, and type of business, the original firm is today – somewhat indirectly, represented by the Atkin Brothers of Truro Works, Sheffield.

HENRY TUDOR AND THOMAS LEADER

The very first factory of which a connection with industry can be traced was that established by Tudor and Leader. Thomas Leader, a member of an ancient family settled in the north-west, in Essex, having served as an apprentice to a London blacksmith, came to Sheffield and began trading in partnership with Henry Tudor, descendant of a family of tanners in Welshpool , in Montgomeryshire. The initial capital was provided mainly by a Dr. Sherburn, who understood how important it was to secure the co-operation of a capable London blacksmith in the development of the industry. The success of Dr. Sherburn's wise policy soon became apparent. Exceptional in their nature as blacksmiths pure and simple amidst competitors whose skill was evident in adapting the knowledge acquired in the cutlers' workshops to other metals, Tudor and Leader took first place as the largest and most notable producers of Old Sheffield Plate . It is not known what Tudor's apprenticeship was, but from his prominence in the firm and the business, it is clear that he possessed special qualifications justifying the choice of Dr. Sherburn. He came to Sheffield at a very young age, having married a sister, or perhaps a niece, of Boulsover's wife at just 20 years of age, and three years later the business was already well established.

Henry Tudor was one of the seven Sheffield smiths who, before the establishment of our Assay Office, registered his hallmark and sent silverware to be tested at the Goldsmiths' Hall in London. He was later custodian of the Assumption Office in Sheffield.

In 1761 the company received further help from Daniel Leader (Thomas' younger brother, also a native of Essex), and the fact that he was apprenticed to a box maker indicates the importance still attached to that branch of the business. trade. Many of the characteristic designs of the firm's products were, according to a living tradition among the old smiths, attributable to the artistic ability of Harry Hirst, Tudor's nephew. We have not yet come across examples of fine pottery by Tudor & Leader, made around the years 1760-65. Initials [initials] can occasionally be found on the spouts of candlesticks and there are other items bearing the mark [trademark]. In 1783 Samuel Nicholson was taken as a partner, and the name of the firm changed to Tudor, Leader & Nicholson. In 1784 they registered a pottery mark [trademark].

Thomas Leader made his fortune in due course, and around 1797 he retired to live at Broxted, Essex, leaving his brother Daniel, and son Thomas Leader Junior, in the business.

It seems that, upon the retirement of the old Thomas Leader, the firm was dissolved, and we find the two Leaders, Thomas Jr and Daniel, registering a stamp at the Assumption Office [brand], while Henry Tudor together with Samuel Nicholson as of partners registered the mark [trademark] in 1797. Tudor died in 1803, when the firm appears to have been dissolved. Thomas and Daniel Leader carried on the business until 1816, when, sharing the fate that had seized, or would seize in the following 30 years, almost all the manufactures in Old Sheffield Plate , the factory buildings, the molds and the tools of the trade went entirely dispersed. The workshops were on both sides of Tudor Street, then called Sycamore Hill, or Sycamore Street, and in one part of them a silver-plated trade is still carried on by John Round & Sons Limited. The partners lived in homes nearby. The tradition according to which a room in the Tudor & Leader buildings was where Boulsover was employed when he came up with the idea of ​​producing pottery by means of the casting method, has in reality no foundation, since the workshops were not yet built at that time.

THOMAS BRADBURY

It is undoubtedly correct to say that the Bradbury family are the only ones to have been actively connected with the plated goods industry from its inception to the present. Joseph Bradbury became an apprentice in June 1750, being admitted as a freeman of the Society of Cutlers ten years later. Thomas Bradbury, son of Joseph, formerly living at Abney, Derbyshire, born 1763, was apparently apprenticed to the firm of Matthew Fenton & Co. about 1777: he was grandson of Joseph and great-grandson of Nicholas Bradbury, who under the reign of Charles II owned properties which still bear the family name at “Rushop Edge”, Peak Forest in Derbyshire. The family was a branch of the Bradburys of Ollerset Hall, near Chapel-en-le-Frith, of which a member can be traced engaged in commercial activities since the 16th century. – Sir Thomas Bradbury –, who was Mayor of London in the year of Henry VIII's accession to the throne (he died while in office). On 12 October 1785, then aged 22, whilst still employed by Matthew Fenton, the aforementioned Thomas Bradbury signed an agreement which provided for the hiring and teaching of an apprentice (John Fenton). Matthew Fenton died in 1795, whereupon his business was liquidated to Thomas Watson, of the Shirecliffe Hall family, who was joined by Thomas Bradbury as a partner (17 May 1795), so that the firm's name soon changed from T. Watson & Co . at Watson & Bradbury. 28 Thomas Bradbury died in 1838. Thomas Bradbury the younger, born 1786 and died 1855, was apprenticed to his father in 1800, and in 1807 officially appointed standard-bearer in the Sheffield Volunteer Infantry Regiment. Joseph Bradbury, his son, born in 1825, does not appear to have signed apprentice contracts in the old legal form. He died in 1877.

Thus the firm of Thomas Bradbury & Sons, in Arundel Street, is, as already indicated, the direct descendant of Matthew Fenton & Co. The factory was located in 1773 in Mulberry Street. In 1795 its location in the yard of the Methodist Convention was mentioned. From there it was removed before 1832 to the building on the corner of Arundel Street and Surrey Street, where it remains to this day. The participation of the Watson firm, after Thomas Watson was replaced by his nephew William in 1825, ceased at the time of the move. Although registered as blacksmiths in Sheffield 22 years earlier, it does not appear that this firm had registered a trade mark for plated goods, i.e. - it seems - a boat [trademark], which they had little use for, however, before 1795. The fact that this company, with such an ancient reputation, had not registered a trademark for plated articles in the 11 years since the creation of the Act, it can perhaps be explained by assuming that they had initially been more interested in the production of silverware than in that of plated articles . Their very first Sheffield silver hallmarks [marks] are still frequently encountered on Adam model candlesticks, pierced silver dessert baskets, salt shakers, mustard shakers, oil cruet mounts, etc. etc., manufactured around 1775; while their London hallmark [mark] can be found today on London Hall hallmarked silverware, made 10 years earlier. Being more commonly known at the time as “Fenton Creswick & Co.”, the firm has often been confused with T. & J. Creswick, a later platemaking firm which registered the crossed arrows mark in 1811. Among these firms not no connection ever existed. Sometime between 1795 and 1790 a partner named Oakes was taken in, so that for a time the firm was described as “Fenton, Creswick, Oakes & Co.”.

The Roberts family was connected to the Beldons and Mortons, probably also to the Hoylands; while Jacob and Samuel Roberts' brothers-in-law, John and Dennis Sykes, have handed down to us some of the finest examples of silver-handled cutlery.

It is believed that, Jacob Roberts having died in 1781, and his brother Samuel in 1799, the business in Union Street was continued by Jacob Roberts Junior until his death in 1820.

The following extracts from a letter written by Samuel Roberts to a local newspaper in 1843, are of considerable interest regarding the early activities and difficulties of the trade in Old Sheffield Plate :-

This year, I believe, is just one hundred years since the first attempt at plating was made, by a knife maker called Thomas Boulsover, who applied it to the making of knife handles. I believe he was joined by Mr. Wilson (who later started the snuff business at Sharrow Mill), and they, together, carried on the business for some time at Highfield, but did not continue it long - although they had attempted the manufacture of various other articles of the same material. In the meantime, however, Mr. Joseph Hancock had undertaken the business on a more extensive scale. He succeeded in manufacturing many articles in what is called the brass series, such as mugs, cups, coffee pots, etc. etc., on a large scale, and eventually built a water-driven rolling mill to roll the clad metal, which rolling mill – after he himself abandoned the manufacturing side – which he used by rolling the metal for other manufacturers who had taken up the business. The metal was initially rolled by hand, until Messrs. Tudor and Leader, and later Mr. Winter, applied horsepower. I can remember the small and active elderly gentleman busy by candlelight at the suppers 29 , as they were called – which in those days every company gave to its workers annually. In this as in almost all new professions, the initiators failed to succeed. They, however, opened, smoothed and prepared the way for others.

The manufacture of silverware and plated handles for knives and forks soon became extensive. Mr. Law (grandfather of the late sculptor), at Baker's-hill, was the first. My father and Mr. John Winter served his apprenticeships with him. Winter later began making candlesticks and plated and silver (but nothing else). His business prospered. He did not tolerate the use of tin soldering in the slightest, but only silver solder. For this reason his workers used to, for fun, call other blacksmiths " soft-gob" 30 . The candlesticks then were in almost all cases columns of one of the five orders. Perhaps, subsequently, simpler ones were not manufactured.

About 1765, Winter and my father joined with Mr. Morton, and four others, in making all varieties of plated wares except candlesticks—the manufacture of which Winter would retain for himself. The trade in plated articles had then become considerable. There were approximately six companies involved, and almost all the varieties previously made in silver were now made in plated metal. As the business was completely new in Sheffield – where no such article of any metal had been produced – fully qualified workers had to be sought in London, York, Newcastle, Birmingham, etc. to make such objects. Those who chose to come were, to be sure, generally mediocre individuals – many of them very bad; therefore during the first 40 years the skilled tacklers were, as a guild, the most undisciplined, depraved and idle of all workers. Not only were they depraved, but they were a source of depravity in others. They were in fact, from many points of view, a pest to the city. The masters could neither do without them nor obtain better. They were therefore forced to give them high wages, and to overlook their irregularities. For this reason the bosses continually stole workers from one another's companies by means of enticements, providing them with a kind of security. There were consequently constant disputes between masters and workers, and between masters and masters regarding the workers.

Generally, such were the workmen of the plated-ware manufacturers of those days when, in 1784, in company with a disciplined and very respectable young man who had saved four or five hundred pounds, I began business as an apprentice and skilled workman in the firm. my father's. He was the first to apply silver edges to plated items.

Once a severe stop was imposed one day on the great and growing depravity of the workers in the production of plated articles, many circumstances combined to raise the latter above the workers of, perhaps, every other sector. The salaries they could receive were (in proportion to others) high. Children could not be employed. For this reason the desire to place boys there grew greatly. Fourteen was generally the age of newly hired apprentices, who generally expected twenty pounds, or two years' board. This ensured that the boys hired were educated honestly. This was a big plus. Another was that fluctuations in the prices of the production of plated articles were almost unknown. Whether trade was bad or good, the prices paid for production remained the same. Same thing for the price of the items sold. However much silver or copper, tin or other articles, might rise or fall, the gross price of plated articles remained the same. Disputes between bosses and workers have therefore been very few recently.

I will mention one other advantage concerning the Sheffield workmen in the manufacture of plated articles, for I fear this superiority is confined to them. Among the early manufacturers of plated articles in Sheffield the general belief prevailed that it was in their interest to maintain the quality of the articles. There have been exceptions, but only a few unimportant examples. This, however, has not been the case in Birmingham, where much lower quality items are commonly manufactured for the overseas market. It was a means of purifying our working class of platers in Sheffield, causing our bad workers and depraved people to leave us and go and seek employment there. If on the one hand this raised the status of the working class, on the other it also increased the prestige of our articles, and served to keep their prices high. In comparison, the number of workers in the production of plated items is small. Great skill is required, and therefore the business cannot afford a large surplus of labour, since the masters now take on only a few apprentices, while depraved individuals from other businesses cannot gain admission.

What Samuel Roberts stated in the previous extract allows us to excellently illustrate the complications encountered by anyone trying to get to grips with partnerships in the sector. A look at the lists on the following pages highlights the difficulty of separating into individual elements combinations that changed frequently, and which included not only members of the same family or people who bore the same surname despite not being relatives, but also individuals who in some cases they were in charge of two or three different factories.

The earliest record we have of those who joined Morton and others is much later than "about 1765", for it is found in the Assay Office Register of 1773. In that year a mark was registered [trademark ] for silverware by Richard Morton, John Winter, Samuel Roberts, Thomas Warris, John Elam, Thomas Settle, John Eyre and Nathaniel Smith. Winter's presence in this company explains the fact that, in 1779, by presenting to the Society of Cutlers "an elegant" silver-gilt cup bearing the mold "R. Morton & Co. fairunt”, he described it as “of his own manufacture”. The date letter is 1776.

Besides being a member of this firm and engaged in the Parsons candlestick factory, Winter had a third string to his bow and Roberts a second, for on the same day as the registration of the previous mark, another [mark] was also registered by by Samuel Roberts, John Elam, Thomas Settle and Nathaniel Smith. The address given in both cases was Brinsworth Orchard, or as it is elsewhere described, "near Fargate." Thus there were two adjoining firms, one operating under the name of Richard Morton & Co., the other of Roberts, Elam, Winter & Co., and while Morton was the principal partner in one, Roberts dominated the other. In 1780 Settle (with Warris) and Morton registered separate marks, [trademark] and [trademark], at the old address.

In 1793 there was a new settlement, involving new arrivals, when Joseph Wilson, who has been mentioned (p.40), took over the leadership, so that the registered mark became [trade mark]. Death, however, soon put an end to the initiative, and the survivors dispersed. In 1781 Roberts had moved with John Eyre to Union Street, to establish the firm of Roberts, Eyre, Beldon & Co. By 1787 both Fargate firms – Richard Morton & Co. and Roberts, Elam, Winter & Co – had disappeared. . -, succeeding the latter by Roberts, Eyre, Beldon & Co.

As for the Mercato company producing candlesticks, in 1783 it had been changed from “Winter, Parsons & Hall” to “John Parsons & Co.”, John Winter having apparently retired, since in 1787 he is described as a “landlord”. domiciled in “Church Yard”. The “Co.” in partnership with John Parsons, as we know from certain legal documents relating to the will of John Winter, who died in 1792, were William Ashfort (Ashfort is a name also found in Ashfort, Ellis & Co.), John Roberts, Samuel Mosley and John Green. John Roberts (of a family entirely distinct from that of Samuel Roberts) and Ashforth were relatives of John Winter. Ashfort traveled to London around this time, being described as "one of the City of London, a blacksmith and tackler". In 1793 Parsons (who died only in 1814) had retired from the firm, which became “Green, Roberts and Mosley”, then (1799) “John Green & Co.”. The factory was on the south side of the Market, on part of what had been the Rose and Crown Inn, and the owners owned a rotary mill in the disused Methodist Chapel in Mulberry Street. In 1808 they were still at the Market. That's the last we hear of it. The exact date of the cessation of activity has not been ascertained, but it is before 1814.

The influence exerted on the Sheffield silver trade by Samuel Roberts II (whose portrait appears on p.39) was profound. Having served as an apprentice to Roberts, Eyre, Beldon & Co., his father decided to start him in a new business, and built the factory for him at No. 9 Eyre Street. This was completed in May 1784, at start-up. Thus established, S. Roberts Jr, thanks to his early professional training, his aptitude for commerce and his cultural taste, ended up eclipsing his less enterprising adversaries. Of all the producers of the intermediate period he stands out as Sheffield's most capable. His inventions (along with those of his partner George Cadman) included the introduction of silver rims, molded silver-covered feet, handles and mounts, and even deep engraving on mounts and rims. He was the first to apply in practice the process, invented by "Wilks", of rubbing-in silver shields , etc. 31 Roberts himself was an intelligent artist, and had he been raised in that profession he would undoubtedly have made a reputation for himself. Just studying the finely sketched illustrations in the company's catalog is enough to appreciate the more than ordinary inspiration he provided for many original designs.

For no less than 25 years, between 1785 and 1810, he plainly influenced most of the designs generally adopted, and his trademark, the bell [mark], is found at this period only on the best specimens of Old Sheffield Plate , he and Matthew Boulton of Birmingham being at that time equally pre-eminent in excellence of workmanship. Roberts in 1790 obtained a patent for white metal plating. In 1798 he also took out a patent for telescopic stanchions, and these we find today, after having been in common use for well over 100 years, in almost as perfect a condition as at the time of their original manufacture. In 1798 he produced a patent for making candlestick spouts; in 1807 to wrap rod holders; in 1812, (for) tunnel taps in alluvial metalliferous basins (not connected to his particular activity); in 1824 a patent for the elimination of silver edges in plated articles; and his last patent was in the late 1830s, for plating on the then recently discovered German silver 32 .

A contemporary silver plate maker, who knew Roberts well, wrote the following regarding his early days as a maker, in 1784, together with George Cadman;-

An indefatigable genius, with a collaborator of experimental industriousness, who contemplated the idea of ​​promoting the prestige of the Sheffield Plate , he always managed to be ahead of all his competitors, none of whom had a genius comparable to his. His rivals seemed to wait for his productions before deciding on the lines of their articles. The quality of his plated wares and the correctness of their contour were surpassed by none and equaled by few, and Matthew Boulton was one of the rivals among manufacturers of note at that time."

“The untiring energy which Roberts manifested in design soon earned him considerable pre-eminence in the manufacture of plated wares, and he took the lead in fashions as well as in quality, so much so that for the first 20 years (1784-1804) he had few rivals . The next 20 years, however, 1804-1824, left him a little behind his competitors, and in the last 20 years, his imaginative powers having darkened somewhat due to age, he resorted to purchasing, at a high price, of other people's drawings that in previous years would have come to him spontaneously".

Unfortunately, his memoirs record few interesting things about his particular activity. This is a matter of great regret, for he had a masterly insight into every subject he studied thoroughly, and there appears never to have been any small detail or incident, however seemingly negligible and insignificant, which escaped his attention.

Despite the demands of a large business, Samuel Roberts was able to devote much time to charitable activities and public affairs. His pen filled newspaper columns with pronouncements on all manner of current local or national topics, and he published numerous books. What posterity appreciates most, and regrets as too thin, is his autobiographical sketch.

The details of the firm founded by Roberts, kindly supplied to the author by Mr. Walter Sissons and from authentic documents, are as follows:-

In 1786, two years after its start-up, Roberts & Cadman had the advantage of being supplied with capital by the Rev. Benjamin Naylor, of Upper Chapel, as limited partner; and another contribution to the business capital came from Mr. George Ingall, so that the firm name then became Roberts, Cadman & Co. Naylor, who later retired to join Montgomery in the ownership of the “Sheffield Iris,” left the city in 1805 to embark on a Manchester cotton industry. Ingall died in 1822; Cadman in 1823. In 1823 Roberts took on as a partner his nephew, Evan Smith, son of the Rev. George Smith, of Ecclesall, together with Sidney Roberts (grandson of the first Jacob Roberts and Richard Morton) and William Sissons, all trained in the factory, whereby the firm became Roberts, Smith & Co. On the retirement of Roberts in 1834, his son Samuel Roberts III became associated with them, but on the death of his father, in 1848, he abandoned the trade, continued as Smith, Sissons & Co. In 1858 Smith (who had represented the company in London) retired, while Sissons was joined by his two sons, William and George – “W. & G. Sissons”. Mr. Sissons Senior died in 1878; the sons retired in 1885, leaving the business in the hands of their nephews, Charles and Walter. From 1903 Walter Sissons was an individual partner, although the firm's name, no longer in Eyre Street but in St. Mary's Road, remains “W. & G. Sissons”.

THOMAS NICHOLSON

Thomas Nicholson, whose portrait from a miniature kindly lent by his nephew, Mr. Alfred Nicholson, is given on the following page, is a personality who has exercised an enduring influence on the Old Sheffield Plate industry. The son of Samuel Nicholson, who was probably connected with Messrs. Tudor & Leader in the latter part of the 18th century, was born on 20 February 1779. Having lived until 1860, his interests were in practice linked for 75 years to the intricacies of both the old and new plating processes. For the last 20 years or so of his life he was associated with Messrs. James Dixon & Sons, perhaps the most celebrated and successful of the versatile tableware makers we have in Sheffield today.

He relates that at the tender age of six he was allowed the management of the factory in which Samuel Roberts Senior was associated. Initiated in the use of the hammer, he never tired of noting the progress and recording his observations. At this early age, moreover, he began to make drawings in his notebook, of one of which (a teapot), Roberts was so pleased that he actually had it made in Sheffield Plate from Nicholson's sketches.

Nicholson goes on to say that around the time (shortly after 1800) when everyone was getting tired of banal designs in both silverware and plated ware, it was he who introduced shells and dolphins into knurling, followed by other decorations. This innovation completely revolutionized the then stereotyped designs and grew in complexity and proportion to an extraordinary extent. The new fashion came into vogue suddenly and so pervasively that London blacksmiths of the period were forced to follow it in order to obtain the means of living. The difficulties faced in the competition, due to the differences in their manufacturing methods of the period, must have been very great; as they had to shape and cast the edges of their own productions decorated with floral motifs, while the Sheffield manufacturers relied on the use of their moulds. This is evidenced by the many tureens, dessert baskets, etc. etc., with London Hall marks, made about 1812 and later, the frames of which are not so perfectly undercut and sharpened as those of local manufacture. Nicholson appears to have retained a genius for drawing throughout his life; and it was he later, when the public was once again ripe for further change, to introduce arabesque designs and long simple curved scrolls, with the occasional addition of a leaf or flower, rush and ribbon, etc. He says that during his lifetime the antique pottery trade went through fluctuating periods of alternating success and depression. In his opinion, after 1810 excellent conditions were created for selling the Old Sheffield Plate on the continent, but the Foreign Office remained deaf to the requests submitted to it.

Curiously enough, 1816 and 1817 appear to have been the worst years in his memory due to bad economic times, which reminds us forcefully of the recession in this country which followed the conclusion of peace after the Transvaal War. From 1812 to 1825 Nicholson's business gradually declined to the rate of £1,500 per annum, despite renewed energy and increased expenditure during the period, in the last year of which the firm's (Gainsford & Nicholson) turnover had been £9,500; but by 1826 it had risen again to £12,000. In 1832 the state of the trade in plated goods was again so bad that a Government inquiry was instituted to investigate the causes.

His partnership with Gainsford ended about 1833, and he took a keen interest in the introduction of the new electroplating process; when already in 1830 he was plating on German silver as an experiment. This company's trademark was an elephant's head, registered in 1808 [trademark].

He was one of the eight men of science present around 1840 at Dr. Smee's great exposition of plating with the help of the galvanic battery, which by then common belief should eventually replace the old fusion plating process (see p.140 ).

MATTHEW BOULTON

Matthew Boulton the younger achieved greater public renown than any other maker of ancient pottery, becoming a fellow of both the Royal Society and the Society of Arts. He was associated with the great James Watt and, as will be seen from the list of productions examined in detail below the illustration of his factory, he must have been a man of infinite resources. The number of Sheffield Plate items manufactured by his company still in existence today is probably as many as that of any other manufacturer. At Birmingham he stood out alone as a successful rival to the top Sheffield Plate producers.

Quoting from “ Samuel Smiles ,” he was born September 3, 1728, and educated in Birmingham; as his father, Matthew, belonged to a good, old, well-to-do Northamptonshire family residing in Linchfield, who had supposedly suddenly fallen out of favor, the parents sent their son Matthew to make a business career for himself in Birmingham.

It seems that very early in his career Matthew Boulton Junior introduced numerous important improvements in the manufacturing of buttons, watch chains and other trinkets into his father's factory, and it was he who invented inlaid steel buckles. The large factory illustrated on p.49 cost more than £20,000 and was capable of holding a thousand workers. It was completed around 1764 or so. It is easy to imagine how a man of young Boulton's talents had turned to the newly invented process of plating, and we find him at this period introducing into his factory the production of plated candlesticks, vessels, etc. In notes written by T. Nicholson between 1840 and 1850 it is recorded that Matthew Boulton left Sheffield in 1764 (having presumably gone here to acquire details of the business). He was always held in the highest regard, it is claimed, and before his departure there was talk of his possible partnership with Richard Morton of Sheffield. There is probably a discrepancy in dates here, since, assuming that Boulton ever resided in Sheffield, it cannot be forgotten that according to Smiles he was taken into partnership with his father in Birmingham shortly after he came of age in 1749, while in 1759, by which time his father was dead, he assumed complete control of the business and immediately began building the famous Soho factory. Boulton minted and presented, at his own expense, commemorative medals of the Battle of Trafalgar, for the officers and men who had taken part in it and survived. His wife was the daughter of the Egr. Luke Robinson, of Lynchfield; the marriage was solemnized in 1749. The mark used by his firm before 1773 was [mark] and in 1784 the mark, struck in duplicate, [mark] the sun, was registered at the Sheffield Assay Office.

He absolutely decided to do away with the shame of “Brummagem” 33 , and at the beginning of his career he wrote from London to his partner stating, “The prejudice which Birmingham has so rightly attracted against itself makes every error evident in all articles having the minor taste claims; How can I expect the public to approve of rubbish from Soho when they can get good, perfect workmanship from every other region?”

How successful his efforts in this direction were is fully exemplified today.

He frequently traveled to the city for the avowed purpose of reading and making drawings of rare works in the British Museum, and when valuable art objects were offered for sale he did his best to secure them. However, he did not limit his research to England alone, and it is said that he ensured that a search was carried out on the continent for the best examples of craftsmanship as models to imitate.

One of his most fervent admirers was the Honorable Mrs. Montagu, who wrote to him “I take greater pleasure in our victories over the French in the arts than in that of arms; the successes of Soho, instead of producing widows and orphans, produce marriages and baptisms. His noble industry, while elevating public taste, furnishes the poor with new occupations, and enables them to raise their families in peace” – a very fine compliment to the genius of Boulton.

He appears to have had long meetings with the King and Queen, and to have been famous throughout Europe: when distinguished foreigners came to England, they habitually visited Soho as one of the national monuments. For many years at Soho House, Boulton's residence, visitors were so numerous and came in such constant succession that it resembled a hotel more than a private home. Among his many friends was the great potter Josiah Wegwood, for whom, as for other potters, Boulton created a large trade by mounting his wares with silver and Sheffield Plate .

It seems almost incredible that an industrial hive such as the Boulton factory could have disappeared so completely; today only his private residence remains standing. The business was liquidated in 1848, by which time it was known as “The Soho Plate Co.”, formerly “Matthew Boulton and Plate Co.”

Boulton died on 17 August 1809, aged 81, and was buried in Handsworth Church. He was followed to the grave by 600 of his workers, and is described as a man of very noble nature, generous, of high feelings and a lover of truth, honor and rectitude.

The men whose importance is mentioned here represent many others whose names will be found reported, in relation to various topics, in the pages of this book. To them as a class high praise is to be accorded for the excellent designs and craftsmanship characteristic of their wares. Unfortunately they were less gifted with the pen than with the hammer, and in the absence of diaries the images we have of their lives and works are vague and difficult to bring into focus.

It will therefore be a source of gratification if the publication of this book constitutes a means of shedding greater light, not only on the early history of the ancient trade, but also of its pioneers.

Whether the saying that "hard work kills no one" is true or not, it is notable that of the seven industrial pioneers most specifically named, Thomas Boulsover lived to be 84 years old, Joseph Hancock to 80, Thomas Leader and Samuel Roberts to 85 each, Thomas Nicholson and Matthew Boulton 81 each and Thomas Bradbury 75; but perhaps this longevity can be partly explained by the climatic conditions in which they worked. Surely no English city is more invigorating than Sheffield; while Birmingham too, being built on a plateau at the same altitude as Sheffield, is located in a remarkably healthy district for productive activity.

In 1773 the first local blacksmiths' association was formed in Sheffield, its members being –

Winter, Parsons & Co. J. Hoyland & Co.

Hancock, Rowbotham & Co. Richard Morton & Co.

Tudor & Leader Thomas Law & Co.

Fenton, Creswick & Co.

The purpose of this Association was to form a league of manufacturers who would agree on certain fixed selling prices for their articles, also reducing the discount to be applied on such prices to 20% for the cash price and 15% for the credit .

In 1777 it was agreed to grant a 10% discount to people outside the business who introduced clients, and in resolving the credit issue the Kingdom of Ireland was considered a foreign country.

The meetings of this Association were held with reasonable regularity and recorded a good attendance. The places chosen for the assembly were the various inns of the city, and the members took the opportunity to indulge in the joviality of good old-fashioned dining.

The penalty for failure to attend these meetings was the cost of a dinner, 8 pence, and a further fine of 2 shillings and 6 pence, making a total of 3 shillings and 2 pence. These fines were rigorously imposed and paid. The Association appears to have dissolved in 1784.

PART III

THE HISTORY OF TRADE

ON WORK AND APPRENTICES

This work is not intended to inculcate upon the public an exaggerated estimate of the pecuniary or artistic value of the Old Sheffield Plate , but it is tempting to assert that in the excellence of workmanship this pottery varies much less than any contemporary art. The majority of antique silverware collected has, as a rule, been requested more on the basis of its history and past antiquities than for artistic merit and skill in production, whilst in the case of Old Sheffield Plate collections the very first examples are always, absolutely, the most prized or most eagerly sought after by experts. The various pieces have so far stood on their own merits. Comparing the tackler with the blacksmith, there is almost no doubt that, at the height of his success, the former reached a higher level of scientific skill than the latter. The best worker in melt-plated pottery was also a blacksmith, and therefore had the double advantage of intuition and experience in both branches of the industry. It may be granted that in many of the examples of ancient pottery which have attracted attention, the design and style have often been imperfect, but the workman usually performed his task well. Some of the oldest pieces - when the business was in its experimental stages and the difficulty of finding capable workers was faced - reveal exceptions to this rule, and leave something to be desired; but later, thanks to the subtleties of manipulation, no company could have remained halfway on the path to perfection. In general an item had to be either good enough to end up whole, or destroyed completely. Transforming, say, a piece of plated copper into a teapot required great skill on the part of the worker so as to avoid breaking the metal or cutting it along the silver coating, thus wasting the item. Now, however, all types of raw material can be welded and later coated in the plating vat, and consequently the worker does not have to pay as much attention and effort in the production of an article as was necessary in the days of Old Sheffield Plate . It is not an exaggeration at all to say that since the introduction of electroplating, the workmanship in the silverware and silver plate sector has shown signs of an overall deterioration. Today, some manufacturers even immerse 925/1000 silver items in the plating bath to hide the tarnish that occurs during the soldering process, technically known as “branding,” but the practice is somewhat unsatisfactory from a customer perspective.

As regards Sheffield Plate productions in ancient times, no deterioration can be found in their manufacture. From the start of the industry to the very last days, improvements and inventions were always the order of the day. The best examples feature excellent workmanship; and permanent durability was ensured by the infinite dose of rolling and subsequent hammering to which the various pieces were subjected during the preparation method. These operations produced closure of the metal fiber in the same way that steel is hardened under the forging hammer or hydraulic press.

The forming of the various vessels, the joining of the parts, the hammering and setting, the finishing and the decoration all represent a certain level of skill and patient, conscientious effort on the part of the workers, which unfortunately are not so evident in today's pottery. of Sheffield.

A very important essential element in the production of the Old Sheffield Plate was absolute cleanliness. Particles of dust, the slightest trace of grease and even a drop of sweat from the hand that came into contact with the machined object, would have been fatal to the standard of finish required in the period under review. A craftsman with a dry hand had a better chance of success than one whose hands were prone to sweating.

 

1 Silver shield is the technical term used for ( Ed . ).

2 Rubbing-in is a technique that consists of making the silver penetrate by internal rubbing ( Ed. ).

3 Close-plating is a technique that consists of applying a sheet of precious metal to steel, and was used for knives ( Ed. ).

4 Britannia Metal (also called Britannia Alloy) is an alloy of tin, antimony and a small amount of copper, a pewter substitute very popular in the 19th century, used as a base for electroplating ( Ed . ).

5 Collective name indicating all flat table furnishings, plates, trays and even cutlery, excluding knives ( Ed. ).

6 Term indicating “hollow” tableware, i.e. vases, cups, tureens, etc., to distinguish it from flatware ( Ed. ).

7 “Real Sheffield” ( Ed . ).

8 We have not been able to recover the meaning of the ancient word ( Ed. ).

[9] Herbert, “History of Corporations”, Vol. II, p.288.

10 We must conclude that the hitherto accepted version of the spelling of the name, “Bolsover”, is incorrect. Mr. J.B. Mitchell-Withers says, “From the evidence I am aware of, the name was originally spelled with a “u,” and in the book I have, the signature, which appears to have been made by Boulsover, is “Thomas Boulsover”. It is written thus also in the letter published in the " Sheffield Mercury ", in 1840, and also in the family tree illustrating the claims of Benjamin Blonk Silcock, and I believe I have seen his daughter's name written with the "u". Without multiplying the confirmations excessively, the following may be cited: the registration of the burial in 1788 as “Thomas Boulsover”; the entry in the Ecclesall Bierlow Rate Book of 1786 (“Thomas Boulsover”); finally in the old ledgers of Thomas Bradbury & Sons, the records of the firm name of Boulsover in the years 1778 to 1782, are “Thomas Boulsover & Co.”.

11 Hunter, History of Hallamshire”, 1819 edition, p.124.

12 An experiment proved that when a strip of silver is close plated (or soldered) onto a piece of copper of similar size, the two metals behave under the pressure of the rollers in exactly the same way as molten pottery, i.e. say they lengthen indefinitely in conjunction; the same results are obtained in the case of silver-plated tin.

13 It is a notable fact, despite some attempts in certain quarters to represent this as a "re-discovery", that in England not only is Boulsover credited with discovering the method of fusion plating, but he is commonly accepted as the creator of this method by which plated metals are used throughout the world.

14 The thicknesses varied considerably in different periods, keeping in mind the various purposes for which it was desired to use the silver plates; a very good grade of metal had an eighth of an inch of silver deposited on an ingot as described above.

15 Literally, “he who settles” ( Ed. ).

16 The Author has gone so far as to slightly alter the sequence of Mr. Dixon's notes here, otherwise it would seem that he had inadvertently put the cart before the horse in one or two small details. The name is spelled Bolsover.

17 Strelley Pegge of Beauchief Hall, Knight, ancestor of the Pegge-Burnells, of Beauchief-Hall, Derbyshire, owner of Whiteley Wood, where Boulsover afterwards dwelt.

18 In 1671 a certain Maurice Brownhill, taking Jack Hancock on as an apprentice, undertook to teach him to make snuffboxes.

19 Manual execution or printing of characters or words, to form a wording, an inscription, or a title ( Ed. ).

20 See p.93.

21 Watson's “ Sheffield Tasting Office ”.

22 “ Hunter's Hallamshire ” by Gatty, Ed. 1869, p.168.

23 Cannel (corruption of candle = candle) is a mineral, bituminous coal, capable of assuming a high brilliance like black amber, which it somewhat resembles. It is found chiefly in Scotland and Lancashire, but is not unknown in the Yorkshire district. It is mainly used in the production of oils. Its flammable nature would suggest that it is dangerous when used for candlesticks. Articles made of this substance are now rare rather than commercial items, although it may be noted that a wine cooler, and some smaller ornaments, were exhibited at the Great Exhibition of 1851.

24 “ The Sheffield Tasting Office ” by Arnold T. Watson, pp.10-11. In that year (1773) we find William Hancock associated with John Rowbotham.

25 See illustration, p.32.

26 See illustrations, p.336.

27 “ History of Leaders of the Cutlers' Society ”, vol. 1, p.78.

28 A certain James Fenton was initially their partner, but soon left to go into partnership with William Tucker, a former employee of the company.

29 That is, “tureens” ( Ed. ).

30 Literally "sweet slime", in fact tin soldering is also called "soft" soldering ( NdT ).

31 See p.93.

32 Also called silver, it is a metallic alloy composed of zinc, copper and nickel, in different percentages ( Ed. ).

33 “Birmingham” in the local dialect ( Ed. ).

Flat-hammering 34 was one of the most important and difficult processes in pottery making, and a substantial percentage of apprentices never achieved a high degree of skill. Successful hammerers were born and not made. In those days of rapid production one is surprised to learn the extraordinary amount of time and care expended in flat-hammering an article of tableware, in order to produce a perfect surface upon it.

The apprentices most suited to the trade of plater worked relentlessly for seven years of long days of work and few holidays, and before being recognized as piecework workers, they had to serve as apprentices for several years. On the next page is illustrated a copy of the contract of apprenticeship, duly executed, sealed and delivered in 1800, between Thomas Bradbury Junior, T. Bradbury Senior and Thomas Watson, the latter representing the firm of Watson & Bradbury. This gives us an idea of ​​the great zeal expended more than a century ago for economic and social well-being and the training of an apprentice in the trade.

THE INNKEEPERS AND THE OLD SHEFFIELD PLATE

Shortly after their introduction, Old Sheffield Plate items were in great demand among tavern and inn owners, especially steins and measures, to the point that some companies concentrated their attention on supplying material to satisfy such requests. It appears that the measures had largely supplanted the pewter ones produced in the past. Before the introduction of the Sheffield Plate , all the best hotels used large quantities of solid silver, notably Wood's hotel in Holborn, London; 35 the Castle hotel in Bath; the Cross Keys hotel in Hull; the Fleur-de-Lis of Canterbury; the White Horse of Ipswich; the Clinton Arms of Newark, and many others can well be remembered that have had a considerable quantity of solid silver plate . Furthermore, many old inns have Old Sheffield Plate facilities still in daily use; Unfortunately, however, the heavy wear and tear endured over the last century due to daily use in hotels has caused extensive damage to even the best and most solid examples of this pottery. The greatest quantity of Old Sheffield Plate in constant use today is perhaps found in the London hotel in Exeter; his condition, however, leaves much to be desired.

At the Harker hotel in York there is still a fair amount of Old Sheffield Plate - as well as ancient silver - in more than decent conditions. At the Castle Hotel in Bath, until recently items of both solid silver and Sheffield Plate were used almost exclusively; on the other hand, smaller quantities of the latter can still be found in the London hotels “Saracen's Head and “Spread Eagle”; at the Hop Market hotel in Worcester; at the King's Head in Cirencester; at the Royal hotel in Cheltenham; at the Castle hotel in Lynton; at the Castle hotel in Taunton; at the Castle Hotel in Dartmouth; at the Lion hotel in Guildford; at the George hotel in Aylesbury; at the Beaufort Arms hotel in Monmouth; at the Fortescue and Royal hotel in Barnstaple; at the Red Lion hotel in Salisbury; 36 at the Swan hotel in Bedford; at the White Hart hotel in Windsor, and many others. However, in all these hostels the items are currently very few in number compared to 20 years ago.

INCREASE AND DECREASE IN DEMAND FOR SHEFFIELD PLATE

The efforts of early silversmiths to discourage the plating of inferior metals with 925/1000 silver, by trying to persuade the legislature and the public that such articles were spurious and the process immoral, in no way prevented the adoption of Old Sheffield Plate by the higher social classes. The rapid growth of the industry was phenomenal, yet outside the ranks of the nobility and gentry there were few potential buyers. The presence of particularly elaborate crests and coats of arms on most of the articles still existing today amply proves that the noble families of the late 18th century. they were not in the least ashamed of taking advantage of the new invention and buying Old Sheffield Plate to save money. The industry, forty years after its birth, was given an enormous boost by the imposition of the customs duty on silver at 925/1000, in 1784. This naturally significantly increased the cost of finished silver articles, and since then it can be said that it has continuously grown for more than five years; at the same time the quantity of items produced and the number of new companies starting up the business increased. This duty was a serious issue to deal with, and ended up amounting to about 25% of the original cost of each manufactured item. A silver teapot which had previously cost £6 or £7, once customs duty had been charged, could not be had for much less than £9; a silver tray which originally cost around £20, would have cost £25, etc. etc. Silversmiths responded to this specific customs duty by reducing the thickness of the silver gauges used wherever possible, and it is well known that Sheffield craftsmen also imitated this new trend. Where such lighter weight Sheffield Plate wares are found to be in good condition, it is often not possible to distinguish them from contemporary examples of 925/1000 silver tableware except by careful examination.

A few years later the use of molds began to print entire parts of various items (previously the bodies of Sheffield Plate items were usually embossed by hand). This made it possible to sell faithful reproductions of some of the silver pottery in vogue at the time, and these reproductions were in many respects better made, as well as at the same time much cheaper due to the great cost savings resulting from the use of the aforementioned steel moulds. In the early years of the 19th century. pottery buyers grew in number thanks to the new class of merchants and producers who quickly enriched themselves and who today constitute the middle class.

In 1789 the French Revolution affected the Sheffield Plate industry to such an extent that the activity almost reached a standstill. Trade with France, before then and since, was considerable; foreign tacklers as a whole never equaled the level of excellence in workmanship achieved by their Sheffield colleagues. Many of the best Sheffield Plate items in the illustrated catalogs were described in both English and French, and the items were actually designed to meet the demands of that market. This speaks volumes about the efforts made by manufacturers in both the creation and distribution of their items. Roberts & Cadman, which had an extensive business in France, also had a notable commercial connection with Spain.

From 1795 until 1815, the unstable economic situation in Europe largely prevented export trade to the continent. However, in that period new markets were emerging in the British colonies, while from 1816 until the disappearance of the industry, although there were no wars to interfere with the uninterrupted progress of the sector, for certain reasons this export trade ceased. It cannot be stated with any certainty whether or not this was due to the progressive creation of customs barriers abroad; in any case, in the last phases of the industry there was an almost complete cessation of export trade towards Europe and the United States of America. 38

DESTRUCTION OF TABLEWARE; DISPERSION OF THE MOLDS; LUCK OF PRODUCERS AND PLANTS

It is almost inconceivable that just 25 years ago the valuation of “ Old Sheffield ” pieces was negligible, and the best examples could be purchased for as many shillings as the pounds they would cost today.

It is also singular that, although the introduction of electroplating was relatively recent, there are so few pottery manufacturing companies left, among those once linked to the older industry. The factories have mostly been abandoned, and the systems and materials dispersed. Myriads of dies, which must have cost hundreds of thousands of pounds to cut out alone (and today as articles of use would be priceless due to the trend away from Victorian stylistic models), were cast for the mere value of the metal, and the few companies that have survived and possess some batch of ancient Sheffield moulds, almost always find themselves with them incomplete.

Based on research, it would appear that the period between 1852 and 1858 should be set as the approximate date of the destruction and dispersal of the molds by the surviving Old Sheffield Plate makers. Victorian styles of electroplated items had then become fashionable, while the adoption of the method of casting German silver from patterns was gradually replacing the use of steel mold castings in the production process.

The Sheffield works were limited in size, and the new methods, applications and designs relating to the electroplating process required much more space. It seems that the manufacturers had thought that the molds cut between 1810 and 1850 might one day come back into fashion, but as for those from earlier periods, the chances of reintroducing them were remote. Therefore we note how the "Adam" model mold and the subsequent, simpler ones, were condemned to destruction more than the others.

Old workers at the author's factory can recall the disfigurement and dispersion of large quantities of molds, around 1855. At Messrs.' factory. Hawksworth Eyre (successors to Blagden, Hodgson & Co.), 1,000 molds were eliminated at about the same time.

With the disappearance of the Sheffield Plate, many of the partners in the old companies, then involved in its production, abandoned it for other professions. Numerous members of the Creswick, Mappin, Roberts, Leader, Cadman, Watson, Gainsford, etc. families. etc., have occupied the highest positions in other branches of industries and professions. The late Sir F. T. Mappin, Baronet, and Mr. Samuel Roberts, MP, have distinguishedly exercised their office in the House of Commons, while the Leaders have been connected for nearly a century with the literary and political milieu of the city. The late Sir Henry Watson, whose uncle Thomas Watson was in partnership with Thomas Bradbury in 1795 (see p.37), was for many years solicitor 39 , and president of one of the major steel-making industries which made the name of our city is famous throughout the world in this important sector. Mr Robert Robinson, partner of Daniel Holy & Co. (see p.433), was the great-great-grandfather of Mr Sidney Jessop Robinson, managing director of William Jessop & Sons Ltd. of Brightside Works in Sheffield. There is a contract of association, dated 1783, signed by George Woodhead, Daniel Holy, Robert Frederick Wilkinson, Joseph Drabble and Robert Robinson.

Mr. W. Sissons, of W. & G. Sissons, who took over the business of Roberts & Cadman, thinks his molds are practically intact; his company, however, started only in 1784, did not have large reserves of proprietary molds at the time, until, let's say, 1794, which takes us to a period between 40 and 50 years after the one in which the industry was born . Furthermore, from a careful examination of the company's older catalogues, it is quite clear that as much as its founders set the trends in the industry at the time, and as excellent as their designs were, much of the work they did was done by printing hot, shaping and embossing by hand, a production process that required much more skill from the worker than joining the moldings of the articles obtained from the molds. 40 Matthew Boulton's molds were also entirely lost in 1848. W. & G. Sissons of Sheffield have some; there is no trace of the others still in use among the many Birmingham manufacturers who now represent the plating business once carried on at the Soho Works.

At the liquidation of the Gainsford & Nicholson firm in 1834, the molds offered for public auction amounted to 1,072, without taking into account those sold privately; the weight of the metal in the molds and tools alone was 20 tons. 248 vices and 462 workers' tools were then awarded.

THE CUTTING OF THE MOLDS

In Leader's book “ Sheffield in the Eighteenth Century ”, the example is given of a working cutler “who was specializing in cutting horn scale presses and moulds, and whose artistic taste led him to design patterns and ornaments for the silversmiths”. This was Samuel Ellis, whose success enabled him to enter, perhaps as a founder, the firm of Ashforth, Ellis & Co., which was active in Hawley Croft, Angel Street, and Red Hill, from about 1770 to 1811. testimony was provided by Ellis' great-grandson, and although it does not exclude the possibility that designers, and perhaps mold makers, had been called from other places, it appears very likely typical of what happened in the Sheffield factories, if we add to this the information we have on men such as Samuel Roberts and partner George Cadman. In 1774 Samuel Roberts is described (and also Isaac Ellis, probably his son) as “cuttler, markmaker, puncher and designer, at Holy (or Hawley) Croft” – apparently in connection with the plated ware workshops of Ashforth , Ellis & Co.; other men were also in that same period "cutlers and mold makers", "mold makers and engravers"; on the other hand, in 1787 we come across “William Lambert, maker of silver cutlery and decorator”.

The only certain evidence regarding the cutting of the molds relies on the supposition that in this, as in other details, the silverware producers depended at least in part on local ingenuity and taste, developed by the needs of the new industry. Provided here are some details of molds and tools owned by T. Bradbury & Sons (a complete list of which is attached, with the relative costs) in 1771: these details were taken from an old company book.

FIRST TRADE PRICES FOR TOOLS AND MATERIALS, OBTAINED FROM THE BOOKS OF AN OLD SHEFFIELD PLATE FACTORY

On January 22, 1771, “Thomas Webster” purchased 27 pounds of dies, 10 in all, for 11 shillings and 3 pence, while for their turning he paid 8 shillings. He also purchased general tools: 12 hammers, at 1 shilling each; 1 “ Mondril ”, at 1 shilling and 6 pence; 6 tongs at 1 shilling and 6 pence all; 1 “ Handlestake ”, at 5 shillings; 1 tubular tinsmith's tool, 5 shillings; 1 pot-bellied dosse of 2lbs 6½oz, at 17s 3d. The leveling hammers were charged at 1 shilling 10 pence each. On 22 January 1771, “Samuel Ellis” was paid 15 shillings for cutting a Gothic wax candle foot mold; 12th February, 16 shillings for cutting out a wax candle capital mould; on February 15th, 13 shillings for cutting out a wax candle spout mould. “Joseph Bright” was paid on the same day £9, 17 shillings and 4 pence for 15 weeks' work on moulds. On 12 September, “William Oxley” received £30, 1 shilling and 7 pence for 37 weeks' work on mold making. On 15 September 1772, “Joseph Bright” was paid £9, 17 shillings and 4 pence for 15 weeks' work. On 4 December 1772 the works received a contribution in the form of 'a large mold hammer and accessories', including molds from 'William Fenton', costing £31, 19 shillings and 10 ½ pence.

The previously mentioned book also contains a complete list of molds, 175 in all, that were in use in 1775, complete with descriptions. Some of these are interesting enough to reproduce in detail:-

	£	Shillings	Penny
1 "metal" mold for 6" waiter	1	16	0
2 molds for handle of tureen 41 , "metal" mold	1	0	0
Mold for Ionic capital	0	18	0
Mold for vase capital	0	18	0
3 molds for butter boat feet 42	1	10	0
Mold for square coffee maker foot, “in metal”	0	2	6
Mold for coffee pot lid and rim, “in metal”	0	5	0
Mold for vase foot and candlestick drapery	3	10	0
2 x Punch Ladle Molds	1	11	0
Cream ladle mould	0	5	0
Salt spoon mould	0	5	0
2 molds for ampoule tops	0	10	0
Pint cup foot mold	1	0	0
½ pint cup foot mold	0	12	0
Oval cup foot mold	0	5	0
Mold for mug lid 43	0	18	0
Mold for mug foot	1	0	0
Mold for mixing mugs	0	2	6
Mold for mustard mug lid	0	12	0
Mold for joining a mustard mug	0	2	6
Oil cruet handle mould	0	18	0
Mold for cruet section	0	18	0
Mold for oil cruet foot	0	5	0
Cross-shaped dish lamp mold	0	10	0
Cross-shaped dish lamp cover mold	0	12	0
Mold for a small cross-shaped dish lamp cover	0	9	0
Cross-shaped dish lamp stem mold	1	0	0
Upper casing mold for cross-shaped plate lamp	0	14	0
Cross-shaped plate lamp foot mold	0	10	0
Cross-shaped flat lamp holder mold	0	15	0
Cross Shaped Dish Lamp Shoulder End Mold	0	2	6
Coffee maker foot mold	2	10	0
Mold for large coffee pot lid	2	4	6
Mold for small coffee pot lid	1	13	0
Mold for coffee pot bottom cavity	0	16	0
Mold for coffee maker upper cavity	1	0	0
Mold for coffee maker joint	0	10	0
Pineapple knob mold	0	12	0
Coffee maker spout mold	3	0	0
Mold for tea kettle foot ( tea kitchen )	3	1	0
Tea Kettle Dovetail Mold	1	14	0
Tea kettle handle mould	1	10	0
Kettle shell mould	0	10	0
[Mold of] large pineapple leaf	0	10	0
[Mold of] small pineapple leaf	0	12	0
Kettle pineapple mold	0	16	0
Kettle lid mould	0	15	0
Kettle rim mould	2	2	0
Kettle cockerel mould	5	5	0

Mr. Dudley Westropp found these “ Tea kitchens ” thus described in the lists of articles sent for tasting to the Dublin Assay Office at the same time; perhaps the definition “ Tea kitchens ” corresponds to what was later described as “ Tea kettles ”. 44

It will be noted that in the case of coffee pots, mustard mugs, mugs with lids, etc., the use of any mold for the bodies of these articles is not mentioned, which demonstrates decisively that the latter, in the early , were in any case either hammered or turned over with metal sheets. Another interesting fact is that molds were used extensively for the joints or hinges of various articles, which clearly indicates that in this respect manual work was avoided as much as possible.

In this list of 175 molds nothing applicable to the production of teapots is mentioned, although the molds used for molding the various parts of numerous models are described in detail: this shows that at that time teapots were not as abundant in number as happened in following. Those produced in 1775 were made almost entirely by hand.

Out of a total value of £568, 3 shillings and 8 pence for tools and utensils, the cost of the molds affects it substantially, i.e. £247, 11 shillings and 8 pence. This is interesting, as it indicates how much greater the silver plater 's confidence in the use of molds was, even in the initial stages, compared to the silversmiths.

The names “ Room , Chamber and Garrett ” undoubtedly owed their origin to the fact that, as a rule, no special factories were built for the production of the Old Sheffield Plate . The hunt was open for uninhabited houses, the better if they were spacious, and the oldest producers adapted them for the production of pottery.

In commenting on the small size of such a factory, it must be kept in mind that if it were compared with the silversmiths' and cutlers' workshops of the time, it would have constituted "a large establishment" at the time. The paraphernalia necessary for a silversmith did not include large quantities of molds, furthermore there was no bit plating department or mold department, nor was there the need for a special department for cutting; by contrast, the paraphernalia in a cutler's workshops of the time consisted of some outdoor casting beds, various materials for the production of knife handles, various steel and iron bars for forging the blades, and workman's tools .

DESCRIPTION OF THE OLD FURNACES

In the early melt-plated manufacturing plants, everything except the roughest materials was produced in the factory. The casting furnace was certainly a very small room compared to those in use today.

THE STRIPPING PLACE 46

In times gone by, there were always supplies on hand to separate lead and tin from the silver and foil materials, known as “ scrap ,” 46 which accumulated during the manufacturing process. The “ stripping place ” contained a mixture whose main ingredients consisted of sulfuric acid and sulfur. This solution, once heated, caused the silver to completely disintegrate, leaving the copper bare. The addition of common salt to the solution caused the silver to settle at the base of the vat in the form of silver chloride. In the diagram you can see two heated baths, and a pipe that connected the upper bath to the lower one. The article from which the deposit had to be removed was placed in a boiling solution in the upper bath, and this, once the removal of the deposit was completed, being no longer used, was sucked into the lower one. The sulfuric acid absorbed the water, and thus diluted it flowed from the upper bath to the lower one, where it became concentrated and once again became available for use.

WHERE THE MANUFACTURERS OF OLD SHEFFIELD PLATE SOURCED THEIR GLASS

The topic has so far remained shrouded in the thickest mystery, and the age-old question of the possible dependence on Ireland by the Sheffield platers, as far as glass is concerned, finds a definitive answer, in the negative, in the list of producers , from whom M. Fenton & Co. (and later Watson & Bradbury) purchased the glass.

At a local level it is very interesting to know that already in 1779 the small village of Whittington, a few miles from Sheffield, was producing glass worth £236 a year, satisfying the demands of at least one company in the Old Sheffield Plate sector . There is good reason to believe that the other Sheffield manufacturers were also customers of the same glassworks. This Derbyshire industry, probably of a large size, appears to have closed its doors in 1808, for so far as we have the books of the above-mentioned firm we know that from about that date the manufacturers of Dudley and Birmingham monopolized well the entire glass production. The illustrated extracts cover only the period 1779-1812, this being perhaps the most interesting. It encompasses the majority of patents, improvements and inventions, as well as the pinnacle of artistic design in the Sheffield Plate .

Mr. RE Leader states: “At Bolsterstone, near Sheffield (a curious location for such an industry), there was a glassworks whose products towards the end of the 17th century. they had earned a high reputation. A native of Worcestershire, Richard Dixon, who had been employed there, removed to Whittington in 1704, and there set up a glass factory, the business of which was continued by descendants through three generations. The John Dixon who supplied glass to Sheffield silversmiths from 1779 to 1807, was the founder's grandson. 47 In 1740 other ex-members of the Bolsterstone society built glass-making workshops at Catcliffe; furthermore, a glassworks is often mentioned in the parish register of Attercliffe.”

The Beatsons of Rotherham, mentioned in the above accounts (1801-3), were 'famous for the beauty of the flint glassware of their manufacture'. 48 It is probable that George Nicholls and John Withey of Sheffield were not producers. The 1817 Directory gives George Nicholls and Esther Withey as glass carvers, both in Norfolk Street.

Research conducted in Ireland by Mr. Dudley has comprehensively demonstrated that the Sheffield manufacturer never used – as has often been believed – the so-called “Waterford crystal glass”. “Generally speaking,” states Mr. Westropp, “it can be taken for granted that in the period of which you are writing the Irish imported a good quantity of glass from England, and that on the other hand the products they manufactured, for a strangely enough, they were largely sold in America, 49 and there is no record of the Irish manufacturers ever competing with their Birmingham and Dudley counterparts in the supply of glass for Old Sheffield Plate wares."

The most scientific method of treating the materials used in the production of glass has nowadays resulted in the manufacture of commonly used articles, with a remarkable shine and brilliance worthy of a prism. The nuances that can be noticed by examining specimens of ancient glass are due to the impurities contained in the sand and alkalis. The main reason why modern glass is colorless lies in the high quality of the ingredients used in its production.

Collectors prefer a piece of Old Sheffield Plate with the ancient crystals intact. Items – especially Epergnes – without the original glass are not appreciated by connoisseurs. Although they become increasingly rare every day, there are still some complete series of antique crystals for centerpieces and dish rings , highly sought after due to the various shapes and rich carving. The production of these glasses was very expensive, costing from £5 to £6 per set. The glass of the salt and sugar shakers, examples of which are illustrated in this volume, were also very expensive, as was a complete set of bottles for the table cruet.

PART IV

PROCESSES, PRACTICES AND INVENTIONS

THE APPLICATION OF GOLD IN THE PRODUCTION OF OLD SHEFFIELD PLATE

In the light of the research carried out, the statement according to which at the time of the Old Sheffield Plate there existed a production activity on a general scale consisting of the manufacture of melt-plated gold articles is not sustainable. A process of this kind, considering the great value of gold and the greater heat necessary to bring the metal to the melting temperature, was a method far too risky and expensive to be able to gain widespread acceptance among producers, except in isolated cases and for specific needs. specifications. On careful examination it will sometimes be noted that some of the Old Sheffield gold-plated articles have been subjected to the process known as mercurial or fire-gilding 50 , having been cast from melt-plated silver and finished according to the orthodox process. . The gilded articles most commonly encountered today are usually dessert stands and épergnes , and as such must necessarily have been subjected to the process of fire-gilding .

For gilding the internal parts of pitchers , sugar bowls and cups, the makers of the Sheffield Plate adopted the following method:- Boiling the gold in about five times its weight of mercury in an iron ladle, covered with white lead and water and then dried, an amalgam was obtained. Which, poured into cold water and brought to a semi-fluid state, was placed in a leather bag and pressed to eliminate the mercury. This forced the mercury to pass through the pores of the leather and left the gold in the sack. The actual consistency of gold was approximately that of hard clay, and it was divided into sufficient parts to cover the article intended for gilding. Since there was no chemical affinity between the gold and the object to be covered, it was necessary to use a solution of mercury nitrate, obtained by mixing ¼ nitric acid with a spoonful of mercury. When the nitrate of mercury was placed on the copper, its surface immediately amalgamated, and the other amalgam of gold and mercury adhered tightly to this surface, by means of the mutual molecular attraction of the fluid metals. The amalgam was applied following the covering of the internal parts of the containers with nitrate; these, with the golden side facing upwards, were then placed in open pans and placed over a charcoal fire, the heat of which evaporated the mercury leaving only the gold. This process was known as fire-gilding , and is in practice similar to that described in Benvenuto Cellini's treatise on goldsmithing. It is more expensive but much more durable than the modern method of depositing gold using electricity.

THE CHISELING PROCESS

In all the different periods and styles through which the manufacture of the Old Sheffield Plate passed, the chiselling decoration was continuously exploited by operators in the sector.

Whether made with the aid of moulds, pallets and awls, engraving, high or low relief chasing, decoration in some form appears to have always been an essential feature in the production of plated articles in the past. From the earliest days of the industry until engraving was introduced as decoration in 1789, what is technically termed, to use an industry definition, “high relief chasing,” was the most common decorative form. From that date, bas-relief chiselling prevailed – very similar in detail to engraving decoration. Following the introduction of more decorated borders and supports - which by 1820 had reached enormous dimensions - we note the boom in decorative engraving in the form of highly charged designs with flowers, scrolls and foliage, which in this respect considerably surpassed any attempt carried out previously throughout the industry. The articles produced in this latter period are found to be very similar in design, but not in execution, to those in vogue when deep-chiseled patterns first came into common use, in the early days of the industry.

This eye-catching decoration can be seen on coffee pots, porridge bowls and cups produced before 1770. The large trays and salvers produced between 1815 and 1830, heavy-rimmed and entirely chiseled in bas-relief, are perhaps more sought-after items than every other in the Old Plate . Finely crafted specimens in perfect condition fetch substantial sums of money. No collection is truly complete without one or two of these specimens.

The illustration explains the process better. First subjected to careful flat-hammering , the article to be chiselled - in this case a tray - is immersed in boiling pitch, then left to cool until the article hardens properly. In the preparation of this pitch, great attention had to be paid to acquire the hardness and solidity of the chiseling. The notched cast of the desired model, punched on paper, is then carefully sprinkled with chalk and then slowly rubbed onto the surface of the article. After that, the contours of the model, now clearly outlined, are traced inside with the help of the “ steel pointer ”. The worker then chooses the punches and engraves the outline on the surface of the tray, defining the various lines and curves that constitute the main characteristics of the design to be reproduced, after having opaqued the finer details of the model, such as the grain of the leaves, flower petals, etc. etc. The reason for immersing items in pitch during chiseling is the need to keep those in the correct shape throughout the process, without which expedient the force used in hammering would have the effect of knocking the item out of the ideal line.

In the case of high relief chasing, it was necessary for the Sheffield Plate items to have an additional deposit of silver, so as to prevent the silver from cracking and therefore exposing the copper base. However, this high-relief chiseling was performed regularly in the early days of plating, despite the constant risk of stretching and breaking the silver if the definition became too strong.

THE PLATING ON BOTH SIDES OF THE INGOT

One of the great enigmas with which both the operators of the trade and the public have had to grapple was caused by the theory, too easily accepted, that the possibility of plating on both sides of the ingot was discovered just 60 years after the birth of the process . The examination of the original notes (written in 1850), from which this idea appears to have been derived, and the detailed analysis of the oldest exemplars, leads to the conclusion that the statement is incorrect. As valuable as such documents are, the author died before having duly revised or corrected them. Other examples of transcription errors in the notes have been found, errors that the reporter would no doubt have corrected eventually, had he lived to publish his memoirs in book form. Fixing by conjecture the invention of double plating between 1763 and 1770 would already mean postdating it.

Perhaps the fact that after the discovery of the possibility of plating on both sides of the ingot, this method was not at first used on a general scale (and also that at all times, during the various periods of production, articles plated on one only side were manufactured for economic reasons), may have led to the assumption that the process had not been discovered until a considerable time after the birth of the industry. The ancient documents lead inevitably to the conclusion that, with constant improvements in the methods of construction of the furnaces (certainly somewhat facilitated by the experiments conducted at the time in Sheffield by Huntsman for the treatment and manufacture of cast steel, between 1760 and 1770), no there was a long delay in obtaining the double-plated sheet production method once the industry was firmly established.

However, since silver was initially a very expensive item in the manufacturing process, double-sided plating was not initially adopted on a general scale for the majority of household items, even though the process already existed. .

For the platers it was superfluous to always cover the parts of the metal not exposed to view with silver. The lower surfaces of the waiters and trays , the internal sides of the plate warmers, etc. etc., were usually made from metal plated on one side only, and covered with tin after the invention; on the other hand, plates for the first course, cups, glasses and items generally connected to food or drinking were the most suitable for double plating, and in such cases the additional cost was willingly borne by customers.

As regards the salvers and writing inkwells of the first period with the edges or molds obtained from two pieces of fusion-plated metal, placed " back to back " and which expose the plated surfaces on the reverse than obverse, it should be noted that such articles were produced in that manner for the main purpose of imparting strength, and not, as is generally believed, for the sole purpose of exposing to view a silver surface on the edges, when these were reversed. . The mere achievement of such a goal would have been completely disproportionate to the additional cost incurred for such a reason.

As proof of what has been stated above, here are some illustrations of this method of strengthening, according to the back-to-back method, supports for waiters , manufactured years after the invention of the double plating process (1790-1800), but still having a lower tin plate. Although it is interesting to note that in this case the edges were shaped for the sole purpose of providing strength with the two pieces of molten metal placed back to back, and that the plating consisted of just a single sheet of single-plated metal. In some cases, salvers are also found whose plating consists of two sheets of copper plated on one side only, placed back to back, with only the external plated surfaces being exposed to view. However, due to the weight involved, this manufacturing method was applied only to the waiters and not to the other articles. It is claimed that Joseph Hancock produced his own tankards in this way in 1755, but items made entirely from double sheets of metal are very rare to find, as the method was far from undisputed success.

Another reason for the duplication of supports on salvers was that, when these were made from large and decorated moulds, as in the case of the renowned "shell model" (and its innumerable variations), the strength of the metal needed, if this was made from a single piece, it would have been so large as to present difficulties in the molding process. Therefore, by welding together two pieces of metal of varying thickness, both great rigidity in use and high definition detail were achieved (see illustrations above).

Once the supports were rigidly welded together, a small, lightweight soldering iron was used to solder the slots on the outermost edges of the salver , where the two metal sheets had been joined. The solder was made primarily of tin, so that it more closely resembled silver in color.

After having removed the superfluous alloy and carefully burnished along the sides of the waiter , the line of demarcation was almost imperceptible, since the bare edges of the copper, by this process, were entirely covered.

In the last days of the Old Sheffield Plate , the cheaper makers almost always worked on a single-sided plated metal.

THE SILVER DEPOSITS

In the early days of the melt plating industry, the amount of silver deposited varied greatly in thickness, from 10 to 12 ounces of silver per 8 pounds of copper, and this was true even for single-sided plating of the ingot. .

The percentage of silver compared to copper varied according to the taste of the producer or the whim of the buyer; the largest deposit ever used, however, was the one mentioned later, in use when deep cut engraving was first introduced, i.e. 24 ounces of silver per 8 pounds of metal. At the height of his success, Samuel Roberts, around 1798, decided to improve the quality of the plating used, at the same time increasing the prices of the items manufactured. Unfortunately we do not know to what extent he increased the silver deposits or what was the commonly accepted standard in the trade at that time. However, it will suffice to remember that this metal, described by him as " Bell Metal ", certainly due to the fact that it bears his trademark (the bell), did not receive general favor from the public due to the premium necessarily charged for it, and he soon returned to using the deposit customary in the trade for that time, which averaged from 8 to 10 ounces of silver per 8 ounces of metal.

Upon the introduction of silver shields obtained by rubbing-in , around the years 1810-15, the deposits were further reduced, and were then normally in the proportion of 5/7 ounces of silver to 8 pounds of metal. (All of these later deposits, with the exception of the bright cut etching trays , were intended for plating on both sides of the ingot.)

The plate covers necessarily had to be made of a metal on which silver had particular strength, due to the embossing and hammering to which such articles were subjected, and for plating on one side only the quantity deposited was on average 8 ounces of silver per 8 pounds of metal, while for plating on both sides, 12 ounces of silver per 8 pounds of metal.

In the last period we sometimes find (as was usual among French producers) marks stamped on the articles - generally plate covers - which indicate the proportion of silver and copper. There are examples of Old Sheffield Plate bearing the following words: “ Sheffield Light Silver Plating , 50 dwts. (and even 40 dwts .- Editor's note ) to 8 lbs. ” 51 This is a smaller silver deposit than that found today on top quality articles obtained by electroplating. Also found are the words, “ Best Sheffield Heavy Silver Plating ”, “ 80 dwts. to 8 lbs. ” 52 You will notice that such marks are usually accompanied by the name of a London jewelers retail business, now no longer active. Perhaps the items were produced with such light deposits due to the pressure of foreign competition?

THE INVENTION OF PLATED METAL WIRE

When wire began to be used, in the early days of the industry it was obtained from a hollow tube, formed either of copper or brass 53 , around which a cladding of melt-plated tin was soldered; however, due to its lower resistance to consumption, it does not appear to have been widely adopted. Around 1768, solid plated wire was introduced, made into strips from rotary rolling mills. Initially its manufacturing was complex, and therefore expensive; even greater attention had to be paid to the preliminary stages of its preparation than in the case of molten sheet metal. A thin strip of silver 1/32 inch thick was bent to fit a copper bar about 5" long and 1" thick, which had previously been drawn into a round shape with the help of a whortle . The two metals were then bound together with metal wire and joined by fusion. Once plated, the bar was repeatedly drawn through a whortle until it took the shape of a wire. This also gave rigidity and smoothness, and at the same time allowed the union of the two sides of the silver, which had been purposely left aside to facilitate the melting process.

This invention marked an advance in the production process. The articles produced up to then, such as waiters and all types of plates, tureens, cake baskets and similar articles are found with what is called a " self mount ", i.e. the edges were formed from molds that had supports ( mounts ) and edges cut together, and since these supports were not welded separately, they did not have great resistance qualities in use. Many items produced before the invention of plated wire now exhibit cracks extending from the external surfaces along the bodies for some distance. To some extent these edges were sometimes strengthened by duplicating the metal at the margins and welding a strip under the backing (minted separately from the edges of the molds of the articles themselves), or by leaving on the edge of the stamping a metal deposit, which was turned under the backing to means of a burnisher. The outer edges of such articles were never as strong as if a piece of wire were soldered separately.

This method of plating with solid wire was superseded about 1780 by a simpler procedure, attributed to two young men, "Wilks and Moteram", former apprentices of Matthew Boulton, and it is said that they had kept the secret during the period of 'apprenticeship. Once this was completed, Wilks left Birmingham to move to Sheffield and set up the business with Mark Dixon in 1785.

The method adopted for this process was as follows:- Having prepared a round bar of copper of 1" or more in diameter, and smoothed it to perfection by means of a file, a notch was made near each end and all round the bar . Then a thin sheet of silver was laminated which was cut to the given proportion and folded around itself, while the edges were joined together, or placed one on top of the other. The latter, now joined, were shaped into tubes by rubbing them with a long double-handled burnisher on a hot piece of rigidly welded iron. The tube at that point had to be perfectly cleaned of any internal impurity, drawn onto the copper bar and forced into the notches cut at the ends of the bar, after carefully excluding the air as much as possible. The two pieces of metal, namely the solid copper bar and the silver tube that covered it (note the absence of any substance in the form of fluid), were then red-hot and carefully burnished from one end to the other of the bar, and any residual air was allowed to escape through a small hole made at both ends of the bar. Everything at that point was finally sealed by means of the annealing process, then re-browned while still boiling. It was then drawn through the whortles , 54 a process by which the wire could be drawn out to an almost indefinite length, and at the same time assume any pattern shape to which the holes in the whortle had been shaped. The illustrations show an ancient burnisher, regularly used for this purpose in the past, and which fortunately has survived to this day, although it has not been used for more than 60 years. One cannot help but think that the idea of ​​subjecting silver shields to the rubbing-in process was derived from the aforementioned process (see page 93). The reader, carefully studying the details of these two processes, will immediately be struck by their remarkable similarity. Both methods are claimed to originate from the mind of the same person, namely Wilks.

THE INTRODUCTION OF SILVER EDGES

The indefatigable Samuel Roberts and his partner George Cadman were the first to introduce silver threaded edges, almost immediately after starting their own business, in 1785. This method in some cases integrated the use of metal wire silver plated, and also gave durability to the item. 55

The method of making the edges consisted of drawing, through a hole or whortle , a hollow metal wire or very thin strip of silver, which exactly corresponded in size to the edges of the article it was intended to cover. At the same time, this process shaped the silver wire into a groove, thus facilitating the soldering operation on these silver edges.

Matthew Boulton of Birmingham excelled in the manipulation of these threaded silver edges, and brought the art to a remarkable level of perfection. It occasionally printed the words “SILVER BORDERS [brand name]” in its registered trade mark, while Sheffield manufacturers sometimes drew attention to their wares by stamping “SILVER EDGES”.

In the wake of the introduction of silver threaded edges, around 1789, the use of the mold system of separate supports for plates, waiters , tureens and gravy boats ( tureens ), salt shakers, etc. became general. etc. These holders were struck in thin silver from dies cut into long strips, and, filled with a solder composed of lead and tin, could easily be bent into any shape required. The method of filling these supports was as follows: After carefully burnishing the outer edges with a mixture of glue and white lead, the support was placed in a plaster mold or bed of Calais sand. Then the molten solder was poured into it, with the help of a small ladle. At that point, a hot soldering iron of the type illustrated here was delicately rubbed on the surface of the molten alloy, and powdered resin was used to make the support "tight" more quickly, making the alloy flow. While the alloy was in its molten state, a round piece of wood immersed in oil was used to gently rub the surface of the alloy, to ensure the absolute flatness of the surface and to allow easier removal of the edges of the support, which it had been left on the mold. This could easily be done with the help of a burnisher, with thumb pressure and subsequent filing.

For the following 10 or 15 years, however, there was not a great variety of styles in these supports, these being initially limited to light decorations such as moulding, threading, straight and slanted gadroon .

By leaving a metallic deposit or outer edge of silver in the molding of such silver supports, workers soon became skilled turners of such edges, thus hiding the bare copper, without always having to make use of threaded edges soldered onto the silver separately. The items encountered today with silver edges on them are divided fairly evenly between those that have been “ lapped over ” and those “soldered on separately ”. For example, a first course plate with a simple gadroon decorated edge will most likely have an overlapping edge; on the other hand, in the case of one with complex shell and gadroon decoration and a molded body, there will be a greater probability of an edge made by separate welding.

The most common quality of antique pottery is distinguished by the presence of a beveled edge on the back of the support, clearly distinguishable, which clearly highlights the solder, while in the two previous cases only silver is seen.

The absence of these silver threads is absolutely not an indication of inferior quality; in fact, in many cases, in the last period, some manufacturers manipulated the edges so skilfully that only with very careful examination can one distinguish some line of demarcation between the bodies and supports of the various articles. 56 Overall, however, the so-called lapped-over or soldered-on edge is the type of finish that most attracts experts when it comes to choosing an item of Old Sheffield Plate .

After being the first to introduce and use silver edging for mounting on all the Sheffield Plate items he produced for almost 40 years, Samuel Roberts obtained a patent in 1824 which allowed him to get rid of such edging. His goal was, as he describes in his production specification, to imitate 925/1000 silver to the point of making it impossible even for an expert to distinguish between silver and plated items placed next to each other. His method was carried out in the following way: - Having filed the external edge of the article until it took on the shape of the engraved silver edge, although slightly smaller in size, a silver wire was soldered to brass on this external edge of the required thickness. The edge was subjected to careful flat-hammering , and thus acquired the width and strength necessary for the purpose. In this way the external edge was made to extend slightly beyond the decorated silver edge, and, having reached that point, the tin soldering on the two edges was carried out in the usual manner. Then the protruding part of the outer edge of silver soldered to brass, which now extended beyond the decorated silver edge, was removed with a file, and the two edges were carefully burnished together until the seam actually disappeared.

THE INTRODUCTION OF ENGRAVING

About 1789 polished cut engraving came into fashion for teapots, coffeepots, teapot stands, waiters , etc. etc., and the credit for this new form of decoration is also attributed in this case to Samuel Roberts. Initially, engraving was performed on single-sided plated items, which required a consistent deposit of no less than 24 ounces of silver per 8 pounds of metal, and with this thickness of silver the deep, bright cut engraving process could be accomplished without any problems. However, specimens of this category of workmanship are quite rare. The tray illustrated here is an example. The surface after 120 years of wear is in the same excellent condition as when the item was originally produced.

The engraving process is so common and so similar to that of chiseling that it will be superfluous to provide a complete description here. The article to be engraved was not immersed in pitch, since the push of the engraver's tool would have been too light to cause it to change shape. As in the case of chasing, the pattern was covered in plaster and defined on the article before engraving, and the only difference in handling was the “hollowing” 57 or cutting out of the pattern from the metal with small sharp tools, quite similar in their different styles of surgical instruments. The latter had to be continually sharpened during use.

The articles chiseled in low relief are so similar to those subjected to the engraving process, that after use for a certain number of years with the consequent smoothing of the sharp edges, the only certain way to establish whether the chiselling in low relief has been carried out consists of turning the article upside down and checking the possible presence of the profile in the lower part of the model. If so, the object was evidently chiseled in bas-relief.

THE INDISPENSABILITY OF THE SILVER SHIELDS IN THE ENGRAVING OF HEADSETS, MONOGRAMS AND INSCRIPTIONS

An insurmountable difficulty that the first pottery producers had to overcome was represented by the need to obtain supplies for the engraving of crests and coats of arms. Examples of pieces of silverware produced in the 18th century, without crests, coats of arms, etc., or initials, as decoration, are so rare as to constitute an exception to the rule. This indicates a general desire on the part of the public to have plated items capable, like silver, of bearing emblems. If this work had been undertaken by the manufacturer during the manufacture of the article, the engraving in bas-relief of a crest or monogram, although a more expensive undertaking, would not have presented any particular difficulty, and we sometimes find that this method has been carried out in a completely satisfactory way.

The items necessarily had to be selected from the manufacturer's warehouse, before being displayed for sale to the public in a retailer's establishment, and since the passage of small packages to and from the various factories was not as rapid as nowadays, it became necessary to engrave the item in the city of production. We therefore find that for the first 25 years or so after the birth of the industry, it was necessary to deposit a much greater quantity of silver, during the production of the articles, than was usual following the invention of the ingenious devices, subsequently adopted, for thickening with silver the only part where engraving would probably have been necessary.

Every town, whatever its size, had a local engraver who usually worked for the various retailers in the region. In London retail jewelers had enough work of this type on their hands for each of them to be able to financially support the employment of engravers, who worked in the buildings.

There is perhaps nothing that makes us understand more clearly the extent to which the best families in the country purchased the Old Sheffield Plate, than the innumerable crests and coats of arms found on antique pieces. Their execution is almost always remarkable, and no authentic collector would ever dream of erasing or replacing the crest or monogram present on an antique piece with his own. Any such erasure, regardless of whether the item is silver or Old Sheffield Plate , is an act of pure vandalism, and in no case can such an alteration be made without seriously compromising the appearance and intrinsic value of the item. item. The minimum deposit of silver needed to support the engraving of such emblems was 12 ounces of silver per 8 pounds of metal, and skilled engravers at the time worked by means of what came to be called “ the side stroke .” 58 : the engraving tool was held at a steep angle. The example illustrated on the previous page is an excellent example of this type of workmanship. Thanks to a very thin carving, the engraver was able to cleverly avoid penetrating the underlying copper, and although the detail was not as sharp as in the case of a solid silver item, it was still able to last for 138 years without if replating has become necessary.

THE METHOD OF INTERNAL WELDING OF THE EXTRA STRONG PLATING METAL FOR THE ENGRAVING OF THE CESTS

Most tea and coffee pots, as well as tea vessels, around 1789, usually had silver strips soldered “ on ” for decorative engraving, and extra-strong plating shields soldered “ in ” for the crests or monograms. This date can be roughly considered as the beginning of the introduction of separate shields for engraving in any form. This latter method of procedure was one of the brightest features of the business at that time, and even today the line along which the solder extends around the shield is almost imperceptible. A round or oval piece of metal was cut from the front of the article, then, after having carefully shaped and cut out from a piece of metal, with an extra strong silver plating, a shield of similar size, it was skillfully soldered to brass in the free space, thus remaining united forever. Once the superfluous solder was carefully removed from the shield , a small curved line was lightly etched around the front surface, so that the eye was diverted from the almost invisible line generated by the solder around the edges of the shield . The most astonishing thing is that these silver shields were soldered to brass in double-plated metal with apparently the same minimum difficulties presented by metal with only one plated side. The latter, having subsequently been tinned on the back, obviously showed no trace of the internal soldering on the reverse. When you find these shields on double-sided plated items, you will notice that the subsequent flat-hammering has stretched the solder and caused it to blend into the silver surface, to the point that the lines of demarcation can only be distinguished when the part so treated is kept in view with a faint light on it. The reproduction on this page of the center of a teapot stand, to illustrate the process, shows both the front and the back, and needs no comments. On the other hand, the page reproduced from the illustrated catalog specifies what additional costs were charged for this category of workmanship around 1789. The fact that the catalogs of the late period, although mentioning the silver shields (joined with the various articles), do not indicate, as occurred in those of the first period, the charging of any additional cost for their production is a clear indication of the amount of work saved through the later process of shield rubbing-in . An example of a sugar bowl with an engraved silver band has been found - similar in style to that illustrated in the teapot at the foot of the page - clearly joined by the process described on p.93, and known as " rubbing-in ". by heat." However, for the treatment of such a large surface area, this application method must have been very difficult and laborious.

The firm of D. Holy, Wilkinson & Co. particularly excelled in this method of internally soldering extra-strongly plated silver shields . Evidently, they had extremely capable workers in their buildings, and such is the perfection of these shields left in pieces, that they are still found bearing the renowned trademark. 59

The art of welding was at that time brought to an almost scientific level. Two fine examples of the workman's skill are illustrated here. The edges around the plate and scalloped shell are solid silver, and brass soldered to the melt-plated metal, but the work has been so skillfully done that only when the items have been allowed to tarnish, as in this case, is it discernible the dividing line between the two metals. 60 This solid silver edge is usually found affixed to articles such as sauce boats and butter boats , etc., whose edges, exposed to contact with butter or fat, would be difficult to clean properly, if they were produced with edges tin soldered threaded.

THE INVENTION OF THE APPLICATION OF SILVER SHIELDS BY HEAT

The next invention related to the engraving of crests and designs in silver was known as the “ rubbing in of a silver shield ”. This process could be accomplished much more quickly and more satisfactorily than the “ letting in ” process. The pieces bearing this last form of silver shield are given much greater importance than they deserve. Apparently they were not used on a general scale before 1810, and are far from being a guarantee of good quality, on the contrary. Around this time, silver deposits were dwindling, and thinly plated pieces of metal presented difficulties in handling when engraver shields were soldered internally.

The process of rubbing in a silver shield was simple in essence, yet a truly brilliant invention, and had it not been for the fact that there was a mixture of secrecy and jealousy among competing manufacturers in those days, there would certainly have been a record of more information on Wilks, to whom the invention was attributed. If he was the creator of the advanced wire plating process and the application of silver shields , it is no small mystery why he never produced a patent for these two inventions. If Samuel Roberts had been able to claim the advanced wire plating process as his own, there is no doubt that he would have secured the patent for it, but this was not the case. As often happens with inventions, Wilks's method, as far as we know, was updated by Roberts, but unfortunately the story does not record how, or to what extent.

After having flattened the surface on which the shield was to be affixed with a hammer, the worker proceeded to cut out of the "thin" silver, usually about 4 gauges thick, a round or square piece suitable in size for the article on which it was placed. okay. With the exception of the plate covers, such shields were applied to the items before being molded – the largest shields measured 4 x 4 ½ inches. Shields were generally not affixed to items smaller than the smallest teapots, although large sugar bowls and cream jugs did bear them. After heating the shield slowly on the flame, the worker flattened it along the entire surface and then eliminated the edges with a hammer on a dowel, thinning them as much as possible. At that point he prepared the two surfaces to be joined, rubbing them with fine brick dust and taking care to remove any impurities. The shield , once placed as close as possible to the center of the article and secured in place by means of a piece of wire tied around the center of the foil, was carefully heated to a dull red or "worm" heat in the flame. The shield was now adherent to the surface of the foil, and therefore the metal wire could be removed. Immediately then the worker began to quickly pass his burnisher back and forth along the face of the shield , starting from the center and without lifting it, until the entire surface had been promptly crossed and therefore completely smoothed. During this process it was necessary to pay attention not to leave air in the trace of the burnisher, otherwise bubbles would form which would become evident when the entire article was subjected to the heat of the flame again. In this case the entire article would have required a new passage to the opaque red heat and, once the bubbles had been eliminated, the burnishing operations would have to be resumed.

Once bonding was complete, the blank was cleaned in acid and washed with water, and then hammered, until the shield was level with the surface of the article into which it had been burnished; in other words, the silver shield had been “forced” into the plated surface – the best way to describe the operation is to call it a thickening of the metal.

The blank was then ready for annealing, but the shield was carefully burnished for the umpteenth time while still hot, and to ensure that it was absolutely stable and that no bubbles were visible, the entire surface was hammered (with a hammer whose face was covered with a carefully chosen piece of smooth cloth) on a clean and shiny hammering block.

The description given here has sufficiently illustrated the care to be taken in carrying out this very delicate process in the production of ancient pottery, and it is not surprising to learn that a capable worker was able to carry out this operation in half the time needed by his colleagues less competent; in reality one of the most indicative tests of a worker's ability was his ability in this field. Many were unsuccessful, and it was customary to express a workman's overall incompetence with the statement that he had never been equal to the task of correctly rubbing in a silver shield .

The reason why a silver shield appears so clearly on a piece of Old Sheffield Plate when the latter is not cleaned is not, as is generally believed, that the sticking points around it indicate its presence, but that the shield had to be made of pure silver, while the surface on which it was " rubbed " was made of common or 925/1000 silver. If examined carefully, you will notice the difference in color between pure and common silver. It is not uncommon to find the shield discolored only slightly, while the surface of the item appears heavily opaque due to exposure. However, even the common silver with which the copper was plated became opaque in twice the time of today's articles obtained by means of electroplating, and this is due to the fact that the silver deposited in the particles, as occurred in the case of sedimentation electrolytic, it is porous and never reaches the infinitely higher hardness on the surface that is obtained through the rolling process. After being set aside for a long time, you will notice that the silver shield has ended up taking on a darker color than the attached silver surface of the body of the item itself. Some people tend to think that the Old Sheffield Plate without this silver shield for engraving is of little value, believing that the omission indicates inferior quality, but they are wrong. Nonetheless, the presence of the shield should constitute tangible proof that the item is a genuine Old Sheffield Plate , and also that it was originally produced as it should be, although not necessarily plated very well. Although Sheffield today hosts workers capable of successfully placing silver shields on the foil, currently it would not be convenient for the manufacturer to resort to this method, since in the electroplating process the engraving can be undertaken after the brightening process, and since the plating of the the following article, an equivalent silver deposit is thus ensured on its entire surface.

THE FRENCH PLATING PROCESS

The French plating method was carried out in the following manner:- After taking a thin sheet of pure silver from a small package he had at hand, the worker first carefully scratched and cleaned the part to be handled, then affixed the sheet after subjecting it to significant heat (although no heat was applied to the item). At that point he carefully burnished the foil, exerting considerable pressure until it completely adhered to the surface he was treating. While burnishing one sheet, the worker heated another so it was ready for use. Thus a considerable amount of time was saved, and the sheets were applied one above the other until the required thickness was reached. Many sheets could be applied simultaneously, paying attention and immediately obtaining the necessary heat. The method, like many others, was simple; the objectives to be mainly taken into consideration were the speed and attention to be paid in the burnishing process. In this way up to 50 sheets could be treated, according to the operator's taste. When repairing Sheffield Plate items, 3 or 4 were enough.

French plating cannot be relied upon indefinitely. Its commonly recognized usefulness manifested itself in the case of small repairs, when an imperfection accidentally occurred in the production of an article, which exposed the bare copper to view. Each workman had a bundle of thin silver plates at his side, ready to undertake such repairs, and had to become expert in the art of French plating. A skilled workman was able to accomplish the task so quickly, that the old school of mechanics consistently resorted to this method even many years after the introduction of electroplating. 61 The French method of plating was somewhat tedious to apply to any large surface of copper, and as regards the making of silver shields by this method, it is very doubtful whether the thrust of the engraver's tool did not have a tendency to cause the various thin silver sheets of which a surface was composed come out of position.

It is quite clear from the illustration given on the opposite page that, but for this ingenious method of restoration, many articles of pottery which owe their present existence to the timely aid afforded by the application of the French plating process, they should have ended up on the scrap heap.

Notes on the subject in the French section of this work (see p.167) highlight how the French plating process was invented many years before the introduction of large-scale fusion plating. The assumption, however, that it was applicable to the edges of any rough thin surface, such as the spouts of candlesticks, the edges of waiters , etc. etc., is not confirmed by research; the durability of French plating depended entirely on it being applied to parts that were subject to excessive friction or harsh wear. Pay attention to the melt-plated dollar on p.395. If the manufacturers of such items in Birmingham had been able to rely on the French plating process for edge coating, their manufacturing would have been quite easy, but the difficulty was in plating the edges.

34 English name for hammering in low relief ( Ed. ).

35 Although the Act of 1696 prohibited "any tavern, alehouse, victualling house, or retail wine, beer, or spirits dealer, from publicly using or displaying for use any article of worked or manufactured pottery, or any utensil, except spoons, under penalty of confiscation of the same", this hotel at the time of cessation of activity, approximately 15 years ago, possessed a considerable quantity of silver plate , an appreciable percentage of which must have been found in the buildings during the period in which the Law was in force.

36 Still used in this hotel is, among other items, an Old Sheffield Plate eel pie plate, which has every appearance of having been made well over a century ago.

37 Social group including people of wealthy status, but not belonging to the nobility. In particular, the landed gentry included the landowners .

38 Mr. James Dixon, of J. Dixon & Sons, states “that until the mid-nineteenth century. the trade of his company with America was so important that it was convenient for one of the senior partners to live there, and furthermore that they also had four agents there. When the first great protectionist tariff came into force in 1861, the company's trade with that country ceased."

39 In the British legal system, it is the lawyer with the power to argue cases in the lower courts ( Ed. ).

40 The conspicuously decorated molds from the late Georgian period, still in the possession of Messrs. Sissons, intended in particular for the production of large trays and waiters , are numerous. At one time the company employed no fewer than 13 mold makers, who worked in the buildings.

41 As will be read in the last part of the work, the term could indicate both a variety of tureen and gravy boat ( Ed. ).

42 Varieties of boat -shaped butter container .

43 The bodies were made manually.

44 Exactly, “tea kettles” ( Ed. ). Matthew Boulton of Birmingham, in a letter from London to his wife in 1767, states:-“I must return to visit His Majesty as soon as our tripod-shaped Tea kitchen arrives.”

45 The term bit generally indicates the cutting part of a tool; more specifically, the drill bit; the chisel; the grip of pincers; ingenuity in the key; the horse's bit ( Ed. ).

Ñ ​​It was not possible to recover the meaning of the word, which is not present in bilingual and monolingual dictionaries.

• The original text is incomplete ( Ed. ).

Ñ ​​It was not possible to recover the meaning of the word, which is not present in bilingual and monolingual dictionaries.

¨ British unit of weight corresponding to 6.35 kg. ( Ed .).

© Names indicating the variety of iron or container ( Ed. ).

45 To strip a metal means to eliminate the deposit of a metal by electrolysis ( Ed. ).

46 Word with various meanings, used here in the sense of “waste” ( Ed. ).

47 Gilbert Dixon, assistant solicitor at the Sheffield Cutlers' Company from 1736 to 1777, was nephew of the first Richard Dixon, and uncle of John Dixon. In The History of the Cutlers' Society, vol. I, p.295, contains his memory of some glass bottles produced by his father.

48 “ Rotherham ” by Guest, p.687.

49 See “ Essay on Manufacturing in Ireland ”, by Thomas Wallace, Dublin, 1798; see also the procedures of the Royal Irish Academy, Vol. XXIX, Sec. C n°3, “ Glass production in Ireland ”, edited by MSD Westropp.

50 Literally, “fire gilding” ( Ed. ).

51 Translating everything, including measurements: “Sheffield light silver plating, 77.75 g (and even 62.22 g) for 3.628 kg”. 1 dwt, i.e. a Pennyweight , corresponds to 1.555 g, while 1 lb. (ounce) equals 453.6 g. ( Ed .)

52 Translated, “Sheffield silver heavy plating, 124.44 g x 3.628 kg”. ( Ed .)

53 It will be noted that brass was used extensively by the Sheffield Platers throughout the industrial period, but always hidden from view. Inner tubes for telescoping candlesticks, locks for dinner plates, tankard bases, and candlestick screws were routinely made of this material.

54 See pp. 106 and 107.

55 This new model of wire was not intended to replace plated wire for strength, but to protect the item during use, and also to improve its appearance. Being made of 925/1000 silver, the threaded edges never left the bare copper surface exposed - after years of wear - as would be the case when plated metal wire had to be used.

56 Items finished in this way should not be confused with the economical form of beveled edge finishing on the back of stock (as in illustration 3 on the previous page).

57 Bradbury uses the verb “ scoop ”, which is normally used to indicate the act of digging into the sand with a shovel or other tool ( Ed. ).

58 Literally: “The Sideways Blow” ( Ed. ).

59 See p.433 for further details on this company, and the brands it uses.

60 Mr. Dudley Westropp of Dublin has an unsupported Chamber Candlestick, the edges of which have been similarly treated. Other examples with the Boulton mark are also found.

61 In cases of small exposed stains on articles obtained by electroplating - during the burnishing process - the former director of the workshops of Bradbury & Sons, Castleton, who died in 1890, used to regularly resort to the French plating process, preferring it to the stripping of the articles and their entire replating, and the results were always satisfactory.

PART V

SURVIVING METHODS, WITH ILLUSTRATIONS OF WORKSHOPS, TOOLS AND MATERIALS 62

In dealing with the subject of the Old Sheffield Plate, it is not necessary to wear out the reader with long descriptions of processes impossible for him to grasp without a practical demonstration of the methods employed throughout the entire history of the industry.

The author has therefore thought it preferable (as this work intends to deal with the general subject of the " Old " Sheffield Plate ) to show where possible by illustration various methods which have survived to the present day and are carried on in much the same way as they were most from a century ago. The illustrations were drawn from old workshops, tools, molds and common environmental conditions, selected specifically as they cover the period during which the industry flourished.

Detailed descriptions have been provided previously in which the procedural methods are, in some cases, not exactly those in vogue today. When and how the very first Old Sheffield Plate pieces came to light can only be approximately established, especially by drawing conclusions. Half a century ago there was more material to deal with this subject comprehensively and accurately. At that time, however, the old tacklers were in dire straits; and who among them would be bold enough to attempt to interest anyone in what the world then largely regarded as a decadent industry? It happened, therefore, that the old manufacturers, with one or two minor exceptions, did not consider the various stages of progress in their trade of sufficient interest to merit registration, for the benefit and instruction of succeeding generations. Undoubtedly they would have been greatly gratified if they had been able to realize the extent to which the artistic world has today learned to appreciate the care and precision used by them in the production of their works of art.

THE USE OF STEEL MOLDS

The use in the silversmith's trade of molds for striking coins and other articles is very ancient, and their use in shaping and decorating knife handles in the cutlery shops of Sheffield was familiar to the townspeople many years before Boulsover's discovery. Naturally therefore, molding was soon applied to cast pottery productions to an extent which gave new impetus to the art of the mold maker. Cutting these molds out of steel before tempering required the utmost manual skill. Like the sculptor, the mold maker used small hardened chisels to chisel, entirely by hand, the various details of his models, and the two methods of procedure were almost identical, except that while the mold maker works on steel and produces in concave shape, the sculptor works on marble and stone, and his products are convex.

Attention has been called to the fact that the mold work of the very earliest examples of plated wares does not exhibit in detail the clear, sharp definition found in the Adam and other later designs. It was argued that initially the articles were shaped by the molds in an approximate manner, and that they were not able to withstand the strong stress of continuous molding as effectively as those made later, when in the process of hardening and tempering the cast steel great improvements had been introduced.

If we carefully examine the very first examples handed down to us, we will immediately observe how few there are in comparison the articles of the same design which in all their various details reveal an absolute resemblance to each other. This point is worthy of attention as it definitely proves that among the very early manufacturers it was the custom in the trade to stamp from what were then known as cast metal moulds, the life of which was sufficient to produce only a rather small number of articles of a particular pattern, before the detail was obscured by use. Then some other drawing style would be introduced in their place. With the articles obtained from these soft metal molds it was customary to subsequently thread the various details by hand. For this reason, it is difficult to distinguish an article manufactured and threaded entirely by hand from one that has been obtained from a combination of molding and manual work. Items such as salvers which require extensive beading and ornate edges can never be produced entirely satisfactorily without the aid of moulds. The illustration on p.99 of a first generation salver clearly demonstrates this fact, and also the failure of the attempt to make a similar article entirely from one piece of metal.

Here are illustrations of candlestick molds. Those used for molding the first course plates and related supports are depicted on the previous two pages.

Perhaps the finest steel craftsmanship ever produced in Sheffield are the fine steel molds from which the candlesticks of the Adam period were struck.

A - THE PRINTING WORKS

The illustration on the following page is from what is said to be the oldest printing house in Sheffield.

These workshops are invariably located in the basements of factories, and in the illustration shown the bed of the molds has been dug deep into the solid stone foundations, thus minimizing the vibration caused by the molding process to the point of being almost imperceptible.

The workman in the foreground of the illustration is using a demoulding punch for the purpose of demoulding small necks or “ collettes ,” such as those required in the manufacture of candlesticks and candlesticks, and also for the bases of sugar bowls, etc. To its left you will see a box of small punches to punch the small gaps where the "force" is not able to push out the smallest details of the mold.

The mold consists of a large metal pallet, to which two vertical rods are attached, screwed to both the head and tail gear. A pulley rides over a large spinning wheel, seen at the top end of the mold's shaft drive system. A thick rope is attached to it, which in turn is fastened to a loose drop hammer with grooved sides, suitable for vertical rounds, to allow the mold to slide easily up and down while in use. Today this wheel is kept constantly rotating by steam power.

In ancient times a stirrup was tied to the end of this rope, into which the worker placed his foot, and could therefore use the whole weight of his body to lift the head of the heavy hammer, and in the case of heavy moldings they were necessary the services of a man with extraordinary strength to lift the heaviest heads of the molds. Before the introduction of steam power a great deal of hard work was required to bring up the fine profiles of the supports with their fine decorative variety, with the help of die hammers.

B - FIXING OF THE MOLDS

The mold was placed exactly in the center of the mallet, halfway between the vertical supports. For this purpose a metal gauge was used to ensure that the head of the hammer fell exactly in the center of the mold and thus prevented any undue pressure against either side of the supports. The mold was placed and held in place with the help of molds of various sizes called “ dogs ”. Before screwing the mold into place it was packed at the bottom with thick paper or cardboard. All these details had to be carefully observed, to prevent the mold from jumping and cracking or breaking when the head of the mallet was suddenly dropped.

At the top and bottom of these two vertical rounds you can see in the illustration the screws used to expand or contract the width of the vertical rounds, so as to accommodate the various sizes of hammer heads, either large or small. In the old days this was very convenient, since with this adjustment system it was not necessary to have a large and varied number of different beating clubs.

In the old hammer heads – which are still used regularly – you will find a square hole; a block of worked iron, called “ lickup ” in the trade, was fixed to it. This article was toothed like a rasp, so that when the head of the hammer was lowered onto the face of the underlying mold, it pulled up the now cooled molten lead, which had taken the impression of the mold in which the metal was to be molded.

Once the mold was fixed and the head of the hammer was raised, which carried with it the lead imprint of the article to be produced, a series of copper coins (or copper coatings) were placed in the mold to prevent the metal from being beaten too much quickly into the mold when the hammer was dropped, thus avoiding breaking the metal. During the continuous raising and lowering of the head of the hammer, these copper coins were removed one at a time while the article was further approaching the final shape, until the hollow molding in the interstices of the mold was finally completed without any further help from these protective copper coins.

The copper coins satisfied another need, namely that of preventing the tin and lead pistons stuck in the head of the mold hammer from depositing part of their substance on the molding.

Had this happened in the subsequent annealing process, it would have burned a hole through the item itself. When not in use, the hammer was kept away from the mold with the help of a hook, which could be clearly seen affixed to the sides of the vertical support.

THE BENCH FOR DRAWING

The illustration shows an old “drawing bench,” undoubtedly the one actually mentioned as part of the paraphernalia of an old factory in Sheffield, in the year 1775 (see p.64). It would be difficult to say how old this bench really is, but it has certainly been in constant use for exactly 140 years.

The pieces of wire shown in the “ whortle ” hole are part of the threaded or slat pattern, widely used to make the arms of various candlestick designs.

Under the bench you can see two “ maundrills ”; they were used to "draw" the various models and sizes of candlestick tips, hoops and bizzles . 63 On each of these maundrills you will observe two whortles , one to draw the smooth hoops perfectly, tight on the maundrill itself, and the other to extract the hoop once drawn. The last one, being rather smaller in size, can be recognised, since placed on the far end of the whortle it could be drawn again by turning it over and turning it on itself.

The same bench was also used for drawing, that is, stretching and shaping metal wire into various sizes and models. The method was accomplished as follows:- First of all, to produce a "jointed wire", i.e. a hollow wire for producing the edges of teapots, a flat piece of metal was cut into a narrow strip - plated on a side only -, varying the size and thickness depending on the size of the holes in the whortle through which the piece was to be drawn. The edges of the metal were then beveled slightly inwards with the help of a file, and then one end of the strip was tapered to a pencil-like point. At that point, after delicately hammering it until it took on an almost semi-round shape, a small piece of round metal wire was inserted and then welded onto the end of the other wire to strengthen it. This thin end was then inserted through the hole in the whortle , intended to accommodate the metal wire during the drawing of the latter. You then adjusted the tweezers to this thin end, while the two metal eyelets were inside the ∩-shaped metal eyelet (as shown in the illustration). The gradual rotation of the handle then tightened the grips of the tweezers, forcing the metal to take the shape of a hollow round metal wire. After pulling the wire along the entire length of the bench several times, first through the larger holes in the whortle and then through the smaller ones, it finally came out in the shape of a perfectly hollow wire, suitable for use in the manufacture of joints and edges for various articles, and the central hole was always round. All sizes and patterns of wire were duly handled in this way.

PEDAL LATHES

These two lathes are interesting as both very old, and one of them is believed to be the one mentioned in the 1775 stock list, being placed in the "candlestick attic" and described as a "rotating machine", and the oldest known know in the trade. On the left one you can see a pair of "clamps", used to rotate nuts and screws, small stanchion necks and other small items. On the one on the right you can see a “mandrel” (see p.116), used to cut the tubes during the manufacturing of bizzles and hoops for candelabra spouts. The spindles were also used to turn, and sometimes rotate, the smaller parts most used in the production of candelabra arms.

MANUAL ROLLING MILLS

An Old Sheffield Plate factory was never complete without a couple of these mills. Although they were not subsequently used on a large scale, they were indispensable for reducing small pieces of metal, thus saving the time wasted in sending metal sheets back to the rotary mills, when small quantities of a small caliber were needed.

As mentioned above, in the very early days both the casting of the metal with subsequent hammering and the rolling into sheets were carried out entirely in the premises of an Old Sheffield Plate factory. However, when this process of hand rolling was undertaken on a large scale, it was so laborious that one can well understand why Boulsover and Hancock had decided to abandon the production part of the business and had turned their attention to the more lucrative activity of the rolling of metal sheets (initially with the aid of hydraulic energy and then steam power), for general trade.

CANTILEVER (RAISING)

The process of shaping the flat surface with the help of a wooden hammer, known in the trade as raising , was a very important process, requiring the utmost skill on the part of those who performed it, and among the best paid jobs that the activity had to offer to a worker.

The manner in which this operation is accomplished should be noted. Take for example a teapot, a coffee pot, a kettle or any other hollow-ware item. To make it take shape, it is necessary to place a plug in the body - as shown in the illustration - and then beat the body with the sole help of the hammer that operates on this plug. The blow of the hammer, when the moment of finishing approaches, leaves only an imprint on the article, about the size of a pea. Each of these strokes must be carried so as to obliterate the previous one, before a perfectly smooth burnishing surface can be produced. One can therefore imagine the countless blows that had to be administered before the desired result was achieved.

In the first illustration the worker is shown in the act of modeling the body of a coffee pot. After giving a cylindrical shape to a metal sheet, he welded the latter in the shape of a dovetail, i.e. to give the article a special rigidity during the embossing process. A “clamped joint,” as this was technically called, was less prone to breakage than if welded in a straight line.

After cleaning the article of all impurities in a solution of boiling vitriol, the joint is first hammered until it becomes almost imperceptible. The article, fired again to soften the body over the entire surface, is held in a vice over a clamp of the type shown in the illustration. At that point, with a wooden hammer with sharp edges, the worker first begins to "shape inside" the part that will later form the neck of the coffee pot. Using a steel-faced hammer, a series of violent blows are then rained down on the body until the required shape is obtained. Finally all the dents are removed and with the help of this hammer a glass-like surface is produced.

In the second illustration the worker is processing an article from a "flat sheet", without any help, welding the parts together as in the previous case. This method was invariably used in the production of cups and plate lids. First, a round sheet of metal is cut to the size necessary for the required shape, then large grooves are struck in the sheet, then hammered onto a small block fixed in a vice - as shown in the illustration of the overhang of the coffee pot -, and with the help of a sharp wooden hammer the body is hammered, making it gradually take on the shape of a hemisphere. With each stroke the body is indented a little further until the exact size and shape of the article is produced. By means of this method of hand embossing very large articles were produced which would otherwise have required the use of enormous molds in their manufacture (such as plate lids, tea vessels and kettle bodies, salad plates, etc.).

HOT STAMPING (SWAGING)

The hot stamping process has been associated with the production of the Old Sheffield Plate since very early times. Today molds can be found in Sheffield which have been in daily use for over a century, and illustrated here is a hot stamping tool which there is reason to believe is the same as the one referred to in the stock listing previously mentioned, existed in the year 1775. This tool was especially in demand for shaping plates and plate warmers with molded sides, jug stands, tea trays, salver edges, bodies of soup and meat dishes, and an assortment of different other parts of articles for which the manufacturer did not consider it worth purchasing cutting moulds.

The illustrations on the following two pages explain the method employed in the use of these moulds, one accomplished only by hand, the other with the aid provided by the use of a hammer. In the first illustration, after flat-hammering the lower part of a tray on which the worker is working, a piece of leather is attached to the "jaw" of the mold, so that the silver coating runs no risk of being damaged or rubbed off the face of the mold (the lower part was called the face, the upper part movable jaw).

Typically, a piece of hard, smooth copper as well as one of leather was used to keep the edges of the item completely smooth while it was subjected to hot molding, after first having demoulded it to the shape of the mold. The method was supported – and the piece of copper held in place – by a “drop weight”, clearly distinguishable in illustration 2, in which the worker is shown hot stamping the edge of a dinner plate. In illustration 1, once the tray has been placed in the mold jaws, the worker proceeds by gently pressing it against him, while at the same time the edge is struck with the manually guided mold jaw; or he could use a hammer for this purpose as in illustration 2, where more force is required, since he is dealing with a thicker piece of metal. When slowly moving the article lengthwise with each stroke, great care must be taken not to move it too far at once, otherwise clearly defined projections will be seen, and the appearance of the finished article will be damaged. Once hot stamped to perfection, the tray must be carefully laminated again and then passed over the mounters.

Of the molds it can be said that they are extraordinarily numerous, and somewhat variable in both shape and size. The largest ever used in Sheffield never reached 12” in length, and the two pictured in the illustrations are only 9”.

DRAWING ON THE LATHE

Regarding the Sheffield Plate , the lathe drawing process must be considered a late invention. Thomas Nicholson 64 , writing in the year 1850, states, “In recent years many things have been accomplished by turning with a burnisher on pieces of wood formed for the purpose, which would have been unimaginable only 40 years ago. I remember being laughed at for such an attempt, but today it has become a major advantage when dealing with separate forms.

Thanks to this, it can be seen how the old platers clung tightly to their molds for the production of small separate parts, and so far no research has demonstrated the existence of an independent department for lathe drawing (as is indispensable today in a Sheffield silver factory in step with the times), before the year 1820. In reality, one would be on the safe side by stating that this is, approximately, the date of the introduction in Sheffield of lathe drawing as part of the plating process, in all its forms.

A manufacturer could produce a larger assortment of items using this method, and could also rely on the lathe drawing process as an alternative. Although it was a somewhat more expensive production method, it was much quicker, since the molds took an excessively long time to make, and a new model, before the invention of lathe drawing, required as many months to produce as it does today. the required days with the help of the rotary table.

Perhaps the French can be given credit for the invention and introduction of the lathe-drawing process, for the way in which they emerged in the manufacture of plated cast pottery around the years 1820-25 is singular. It will also be noted that this period has been given as the approximate date of the invasion of our English markets by the French, with their quickly and cheaply manufactured and plated articles. The French perform this activity with much greater convenience than is done in our English laboratories. Their method has now reached such a level of scientificity, that a man while working sits on a swivel stool and practically swings on the end of the burnisher, and thus concentrates the whole weight of his body on the article he is drawing; on the other hand, the Englishman always stands while carrying out the process, therefore not obtaining more strength than what can be exerted with the use of the arms and the weight of the head and shoulders.

As can be seen from the illustration, the worker first rigidly secures the metal under treatment to the "mandrel" (this is the technical term given to the model which had been previously turned and whose shape is intended to be imparted to the drawn item) with the help of a loose steel nail called a “pin”. He then gradually pushes the metal onto the mandrel with a burnisher of wood or steel, until it finally takes the exact shape of the mandrel itself, fitting as closely and evenly as if it were a part of it. All the while, the spindle is kept rotating at a high speed with the help of machinery.

This shrinking of the metal must obviously be done in shifts, and during the process, the article must be constantly annealed (i.e. softened, or, in the term of the trade, “lightened”). This is accomplished by first holding the article over a jet or flame of gas, or in the early days a lamp, and then placing it in a boiling oven. As soon as the carbon disappears due to the effect of the applied heat, the time has come to start the operations again, once the metal has been brought back to the required level of sweetness.

After burnishing it from close to the sides of the mandrel, a heliotrope burnisher is used to obtain a perfectly smooth surface and ensure that no irregularities or protrusions remain which are difficult to remove, taking care at the same time not to distort the shape of the spindle. item.

At the sides of the drawing bench can be seen heliotropes and burnishers, many of which have been in constant service for approximately more than 80 years, and are still used daily by means of the rotary table.

PERFORATING

The fretwork of the Old Sheffield Plate originated about 1765. Perhaps the very earliest examples which we know to exist may be pre-dated by some five years or so, but their manufacture was then of too extraordinary a nature to include them, as was later the case, within the range of various common productions. It can easily be understood that if the platers had used the jigsaw manipulation process that the silversmith performed, the results for the plated metal they were working on would have been disastrous. Illustrated here will be a piece of melt-plated metal that has been drilled with a jigsaw, resulting in a series of serrated edges that are impossible to remove without filing, a process that would immediately expose the bare copper surfaces to view. and made the article unpleasant to look at.

Here is an illustration of the process by which the first tacklers achieved this goal. As for Sheffield, it has never been replaced in this job category, and is still done today.

The “on the fly” punching and perforating machine was operated in the following way. A small tool, strengthened at the end, chosen for the pattern that was to be perforated, was fixed in the head of the machine and wedged firmly into place with the aid of screws. The pallet into which this upper face or flap of the small "chisel" was inserted was in turn firmly fitted into the large C-shaped lower arm - depicted in the drawing - until it was positioned exactly under the face of the cutting tool. cropping. This small device resembled on a smaller scale the attachment of the die hammer and bottom die in the process of molding articles made from dies.

The article itself – in this case, the base of an oil cruet – to which the worker carefully marked out the various spaces to be perforated on the edge, was fixed at a sufficiently correct angle to prevent it from having to come out of position under the pressure of the punch. You can see a small bucket underneath, into which fell the tiny scraps removed from the punch by this process.

From the illustration you will immediately understand that, by pulling the lever towards or away from him, the worker could press the punch down into the pallet or raise it as he pleased, with the consequent raising or lowering of the screw (which can be seen in the upper part of the machine). The force of the blow was considerable, owing to the terrible push given to the screw by the weights on the crossed arms or lever here pictured, and the large pile of cotton waste seen towards the far end of the arm, was usually attached by do not risk inflicting a damaging blow on any worker who passes by while using the machine.

Shown here are a series of pallets and punches used in this perforating machine. They show the ingenuity of the method by which this work was accomplished.

Here is a cross section of an Old Sheffield fish piece, plated and pierced, produced between the years 1775-1885. Careful examination will show the great advantages derived from this method of "on the fly" piercing of the Old Sheffield Plate . The gradual compression of the metal under the piercing tool had the effect of dragging the surface of the silver downwards, thus at the same time covering the bare edges of the copper which otherwise must be exposed by the hacksaw piercing process. . On the lower perforated side, the setting tool, after being firmly screwed into the pattern, prevented the edges of the lower side from having to come out of the mold. The same machine was also used to press various patterns onto the edges before and after piercing, and by substituting various punches bearing different emblems, variations of the patterns could be alternated according to the manipulator's taste.

WELDING AND ASSEMBLY

The illustration shows how this process has been carried out in Sheffield's factories since the introduction of gas, which has been about 90-odd years or so. Nowadays the department in which the Sheffield workman does the welding is described as the lamp department, a relic of the days when men used oil lamps and a blowtorch for the purposes of soldering.

A small advertisement by Messrs. is inserted here. Green & Pickslay, as it gives the date when Sheffield manufacturers finally abandoned the old oil lamps in favor of gas for the purposes of welding. It is said that when gas was introduced to Sheffield on a general scale, for the first few nights a large number of inhabitants camped on the outskirts of the city, fearing that the city ran great risks of being completely destroyed by explosions.

There are two welding methods; the one most commonly in use in the old days among Sheffield platers, was known as brass soldering, which did not require so much heat in application as tin soldering. Now, tin solder contained a large amount of lead, while the other ingredient was tin, but the percentages of these metals varied greatly and were governed by the amount of heat the fashioned item could withstand. . For example, when attaching thin silver mounts to a salver or candlestick of the gadroon and shell pattern, a lighter, more delicate mixture was used than was necessary due to the much greater amount of heat required when soldering a silver mount. Heavy silver on a tray, as in the illustration.

The worker on the opposite page is shown carrying out soldering on a support – as described under the heading “The introduction of silver edges”, on p.82 – for a tray that has been hammered and hot stamped , as illustrated on p.136. After having first cut and filed the plate to the dimensions of the support model (which is rather smaller in size than the tray on which it is soldered), he carefully covers the edges with tin with a soldering iron, then takes the threaded silver (previously drawn through a whortle ) and carefully solders it to the bottom edge of the tray. He modeled it previously, so as to closely follow the incisions in the support. He then temporarily clamps or clamps everything together with small sections of bent wire (see illustration), and proceeds to apply the ferruminator all around the tray. Before finally soldering the support on the tray, he covered the parts to be subjected to the flame with white lead, so as to avoid discoloration from overheating, and also to prevent the solder from dripping onto the plate (while the edges of the support were handled with resin acting as a flux).

The heat from the blowtorch causes the solder to melt, and doing so hermetically seals the edge to the tray support. The tray, after soldering and removing the clamps, must be cleaned with perlass, in order to eliminate the impurities created by the soldering process.

Another method of welding on supports or edges was carried out in the following way: after having filed the edge of the tray all around as described above, until this became just smaller in size than the entire support once completed, the worker then At this point he clamped the support at the top and soldered it at the bottom, making sure that the silver support dropped below the edge until it completely covered the exposed copper edge of the tray. To accomplish this the worker attached a cap to the end of the tongs, to squeeze down the support when the solder had been sufficiently heated. During this operation it was customary to use a thin covering copper support to protect the silver support, so as to prevent the latter from being crushed and dented by the pressure that necessarily had to be exerted by pushing it downwards. Once the soldering was completed and the tray carefully cleaned, the edges of the holder were burnished and carefully overlapped with the outer edge of the tray plate. In the author's factory there are old steel molds for various models of supports, but relatively few of them are used regularly. Various examples are illustrated on the previous page.

Brass solder is a compound that consists mostly of silver and brass. Brass soldering was done in exactly the same way as tin soldering, but was not much used by Sheffield platers, except when producing solid silver items. The durability properties of an article treated by this method are remarkable compared to one which has been subjected to soft soldering, but brass soldering could not be applied to Sheffield plated articles on a large scale, due to the risk of completely melting the thins. silver supports and threaded edges, due to the excessive heat needed to melt this alloy. In the early days of the industry and before the introduction of silver threaded edges and supports, brass soldering was used more frequently. Before 1785, some of the candlestick makers locked the parts together entirely with the help of brass solder.

On the following page is given an illustration of a somewhat unusual treatment method in the production and strengthening of the round edges of salvers . This specimen is interesting for its rarity, and attention is also drawn to a similar mounting method carried out on the edge of the ring of a plate, illustrated at the end of p.279. It is assumed that this ring was made in Ireland, as it deviates from orthodox methods in manufacturing. However, this does not necessarily have to be the case.

A piece of iron wire has been superimposed on an external edge of the waiter , as well as on the ring of the plate, to give it strength in use, its manipulation being much simpler than any other method adopted for the purposes of mounting and described in detail elsewhere. The metal employed in these cases usually possessed extraordinary strength, but articles made in this manner cannot be said to be so satisfactory in use from their tendency to accumulate dirt under the supports. This method therefore never became common use, although it presented fewer difficulties in the production process.

THE FLAT HAMMERING

Flat hammering was undoubtedly the most important part of the Old Plate production process. Without the help of the hammer in one way or another, no article was produced. The ultimate aim of hammering was to give a correct shape to each object being worked on, and also a completely smooth mirror-like surface.

This hammering of articles in the days of the Old Sheffield Plate was an even more serious affair than it is today. The difficulty was in obtaining a perfectly smooth surface where the engraver shield had previously been rubbed internally. The metal around this shield was swollen and stretched by the heat and subsequent hammering it had been subjected to. All these irregularities had to be removed with the help of the “flat hammer”.

The “flat” hammer is pictured in the flat-hammering process photo. It is a very important tool, weighing about 4 pounds, the face of which is usually 2.5" in diameter, and although it is of such large dimensions, owing to the slight convex projection towards the center, the strongest blow does not leave on the tray that a footprint the size of a shilling. And this time too the blows must be dampened from first to last to ultimately obtain the required perfectly smooth surface. The tacks used are all made of polished honed steel, and if the tray has been correctly flat-hammered , once finished it should only require subjecting it to the process of burnishing and sanding by hand. Flat-hammering causes the tray to become absolutely rigid and firm.

The hammering plugs were preserved by cleaning and sanding, with essentially the same care that a surgeon would use in preserving his instruments. And to prevent infinitesimal particles of dust from rising from the base of the dowel itself during use, a leather covering was tied around the support which was then nailed to the wooden bed in which the dowel was fixed. It was not uncommon for apprentices to sit close to the hammer when undertaking a major part of flat-hammering , and as the hammerer delivered the various blows in succession, these boys would blow on the face of the hammer to ensure that no particles of soot or dust got into the hammer. was removed and placed on the top of the piece or article that was being hammered, between one blow and another. Therefore, with such great care being taken in their conservation, it is not surprising to discover that in Sheffield there are still many hammering plugs in constant use today which have provided regular, daily service for well over 100 years.

The flat-hammering knobs are flat on the outer edges, while rising towards the center they form an almost imperceptible dome. Not even the head of the hammer itself is completely flat, as it is slightly convex towards the center. By means of this system of combination between the heads of the hammer and the plugs, it will be easy to understand the attention paid to ensuring that the blows delivered do not leave traces of an external or sharp edge, as would naturally happen in the case in which the plug and the head same as the hammer had both been flat.

London silversmiths use a different hammering method, and also a different type of hammer; the latter is approximately 6” in length and has a much smaller face than those used by the Sheffield makers.

The ancient plated trays, and those now made in Sheffield, are hammered starting from the back as shown in the illustration, while London silversmiths used to hammer starting from the front of the trays and waiters .

TIN PLATING

The absolutely necessary process of tinning was used in the production of Old Sheffield Plate wares to a very large extent. Tin might be described as an indispensable agent of the ancient trade in plated articles, so widely was its services required throughout the melt-plating process.

It was discovered that already in the 15th century. the apostle and other models of spoons were made of sheet metal or brass, and then tinned, so that no serious consequences were incurred when they came into contact with food. Tin must have been a necessary component in the brazing process many centuries before that.

The method used by the Sheffield Plate makers to tin the articles was simple, but the utmost care had to be used in removing every particle of dirt before commencing operations. Which were carried out in the following way: after having carefully undertaken the cleaning process - in the case of teapots, coffee pots, samovars or any other vase that had molded bodies - the external part of the article had to be well covered with glue and white lead as follows to prevent the tin from damaging the plated parts if by chance it overflowed onto the body of the item itself during application. Subsequently, after having immediately sprinkled ammonium chloride over the entire surface and heated it thoroughly, the article was held over a cavity or a ladle of molten tin. At that point, the tin was poured into the vase until it covered the entire copper surface and made it resemble pure silver in brilliance. Waiters , trays, and articles with a flat, smooth surface were treated in the same way, but to obtain a completely smooth surface, the article was heated in a low flame, and while this was boiling, a piece of yarn was used soft linen to remove tin. This produced the desired effect.

In all cases where single-sided plating was performed, the lower and internal parts of the articles were always tin-plated with the utmost care.

BURNISHING

The method of obtaining a shiny surface, known as burnishing, was - and still is - always performed by women, being the last process undertaken in the production of any article before it was minutely examined and hand-sanded, and ready for use. 'use. Before starting the procedures, rub the article over the entire surface with a cloth of white, damp linen yarn, immersed in Calais sand; then, after having thoroughly rubbed the smoother parts, and brushed the more decorated ones with a hairbrush, which in turn has been immersed in Calais sand, the entire article is washed in clean water. This operation is necessary to remove grease or any other substance that would probably remain in the trace of the burnisher, thus preventing it from gripping the surface.

The illustration shows a small vessel called a “ sud pot ” 65 , into which the woman continually dips the end of the burnisher to prevent it from “digging” the silver. In the illustration you can also see a leather strop, used to keep the burnisher constantly smooth and shiny during the process. What is known as “blueing putty” is sprinkled on this leather strop. First, you quickly slide the burnisher along the face of the item back and forth, while applying great pressure. This method is called “ steeling ”. We therefore resort to using the "blue" or "blood red" stone. With the help of this tool you can produce a darker or better color, and remove any marks left by the steel burnisher. After having completely burnished it over the entire surface - making sure that the burnisher finds all the beveled parts inside the interstices of the supports - smooth the article by hand with a little wet lipstick 66 . This results in the removal of any mark left in the burnisher trace and therefore also gives a brighter mirror-like finish once the article is finished.

There is no doubt that the burnishing process was already used in the very early days of the production of the Old Sheffield Plate , probably with the help of the tools in use at the time, since, as indicated by the stock list published in this book, already in 1775 a separate department for burnishing with its “accessories” is mentioned. It includes a “blood-red stone and steel burnishers,” etc. (see p.63).

PART VI

THE INNOVATIONS THAT REVOLUTIONIZED THE ANCIENT PROFESSION

THE LATEST STAGES OF THE PRODUCTION OF MELTED POTTERY, AND A DESCRIPTION MADE BY AN OLD WORKER

The method of producing melt-plated items gradually disappeared; in one or two isolated cases the activity was perpetuated and confused with the electrolytic sedimentation plating process until 1855, when all evidence of it disappeared. Between the years 1830-1840 (the transition period), German silver began to replace copper as the base metal for melt plating purposes. Until 1850, all apprentices were carefully instructed in the various methods associated with the older process of manufacturing articles based on copper fusion plating. Around 1845, the various companies appear to have been evenly divided between those using German silver as the base metal and those still working in copper. It will also be easy to understand the fact that the workers preferred - as long as they could - to retain the use of a metal in which they had been educated and instructed, and to which, by force of habit, they had become accustomed. Consequently, specimens from the first transitional period are difficult to find.

There are still one or two surviving workers who, after completing their apprenticeship, did not attempt to work German silver at all for a few years; one of these, FT Burdekin, now in his 87th year – formerly employed by Walzer, Knowles & Co. – has given the following account of how the process of producing salvers , dinner plates and many others was accomplished different types of heavier plated items as recently as 60 or 70 years ago. Burdekin's description is very interesting because it shows how the modern system of division of labor was not very popular at that time.

“It was absolutely necessary for those who worked with the pottery to observe the strictest cleanliness. The worker kept the bench scrupulously clean, and before starting the operations he had the workshop floor swept and sprinkled with water to prevent dust from rising, since during the production process it was absolutely necessary to avoid dust and dirt.

“To illustrate the method of producing the Old Sheffield Plate , I propose to take a 12” salver through the various processes, from the “blank” stage to the finished article as it was produced in the early days of my work.

“These processes required the most capable workers, who had to work with flat hammers of polished steel that ranged from 4 to 6 1/2 ounces in weight, and were commonly known as flat hammerers and great brasssmiths. In those days it was usual for a man to both hammer the articles and fit them, manufacturing them from the rough stage to the burnishing and polishing stage, and this last part of the manual work was performed by female personnel.

“The worker would begin with a rolled blank of silver-plated copper, cut to form a round sheet 1/32 to 1/16 inch thick. He then hammered it with the utmost care until it flattened completely, ready at that point to have the silver shield placed in the center, which had previously been cut from a piece of fine silver to the required dimensions and then greatly thinned by dint of hammered around the edges; the raw piece was then exposed to the charcoal fire, heating it to an opaque red flame. The shield , after having been cleaned in acid and water and carefully dried, was placed in the middle of the foil, also heated to the required temperature, finally rubbed vigorously with a steel burnisher until it adhered firmly to the foil; great care was taken not to let it move from the desired position, and also not to let air or impurities remain between it and the foil, because otherwise bubbles would form.

“Once adhesion was complete, the blank was cleaned in acid and water, and then carefully hammered until the shield reached the same level as the surface of the foil; at that point the piece was ready for annealing, during which the shield , still boiling, was burnished again to demonstrate the absolute solidity of the piece and the absence of bubbles on the surface. After further cleaning, the piece was finally hammered over the entire surface onto a polished steel plug. At that point it was put on the lathe to bend the edges downwards, in preparation for the stamping process, which raised or "hot stamped" the edges onto which the stamped and filled (or rotated) silver supports were to be brazed on the lathe if it was an absolutely flat support). These mounts, once stamped in thin silver, were whitewashed on the front and filled with a mixture of tin and lead. They were then filed on the back until the edge or residue of the backing fell off. Once this was done, they were adapted to the edge of the blank, cut and filed until they took on the required shape. They were then slightly shrunk to make room for the silver edge, which was finally soldered onto them. This was done after having filed and resized the sharp-edged waiter to fix the silver wire on it. In the case where the support was shaped (as with the shell-shaped salver in the illustration), the wire was placed on the edge with a small tool called a wire fork, to push it into all the corners of the incision, and then he brazed the wire carefully.

“Since at that point the plate was ready to permanently secure the supports to it, these were removed again and covered with a mixture of glue and white lead to prevent the solder from sticking to the outside; the support, fixed again, was held in position with small iron clamps. The waiter was then brought to the hearth and slowly heated until the supports were permanently fixed to the foil mold.

“When they reached that point, they brushed off or removed the small pieces of solder while they were still hot. The item was then ready to solder onto the pins, previously treated in a similar way to thin silver supports, i.e. filled with a mixture of lead and tin, and now carefully soldered onto the underside of the plate. After boiling in perlassa to remove grease, resin, etc., the edge of the support was burnished on the edge of the wire, and at that point the work was completed and the worked object was ready for burnishing. This latter operation was performed by women, and consisted of rapidly passing a hard, smooth steel burnisher back and forth over the waiter 's face and inside the edges of the holders, until the whole resembled a mirror. With a few finishing touches of lipstick and hand sanding, followed by a wash, the salver was ready for use.

“The moldings illustrated here, obtained from Old Sheffield molds for a large common tray with conspicuous gadrooning decorations, and, were passed through all these manufacturing processes, leaving a space at both ends of the plate after having adapted the holders on the mold for brazing the handles on, made of thin molded silver, and treated similarly to the holders in every respect.”

The salver (No.4) pictured on the previous page was made a century ago and has been in almost constant use ever since, and has a “ rubbed-in ” silver shield and threaded silver edges. At its side, No.3 is a replacement salver , recently produced from the same moulds, and passed through all the different processes of ancient rolled pottery to the final stage; It is plated on both sides, has cast silver mounts, threaded silver edges, and a rubbed- in silver shield. The manufacture of this article should definitively settle the question of whether the Old Sheffield Plate can be reproduced exactly, and any supposition that the art is entirely lost can therefore be set aside.

In the case of the maximum size of articles manufactured according to the ancient process, it would take many years of hard labor and specialized professional training on the part of workers and apprentices, before any level of expertise similar to that of the past could be obtained. However, the collector need not fear too much about coming across such reproductions. Firstly, the cost incurred in reproducing the new waiter almost equaled that of a 925/1000 silver item of the same weight. Secondly, and most importantly, the former lacks the warm appearance of age and wear which is the surest proof of antiquity and cannot be reproduced so exactly as to deceive an experienced collector, no matter how the seller can try.

Through this it can be seen that the production of larger Old Sheffield Plate items by the ancient process never fell 'entirely' into disuse, as the public might easily have believed.

THE INTRODUCTION OF GERMAN SILVER

“ German silver ,” consisting of nickel, copper, and zinc in various percentages, has since about 1845 been universally adopted as the basis for the finest plated articles, it having been found in every respect to be a stronger and more durable metal than copper. , although it is produced at a higher cost. The name German silver appears to have arisen from the fact that in 1830 a Mr. Guitike, of Berlin, came to Sheffield with the first example of this compound metal, after a specimen of the same type had arrived in Vienna, where a chemist had spent a lot of time discovering its components. The metal originally came from China, where its composition has been known to the Chinese since time immemorial. (At the conquest of the Cape in 1795, articles made of German silver or quite similar material imported from the East were discovered.) Samuel Roberts was the first person to use this metal, in 1830, obtaining a patent for plating German silver on copper, and then melting a layer of silver on top of the two baser metals. This process reduced the amount of silver required without affecting durability. The Guitike metal was, however, initially too brittle to be used on a general scale, and it appears that only a few years later did copper begin to be replaced by variations of the new composite, which some manufacturers described as patent "Alpacca", a designation by which some Wholesale firms advertised their wares as early as the 1850s.

In 1836, a Birmingham metallurgist named Merry obtained a patent for plating silver by the process of smelting it into German silver , but when he went to Sheffield to solicit orders for this new compound metal, he discovered to his surprise that someone had preceded in the idea. He was shown that his method had been invented and tested previously by Thomas Nicholson, then associated with Robert Gainsford. This therefore invalidated his patent, and from then on the process was given to the trade, which eagerly adopted it, and it eventually replaced all others until the electroplating process was introduced. A few years later important improvements were made in the color of the metal, and from about 1845 to the present time, to meet the practical domestic needs of plated tableware, little else has been used as a basis in this country other than what is became known as " German silver ".

The best quality German silver for plating consists of a mixture of the following ingredients:-

Copper 65%, Commercial Zinc 20%, Nickel 15%,

which brings the cost, purchasing copper at an average price of £65 per tonne, to well over 10% higher than the attached copper material previously used.

AN EXPERT'S OPINION ON THE COMPARISON TO BE MADE BETWEEN GERMAN SILVER AND COPPER AS BASE METALS

The greatest authority we have today on the question of mixing metals with respect to plating is undoubtedly Mr. Alfred S. Johnstone, director of the firm of Henry Wiggin & Co., who has kindly given the following explanations to the question as to why German silver replaced copper as the base metal for plating purposes. The details are very interesting; Mr. Johnstone gives us not only corroborating evidence as to the exact date when German silver almost completely supplanted the older metal for plating purposes, but also the precise date when the melt plating process was practically abandoned. , i.e. 1850:-

“I regret that my memory does not go back far enough to enable me to give any practical account of the immediate transition from fusion plating to electroplating in the production of household articles. Although somewhat gradual, the change was complete, and by the time I began working in 1850, the rolling of silver on copper and copper alloys had given way to the electroplating process. German silver had appeared as a temporary white alloy, which when removed by wear or otherwise of the silver coating left less visible defects than was the case with copper; but beyond this, the process of electroplating had been so perfected that the method was simple and the result effective at very low cost, for a much thinner coating of silver could be applied than in the case of fusion plating. There were also other great advantages, for example the fact that the most complicated decoration could now be covered with silver as easily as a smooth and regular surface, thus making manual work less expensive.

As regards the tendency to oxidize and consequently the harmfulness of copper and its alloys, copper was certainly the significantly less objectionable metal of the two. It will be noted that copper is always used for tea kettles, and for storing pots and other kitchen utensils, while the same articles will never, or at most rarely, be seen made in German silver . The fact is that the introduction of nickel into the copper alloy in a humid environment appears to exert a galvanic action between the metal particles, resulting in oxidation and decomposition. Think about how often the spouts of teapots fall off after long use, as a result of moisture constantly remaining at the bottom of the spouts (see illustration, p.144).

The advantages over copper obtained by using German silver are: the whiteness, robustness and greater durability of the latter when significant wear is unavoidable. Its adaptability to the brass welding process is another factor that recommends its use.

It is now well established that the lack of ductility of German silver depends in part on its carbonization condition - nickel has a curious affinity with carbon - and this is especially noticeable in the case of the metal used for hollow-ware such as tea sets and coffee, plate lids, first course plates, etc. On the other hand, in the case of spoons and forks, etc., the necessary alloy should be particularly hard.”

THE ORIGIN OF THE GALVANIZATION PROCESS

Unlike most inventions that have revolutionized businesses, the process of fusion plating can be traced back to one individual who stands out very prominently, namely Boulsover. With regard to the invention of electroplating the circumstances are entirely different, for so many simultaneous advances have occurred, and many patents have been obtained at about the same time, that it is quite impossible to single out one person and say that he invented or perfected this process by alone.

Certainly the idea was conceived in its primitive form thanks to the discovery by Dr. Smee, the electrician, of the power of the galvanic battery to collect or disperse the invisible atoms of pure metal held in solution and to direct them compactly united onto the surface of metallic preparations.

This method, when it was first demonstrated in the scientific world, aroused feelings of amazement – ​​as if this had been the discovery of the Philosopher's Stone, and all the secret mechanisms of nature had been revealed to the world. In about 1840, Dr. Smee provided a practical illustration of the discovery in his home in front of eighty of the men with the greatest scientific knowledge in the city, an occasion on which it seems to have been unanimously recognized by those present that shortly thereafter it would have to be lowered the curtain on the ancient process of fusion plating for almost all commercial purposes.

Leaning against one of the walls in Aston Hall Chapel, Birmingham, is what is claimed to be the first electroplating machine, presented by Messrs. Prime & Son of that city. “This machine, based on Faraday's great discovery of Induction, was invented by the late John Stephen Woolrich of Birmingham. It was built by Prime & Son in 1844, and was operated by them for many years, until it was superseded by machines of better construction and greater power. It is the FIRST magnetic machine that ever deposited silver, gold or copper, and is the predecessor of all the magnificent dynamo machines invented thereafter. Prof. Faraday, on the occasion of the assembly of the British Association in Birmingham, visited, together with some scientist friends, the workshops of Prime & Son, specifically to see the practical application of this great discovery, and expressed his intense satisfaction in witnessing his discovery being applied so rapidly and widely, and used for practical purposes so successfully. Birmingham has the honor not only of introducing electroplating, the use of which has extended to every civilized nation, but also of being the first to adopt Faraday's discovery, that is, the possibility of obtaining electricity from magnetism, - discovery that influenced science and art to an enormous extent.”

THE INTRODUCTION OF GALVANOSTEGY

Without a doubt Messrs. Elkington & Co., of Birmingham, were the first to turn the invention into solid profit in practice, both obtaining a patent in 1840, and purchasing almost all those potentially usable in some way in the practical application of the new process. Elkington & Radcliffe also held the secret of "shiny plating", obtained thanks to an improvement in Tuck's method, using ammonia, which was a valid agent in eliminating foreign matter accumulated during the operation.

As soon as Elkington & Co. used electricity to scatter gold and silver atoms onto the surface of the baser metals, the makers of the Old Sheffield Plate became alarmed about the future of their industry, established at the time for nearly a hundred years. years. The firm had so secured all the patents connected in some measure with electroplating, that now every manufacturer in Sheffield desiring to train himself in the new process, and to apply this method in the plating of his articles, had to go to Birmingham, pay to the firm a royalty of £150 and guarantee that it would not deposit less than 1,000 ounces of silver per year.

AN EXPERT'S OPINION ON THE FUTURE OF GALVANESTHY

The discovery of electroplating lowered the cost and facilitated the production of plated pottery to the point that the new process soon killed the old. Some of the more conservative manufacturers clung to the lamination method for a few years, but eventually found that the effort was futile.

The completion of the transitional period was certainly dramatically rapid. The compiler of the 1849 Sheffield List was so impressed with its scope that he placed silversmiths who resorted to electroplating in a special category. The last serious attempt by old pottery to assert itself can be found in the documents of the Great Exhibition of 1851. On that occasion the only firm which won the favor of the jury was TJ & N. Creswick. Their medal-winning collection of exhibits consisted of items “plated by the ancient process of joining metals by heat, with silver borders and settings. The items were important in size, and in good taste." Louis XIV and Louis XV style candelabra were particularly mentioned; while the workmanship of the plate covers, teapots and trays was "praised as carefully executed, and perfectly adapted to long use".

Sheffield's electroplating efforts were ignored; but the reporting of the collection of Messrs. Elkington is instructive because it shows how distinguished theorists, emotionally linked to the old, viewed the capabilities of the new process with prudence and doubt when it was already putting its predecessor out of business in commerce. To the description of the collection by Messrs. Elkington and to the praise of the value of electroplating for decorative purposes, these hesitant words were added: “The jury wishes to warn against the assumption that it intended to express an opinion on the merits of the application of the electroplating process to objects of use domestic. It only wishes to praise the artistic application of this discovery, to which alone it is inclined to think it can adapt. At the same time he recognizes that the application of gold by this process is a highly meritorious invention..."

The last notice we have of a manufacturer still working in melt-plated wares is found in the 1852 local directories.

The “Christofle” firm of Paris, whose business has grown considerably over the last half century, was the first in France to apply the electroplating process to articles for domestic use. He purchased a patent for this method from the chemist Ruoby in 1840, and also produced thanks to royalties owned by Messrs. Elkington, whose patents expired in 1860. 67 Mr. Christofle tells us that his firm had to sustain many lawsuits to defend the rights acquired, a fact that brought the business almost to the brink of bankruptcy.

THE METHOD OF SILVER PLATING BY GALVANIC PLATING

The electroplating process as carried out today is carried out as follows:- Wrought iron trays or vats are used, generally from 4 to 8 feet in length, and reinforced with Portland cement, to avoid the risks of cross-connections and short circuits. The solution in these vats is of the utmost importance to the operator, and is composed of potassium cyanide dissolved in distilled water, and, to insure convenient storage, should contain from 2 to 4 ounces of silver per gallon. To achieve this it is necessary to dissolve the required weight with (dilute) nitric acid, then carefully wash the resulting silver nitrate, redissolving it in a powerful solution of potassium cyanide until it is all gone and the solution is perfectly clear. Fine silver should only be used for this purpose as well as for the foil and the anode, since the alloy contained in standard silver would completely ruin the plating vat. The dynamo for the current must be made specifically for electroplating and have a low voltage, bringing the positive pole to the silver foil and connecting the negative pole to the article to be plated. For good storage it is essential that the item is perfectly clean, since the slightest grease stain, or even a touch with a wet finger during preparation, is enough to cause bubbles to form on the silver.

Numerous processes are used for cleansing; the most reliable method is that consisting of immersing the article in a boiling solution of caustic potassium, followed by rinsing with etching before transformation into quicksilver, the latter operation being carried out using a mercury solution. Which covers the surface with a thin bluish gray film and prevents oxidation. The item is then coated with a thin layer of silver, leaving it suspended in a silver solution from a brass rod connected to the negative pole for a few seconds. It is then brushed with a malt solution on fine brass wire brushes, called scratch brushes. After a rinse in clean water, the item is ready for the plating vat and is suspended in the solution from a brass rod, tied to copper wires. Electricity passing through the silver plate drives the smallest crystals through the solution and causes them to stick firmly to the object.

The amount of storage of an item is governed by the time it is allowed to remain in the vat. A mechanical device attached to the vat frame keeps everything moving slightly back and forth. This prevents the lines from affecting the deposited surface and facilitates the speed of the deposit by allowing the use of greater current. Serving a super thick deposit, the item should be taken out and brushed two or three times with the scratch brush during the process. The silver then has a pure white appearance similar to porcelain, and when a sufficient weight has been deposited (which is easily ascertained by weighing the article, before and after plating), polishing is carried out either by brushing with the scratching, or by transferring the item to a regular bright plating solution with a little carbon disulfate added, which gives the silver a bright appearance.

THE LABOR SAVINGS RESULTING FROM THE INTRODUCTION OF GALVANIZATION

The advent of the electroplating process could not be better welcomed in the departments of the trade, than in that of the Bits Manufacturers. The manufacture and brazing of small handles for tureens, feet for salt shakers, gravy boats, desk inkwells, caps for joints and grooves for the feet of waiters and trays, etc. etc., it was a tough business in which it was difficult to be sure of satisfactory results. Whereas previously these additions were molded in two halves filled with lead, and carefully brazed together, they could now be cast entirely in German silver , electroplated, and then secured to the various articles. It turns out that in the early days of electroplating, this method of producing smaller parts was exploited well before the bodies of the items themselves were produced in German silver and subjected to that process. The taps of samovars, an inexhaustible source of problems for both the manufacturer and the customer, which in the past had been molded in two halves, were among the very first smaller articles to be cast in German silver , subjected to electroplating, and subsequently welded tin on melt-plated copper bodies. The problems caused by the loss of samovar taps, due both to the difficulty in properly fitting the caps and to the softness of the copper, which caused the taps to bend easily, were long-standing. It is often a dilemma for collectors why so many samovars made before the discovery of German silver and the electroplating process possess these cast metal taps; the reason is that the manufacturer recommended replacing these new taps with the old examples made from moulds, very worn and often repaired, which passed through his hands. An illustration of a large chiselled samovar is given on p.364, on which is fixed a typical example of these cast metal taps. Occasionally taps are found to have been produced from cast metal and close-plated as in the illustrations below.

For one reason or another, it is quite clear from their styles and shapes that the large samovars were manufactured with melt-plated copper bodies even well after most other items were made entirely of German silver , and subjected to electroplating.

The same observation also applies to dish lids. Perhaps because of its hardness, workers employed in the repoussé of these larger items found that they could not work German silver as quickly or as successfully as copper-plated sheets.

PART VII

THE LOCATION OF THE MANUFACTURING

THE KNOWN PRODUCTION LOCATIONS OF THE OLD SHEFFIELD PLATE

The technical and topographical correctness of the designation “ Old Sheffield Plate ” cannot be explained clearly enough. For over 25 years after the discovery of the process there was no factory outside Sheffield for the manufacture of melt-plated articles, except that run by Matthew Boulton Senior, of Birmingham, and it is said that his son at this time was for a time time in Sheffield learning the trade in its various branches, under the supervision of one of our earliest and ablest manufacturers, the ingenious Mr. Morton. 68 Of Boulton's firm it can be said that during the period of greatest prosperity of the industry, it was on a par with its many Sheffield opponents. The adaptation of the name "plater" and "French plater" 69 in old directories and newspaper notices was misleading, as it included commission agents, retailers, repairers, and those who made buttons, trolley lamp parts, trim fittings, and similar items smaller, obtained mainly by close plating . The only London platemakers who considered themselves sufficiently important to register their marks at the Sheffield Assay Office were Stanley and Thomas Howard, and the name and insignia of this firm, registered in 1809, may frequently be met with on knives and dessert forks obtained by close plating . The many Birmingham manufacturers who registered their trade marks in Sheffield were almost all close platers , and their names and insignia can still very often be found on all types of close plating goods.

Close plating appears to have all of a sudden been almost confined to the Birmingham region, and its salient features were the plating of smaller items, the bases of which consisted of steel or iron (see p.6) . These factories required an extraordinarily small investment in the tools of the trade when compared to the larger, heavier industries, known as the Sheffield Plate factories. Research has consistently resulted in the discovery that the names often considered to be the names of London producers of Sheffield Plate represent last-minute emigrants from Sheffield to London, either as agents or traders, or as piece-work workers, in a period when larger shopkeepers needed repairs carried out to local requirements without the delay and expense of sending them to Sheffield. None of these, therefore, can be correctly described as factory managers in the commonly accepted meaning of the expression. To give just one example, let's take a man described as a "well-known London manufacturer of the name of Hattersley" (a name clearly from Sheffield, by the way), of Bennett's Place, in Betnal Green Road. It has been proven that he was an expert man, and that he employed only two or three workmen. It had only established itself in London in 1830 (in about the last days of the industry), and it was impossible to follow its movements after 1858. It had a reputation for producing the best quality goods, exclusively in metal, which it purchased from the Birmingham rolling mills. . According to the old books in the possession of Mr. W. A. ​​Ellis (of Birmingham), it was only between 1830 and 1845 that Hattersley purchased plated metals from his firm, and at the same time Messrs. Garrard, of London, the well-known silversmiths, were also customers, purchasing the metal plated on one side only and on both sides of the ingot. 70

THE PRODUCTION OF CAST POTTERY AT NOTTINGHAM

Concerning what has been informally described as “Factories” existing in Nottingham:-

Thanks to the help of the late Mr. Ellis the writer tracked down Thomas Oldham, of Nottingham, who still produces measures and tankards in the old fashioned way (and from melted silver plate ) by hammering them out of the plates on the tabs, a trade which is now a hundred years old of life, and which he personally carried out for almost 50 years. Nowadays its activity is apparently well limited to satisfying the demands of local customers. He states that the business had previously been conducted under the name of Henry Askew (his uncle), and further that, although electroplated sizes can be sold for less than half his prices, there is still a premium for his articles. considerable demand, since in regular use they will last three times as long as those of the competitors, made of German silver and subjected to electroplating. Askew himself was apprenticed to this trade about a century ago, and set up the business on his own account in Nottingham in 1828. Unfortunately Oldham is unable to state where his uncle learned the trade, although he believes it was probably Sheffield.

A careful examination of these tankards highlights how (they lack the silver supports and grips) they are today most often manufactured with cast silver supports in German silver , which are secured to the melt-plated copper handles and bodies , and processed precisely according to the methods used by the old Sheffield manufacturers. Oldham and his nephew make these steins without outside help, passing them through the various stages without resorting to further aid in the form of burnishers, polishers and hand finishers. They also produce reflectors for trolley lamps, but today they are in very little demand. Oldham states that, outside of his small factory in Nottingham, there has never been another that produced pottery, while his full workforce has never exceeded two or three units, long story short. 71

The late Mr. Ellis also stated that the manufacture of trolley lamp parts, trolley trim, silver-plated buttons for army uniforms and servants' liveries, made from molten sheet, is still carried on extensively in many parts of the country, and the demand for these categories of items has in practice prevented the complete extinction of the ancient process. Such activities cannot, however, with the sole exception of the manufacture of plated tankards, be connected in any way with the manufacture of hollow-ware for decorative and domestic purposes as the trade formerly carried out in Sheffield.

THE OLD SHEFFIELD PLATE IN IRELAND

Let us now turn our attention away from this country for a moment and see what can be reconstructed of the production of the Old Sheffield Plate available today in Ireland and elsewhere.

Without a doubt, until very recently the best market in which to obtain Old Sheffield Plate was Dublin, and the period of maximum Irish prosperity seems to have been contemporary with the period of flowering of the industry; but today, due to worries about finances and lands, many of the older families have been reduced to very poor conditions and are forced to part with their household items to a large extent.

More Old Sheffield Plates appear to have been sold at retail in Dublin than in any other city except London. Every manufacturer of any importance was looking for an opportunity to sell his wares in Ireland.

In many cases, advertisements for Sheffield manufacturers gave the names of agencies found only in London and Dublin. The retail firm of William Law, which occupied the same premises as Messrs. Hopkins, jewelers and silversmiths, of Sackville Street, Dublin, is often confused with the Sheffield firm of Thomas Law & Co., with whom it is unlikely there ever was any connection. The retail firm of Waterhouse & Co., of Dame Street, Dublin, was an offshoot of the various Sheffield Plate manufacturing concerns belonging to Waterhouse, who abandoned it in the declining days to emigrate to Dublin and run a business. essentially successful as a jeweler and silversmith. Mr. S. S. Waterhouse, who started this business, went to Dublin in 1844; he was one of the Waterhouses of Birmingham, different members of the family to which silverware and plated goods manufacturers belonged in Sheffield and Birmingham.

We now come to the manufacture of melt-plated articles in Ireland. Mr. Dudley Westropp, of the Irish National Museum, believes that no factory existed, but calls attention to the circumstance that, in connection with this subject, in 1783 the Royal Dublin Society offered a prize for manufacturing in Ireland of roll-plated items, insisting that £40,000 a year could be saved if those items were produced in Ireland. In November of the following year John Lloyd, goldsmith of Harold's Cross in Dublin, received a premium of 22 shillings and 11 pence, a rate of 6% on the value of the plated articles he made. This appears to have been the only response to the offer, and constitutes the only certain evidence of an attempt by the Irish to produce cast ware.

In the old Dublin directories of the year 1790 and following "silver platers" are mentioned, and also in those of Cork, but research has so far shown that they are only makers of belt buckles, finishing accessories, uniform buttons and other insignificant things, or more probably, retailers of such items.

Mr Westropp points out that after carefully searching documents at the Dublin Assay Office and in newspaper notices for the last 150 years, he has come to the conclusion that neither solid silver manufacturers nor silver retailers silverware and platework fell behind in their attempts to keep up with the fashions and advances which were introduced into England from time to time during the period under review. There are periodic visits by the Wardens, the Dublin Goldsmiths' Guild, to London and other cities in England in search of new models. Local newspapers contained advertisements for the return home of retailers importing goods which, being made in the latest styles and in a wide assortment, they hoped would find favor with customers.

During these visits the silversmiths also occasionally secured the services of the best London workmen, and publicized this fact, thereby attempting to increase the importance of their establishments. It is significant that during this period no mention is made of the introduction of skilled workers in the production of items associated with the fusion plating process. Such advertisements always refer to the importation of silver-plated goods, and are more or less of the type of those reproduced here, taken from old newspapers.

“ Faulkner's Dublin Journal ”, 22 May 1762:-

Henry Clements at his toy shop, in Crampton Court, Dublin, has just imported French pottery, and lacquered candlesticks, tasteful, light-coloured plated St. Andrew's crosses, and rings for centerpieces.”

And on December 7th of the same year:-

“Newly imported from Henry Clements the latest designs of candlesticks, plate stands, etc., plated Sheffield style, French style, and enamelled.”

“ Dublin Mercury ”, 24 November 1768;-

Henry Sullivan, of Dublin, has just returned from England and has imported plated candlesticks of the best manufacturers, coffee pots, kitchens, salt shakers, snuffer vessels (i.e. snuffer trays), oil cruets, coasters, bridle bits and other plated articles, kitchens simple Dutch with plated furnishings”.

“ Dublin Chronicle ”, 4-6 October 1770:-

“William Fuller, of Pill Lane in Dublin, just returned from England and Holland, has among other things plated coasters, of paper and leather, plated candlesticks, cruets, cups, vessels, saucepans, fish scoops, plate crosses, salt shakers, butter containers, tweezers and sugar tongs, buckles, tins, toothpick cases, bottle labels, scalpel and knife cases, razors, shears and Sheffield scalpels”.

On 5 December 1785:-

“John Mc Clean reports in the “ Belfast Newsletter ” that he has just imported plated items, crosses and rings for centerpiece plates, etc.”.

And on the 12th of August 1791:-

“John Knox, in the same paper, makes it known that he has just imported from Sheffield and Birmingham pottery and plated articles, plate rings, with and without lamps, tea shells (probably spoons for tea-jars), etc.”

From the “ Cork Ibernian Chronicle ”, 1786:-

“John Warner, goldsmith, of Cork, who returned from London and brought a large assortment of the following articles, watches, gold chains, plated spurs of all kinds, some pairs of double-plated sportsman's spurs, Read 72 knives , forks and razors, etc., all kinds of Silver Plate made in London and Dublin, “a new variety of double-plated pottery””.

And finally, to show how the Sheffield manufacturers had later established branches and warehouses in Ireland:-

“ The Star ”, Dublin, 12 October 1824-

“Following the death of two of the partners of Messrs. Roberts, Cadman & Co. of Sheffield, all the stock of plated ware, of their exclusive manufacture, will be sold at their goods departments, at 5 Fleet Street, Dublin. For the last 25 years RC & Co. have nurtured the trade in Ireland, previously through Messrs. Clarke & West, and later thanks to R. Moore, their agent.

“The supplies include trays, patented lids, soup trays, épergnes , dishes for starting and ending a meal, for side dishes, and the like, teapots and coffee pots, tureens and gravy boats, liqueur and egg holders, cruets, ice buckets, bread baskets and from cake, candlesticks and candlesticks, salvers , etc. etc., and also a complete portable set of dinner and tea cutlery.”

Whenever workers importing articles into Ireland are mentioned when talking about the plating industry, it is always the process of close-plating .

But before the above-mentioned premium which had been offered for the production of pottery in 1783, the local silversmiths had felt the effects of the extensive importation of plated articles, and from the minutes dated 13 November 1773 we infer that a resolution had been passed demanding the revocation of the right customs on the Silver plate , on the basis of the claim that the large quantity of imported plated pottery was to the detriment of Irish silversmiths. (There is no consensus as to whether a customs duty of 6 pence per ounce had been applied to silver plate in Ireland since 1730, and that the figure of Hibernia was printed as a customs duty mark; in 1807 the duty was increased to 1 shilling per ounce, and the sovereign's head was printed as a mark of right, but the Hibernia mark was retained.)

The platers referred to in the lists were no doubt close platers , retailers or makers of finishing accessories, as Mr Westropp suggests, but the production in this country of some articles such as Irish plate rings, from the rolling of a slab, would not have presented any difficulty to the skilled Irish silversmiths. It seems, however, an almost undeniable fact that the production of Sheffield Plate never established itself as an industry in Ireland, and the same observation applies today to articles obtained by electroplating. There is irrefutable evidence of uncommon items produced in Old Sheffield Plate for the Irish market in the past being found uniquely in Ireland.

The illustrated waiter shows signs of chasing carried out by an Irish silversmith, both for the style of decoration and because after having tackled the chasing process the craftsman seems to have preferred not to face the risk posed by the delicate but necessary process of further flattening -hammering of the article. The two-handled cup highlights a characteristically Irish chiseling. Articles thus fashioned are found only in Ireland, although in this case the entire execution may be attributed to Sheffield.

The reasons why there is no evidence for the theory that melt-plated pottery was produced in Ireland are not far to seek.

Unlike the French, Irish manufacturers, if they wished to establish an industry for the production of plated wares, could not hope to receive any support either from royal bounties or from protectionist customs duties; without these two encouraging factors it would have taken a very long time to acquire the level of excellence in workmanship achieved by the Sheffield manufacturers. Furthermore, the investment capital required to compete with the many fully equipped factories already existing in Sheffield in the first place would have been substantial. Furthermore, substantial expenses would absolutely have been incurred for cutting the moulds, rolling and casting the metal, equipping the mold department, and supplying the innumerable tools necessary for the execution of minor details. Furthermore, the drilling and punching "on the fly" of the machines, the hammering plugs, the accessories for the bridle bit plating department, etc. etc., would have involved the collection of what was necessary for production on a very large scale, sufficient to make even the most enterprising supporters of English industries falter in the days of maximum prosperity. Even foreign manufacturers never attempted to produce a range of items comparable to those churned out by the Sheffield factories, nor were their workers skilled enough to apply all the methods adopted by local manufacturers with success. Once again, why should the workers, among whom the best ones always had well-paid work on their hands, leave the certainty of a job in Sheffield for a problematic livelihood in Ireland, assuming that an industry in that country is was established? Such a factory would obviously not be able to compete on price with older, established businesses.

Mr. L. A. West of Dublin, after carefully studying the matter, agrees with the opinion that no Old Sheffield Plate was produced in Ireland. Since the firm of West & Son manufactured and retailed silverware, its observations in connection with this subject are most noteworthy. If there had ever been such a thing as a plating factory in Dublin, his firm's books would no doubt have revealed this fact, when in fact they reveal an entire confidence in the well-known Sheffield firms to meet their needs. It would be difficult to obtain more convincing evidence than this to refute the supposition that Old Sheffield Plate production was seriously undertaken in Ireland.

To give an idea of ​​the volume of demand in England for Old Sheffield Plate items, here is added a list, taken from the ledgers of Watson & Bradbury, of various persons who in Dublin, between 1795 and 1813, dealt in these articles. The value of the goods which the retailers purchased at that time from this one firm amounted altogether to £60,613, 15 shillings and 1 pence. A small percentage of the items obviously consisted of solid silver goods.

To get an idea of ​​the enormous quantity of plated items which must have been shipped to Dublin at this time, it must be borne in mind that the firm mentioned was only one of around 20 others producing Sheffield Plate , presumably looking for a market in that region for their products. Great as was their trade in Ireland, it is exceedingly probable that in that country Messrs. Daniel Holy, Wilkinson & Co. had a much larger clientele. Even today the number of Old Sheffield Plate items produced between 1784 and 1804 which bear their mark and can be found in Dublin antique shops far exceeds that of items bearing the marks of other manufacturers or which may be attributed with certainty to any other production company (see p.433).

Regarding the quantities of Old Sheffield Plate that could be found in Ireland a few years ago, it was common to be asked immediately, "Where did all this come from?" After examining these rumors one might venture to ask, “Where did it go?”

THE OLD SHEFFIELD PLATE IN SCOTLAND

These observations on the production of Old Sheffield Plate pottery could, with minor modifications, also apply to Edinburgh and Glasgow. As regards the volume of sales in Scotland up to the end of the industry, the books of the firm referred to above show that north of the Tweed up to the end of the industry the trade had been increasing, and it is very unlikely that at a local level there has generally existed anything other than a very small repair and retail establishment. The value of the goods sold in Scotland by Watson & Bradbury between the years 1795 and 1812 amounted to £17,631, at which time the largest buyers in Edinburgh were Messrs. Morton & Milroy, jewellers, at 35 North Bridge Street, and in Glasgow, Robert Gray. No large-scale relationship with blacksmiths has been able to be reconstructed, and certainly no rotary mill ever existed in Scotland, otherwise it would have become known before then. Local silversmiths, therefore, here as in London, had to endure the invasion of their market by the Old Sheffield platers . On the other hand, the Scottish public welcomed the importation of articles whose artistic appearance, no less than the savings afforded by their use, appealed both to their good taste and to their well-known and usual parsimony.

Mr Andrew Sharp, of Edinburgh, kindly supplied the following particulars. Mr. Sharp's information is invaluable, both because of his interest in the subject and because during his 30 years of experience in the trade, he has taken numerous opportunities to record details involving interesting specimens passed to him. in my hands, both in antique silver and in Old Sheffield Plate :-

“There is a completely misleading assumption that, among its various industries, Edinburgh was also the center of a group of manufacturers dedicated to the production of Sheffield Plate . It is true that in that city for two or three centuries goldsmiths, silversmiths and watchmakers had constituted equally strong and solid professions, being producers of pottery whose excellence is currently recognized by connoisseurs and other people. Considering the relative cheapness of the Sheffield Plate and its superiority in appearance to pewter tools (of which considerable quantities were produced in the hammersmith's or tinsmith's shops), the adoption of the new invention by masters anxious to keep together workers and business would have been natural. But after long investigations no evidence could be obtained that Sheffield Plate was produced in Edinburgh. It is possible that an isolated piece may have been produced from time to time, but evidence of any general and systematic production by skilled workers is totally lacking. The survey was conducted among the oldest workers of the city whose experiences cover a period ranging from 50 to 60 years, and, had the industry ever existed, they would have heard of the manufacturers and had seen the tools and molds , perhaps even learned of some pieces left among the stocks of the city's silversmiths. These old workmen, however, all agree that, so far as they know, they have never heard of or seen any locally produced Sheffield Plate , except when it had been taken to the workshops for repairs. In the old city directories may be found the names of men described as “ platers ,” a trade carried on in connection with that of carriage builders, harness makers, and hardware shopkeepers. Their production usually consisted of iron objects obtained by close-plating and used in the manufacture of harnesses, in the construction of carriages and articles supplied to other activities. They had neither the workers nor the tools to produce Sheffield Plate even if there had been customers. An interesting old copy of the Edinburgh Courant , from the early part of the 19th century, contains an advertisement informing the public that one of the partners of a famous firm, now no longer active, had just returned from Sheffield with a supply of the finest plated articles, which clearly shows how it was sometimes necessary to visit the production site of these goods, which evidently were not produced locally". Mr Sharp goes on to say:-

“An expert in Edinburgh, to whom I am indebted for the investigations here mentioned, informs me that after many years' experience in the Old Sheffield Plate trade, he has neither seen nor heard of a piece which can recognize itself as being produced in Edinburgh, or in any case of Scottish manufacture".

From the Sheffield newspapers of 27 and 30 October 1821, we learn that "The Burns Association has made a present to the widow of the poet Burns" of a pair of silver candlesticks, as well as snuffers and a tray of the latest model and of the best workmanship, manufactured by Watson & Bradbury, in Mulberry Street." The inscription (engraved by Mr. Tompkin) reads, “Gift of some Sheffield Scots to the Widow Burns.”

He passed through the stormy night of life,

Bright, flickering, northern light

In the years to come it shines from afar,

Fixed, destabilizing North Star.” – JM 73

A newspaper mentions the name Watson, Pass & Co. as the manufacturer of the snuffer tray.

It would be interesting to know if these articles still exist.

THE OLD SHEFFIELD PLATE IN AMERICA

There is no doubt that some quantity of pure Old Sheffield Plate must still exist in America, for from 1795 to 1831 the export trade from Sheffield was considerable and constant. The ledgers of T. Bradbury & Sons show that Mr. George H. Newbould (their agent in America) sold in the year 1826 alone goods to the value of £4,671, 7 shillings and 5 pence; in 1828 and 1829, £6000; and in 1830, £2,058, 9 shillings and 7 pence. Around that date this export trade to America effectively ceased, although as late as 1831 both the Taylor & Brown firm of Baltimore and that of William Antony Rasch in New Orleans continued to purchase some Old Sheffield Plate items.

There still exists a diary written by the author's grandfather, which recounts his business trips to Canada and America about a century ago. The candlestick shown here is a duplicate of one in Old Sheffield Plate that an American brought back to Sheffield about 15 years ago, to have a reproduction made. He stated that his family, who had originally purchased it in America, had preserved it carefully. The production date is between 1770 and 1880.

The volume of business done with America by the firm of Watson & Bradbury, and the names of clients in different cities between 1795 and 1825 are sufficiently interesting. In the books of the firm there is an account post of £13, 3 shillings and 6 pence, still open, dating from 1815, in debt to Mr. Thomas Willets Junior, of New York. In a letter addressed to Sheffield on September 30, 1816, Mr. Newbould, the agent, writes: “I have not seen him for a long time, and “imagine” he has left New York.” In this case it must naturally be assumed that Mr. Willets had left the city "forever."

The Old Sheffield Plate does not appear to have found a large market in Canada at the time.

Trade with the West Indies was important, however, considering the small size of the country, as the following excerpts will prove:

Mr. E. Holbrook, of New York, who recently purchased the Wolsey collection of Old Sheffield Plate , has kindly supplied the following information regarding this list of American customers:-

“Undoubtedly B. & P. ​​Cooper and Jerh. Cooper were the founders of the firm later known as Copper, Fellows & Co.; Fellows & Read also belonged to that firm, and to the later Read, Taylor & Co. Both these firms were in business 25 or 30 years ago, but are now totally out of business.

“There is, however, mentioned in the list a firm, Erastus Barton & Co., to which articles were sold in 1821, which would be of considerable interest if they were the founders of the firm now known as Black, Starr & Frost. Erastus Barton & Co. was succeeded by Frederic Marquand, then Marquand & Barton, then Marquand & Bros., Marquand & Co., which in turn was succeeded in 1839 by Ball, Tompkins & Black, then Ball, Black & Co ., in 1851, and finally Black, Starr & Frost, which still exists today and trades on 39th Street and Fifth Avenue, and is one of the most important firms in the industry.

However, I must point out that most of the companies no longer exist, and some of these are almost no longer remembered today."

THE OLD SHEFFIELD PLATE ON THE CONTINENT - IMPORTATION INTO ENGLAND AND PRODUCTION ABROAD

Numerous examples of Old Sheffield plated pottery can be found in various European cities, many of which originate from England.

The teapot illustrated here was purchased by the author in Rome in 1896, in a merchant's shop. It was later identified as being from Sheffield, deriving from a silver duplicate purchased in Liverpool, produced by N. Smith & Co. of Sheffield, which bears the year 1808 as a date letter. The tea vessel depicted belongs to Mr. Alfermann of Berlin, and was noticed by the author during a visit to their home in 1907. The owner had bought it in that city a few years earlier, on sale for 50 marks. It is perfectly preserved, and is a fine example of the heavy-framed model with oak leaves and shells that was popular in the early part of the 19th century. Other illustrations could be given of various pieces purchased by the writer in Hamburg, Holland and Belgium, and in other parts of the continent. The old ledgers of Watson & Bradbury indicate that during the years 1790-1815, an extensive export trade was carried on with the cities of the continent, and goods were shipped by ship to Hamburg, Amsterdam, Antwerp, Altona and Lübeck. Some of the most important shipments to these different cities are detailed here. This trade with the continent ceased by 1825.

The illustrated tea vessel is one of the very first designs in Sheffield Plate , from around 1762. Many varieties can still be found. Due to their extreme lightness - given by the absence of silver shields and supports - as well as their not very English shape, they are often described as foreign made; this is not the case, however, since duplicates of the taps, knobs and supports have often been found on other examples of this period produced in Sheffield. In England, one is now unlikely to find cast ware of foreign manufacture before 1800. Careful examination of these vessels has so far failed to reveal the presence of a single maker's initial, as is customary with smaller contemporary plated ware. . It is therefore difficult to state precisely to which producers we can attribute them. 74

The importation into Great Britain of pottery obtained from a sheet of molten copper did not make any progress until 1820, from which date until the end of the industry, a rather substantial number of articles of French origin. These are however almost all manufactured from rather sparsely plated metal. Only in a few cases did the writer find items with threaded silver edges, and he never found an item with an inlaid silver shield . Presumably the foreign manufacturers were not competent enough to undertake this small but very delicate operation. The prices of articles intended for sale in this country must have been very low and more convenient than any English product available. The gauge of plated metal used by the French was usually much finer than that commonly used in England. Copper is also a redder color, resulting from the smaller amount of alloy present.

Of the foreign-made examples existing in England today, the majority can be identified as French imports; the name that occurs most frequently is that of Balaine. It is said of Balaine himself that he died between 1860 and 1870. It is known that the business of his firm was in progress in 1810. Messrs. Boulenger & Cie., operating since 1810, were also, almost a century ago, major Parisian manufacturers of Old Sheffield Plate ware. They carried out a large export trade around the world, using [brand] as their trademark.

As for the other foreign manufacturers whose wares have reached England, but little importance can be attached to them. The name Rosenstrauch was encountered on a large cast-plated tray illustrated below, as well as on other items, including a smooth, gadrooning -rimmed, internally gilded rectangular cake basket – undoubtedly made abroad – alongside to an Eagle, but this mark is so confusing that it was not possible to say which nationality it belongs to, although it is most likely Austrian or German.

Two rather interesting Russian brands are reproduced here. The first is taken from a 22" tray with handles, with a smooth and shaped mold and threaded support, the name of whose manufacturer [name] translated means "Petz", probably a German, while the letter printed on the body of the Eagle indicates that this manufacturer was an imperial envoy to Emperor Nicholas I of Russia. The tray must therefore have been made between 1825 and 1855, the period in which Tsar Nicholas I reigned.

The next mark is taken from a Russian samovar. The top line indicates an abbreviation of the city “St. Petersburg”. The second line is an abbreviation meaning “ Silver plate store ” (warehouse or shop?). The third gives the name of the manufacturer, which if pronounced in English would sound like the expression of the word “Charkoff”. [lines] 75

THE PRODUCTION OF SHEFFIELD PLATE IN FRANCE

The author is indebted to Mr. Pinton, of the firm of Messrs. Ch. Boulenger & Cie., of Paris, for having assisted him greatly in compiling the following interesting information on the subject of plated pottery in France.

The goldsmiths and silversmiths of the 17th and 19th centuries. they held government licenses, and always lived in the Louvre. The items they produced were through the various stages of manufacturing the result of individual manipulation, as with the English goldsmiths and silversmiths of that period. There were no factories for the production of silverware as we conceive them today (in any case not in the 17th and first part of the 19th century).

The privilege of the Government License was abolished in Paris at the beginning of the nineteenth century, and the greater respite given at that time to the silversmith trade favored the opening of factories for plated articles by Boulenger, Balaine and some others. However, most of these firms did not last long. Like the local factories in Sheffield, with the exception of Boulenger's firm, they went out of business when the electroplating process was introduced shortly after 1840.

A process of plating the baser metals with silver appears to be of French origin, and was discovered in France in the early 18th century, a period in which the Regent of France held a majority interest in its production. This process, described on p.96, became known in England as “French plating”. The method used by the latter-day Sheffield tacklers, although similar, was a somewhat advanced form of this invention of French origin.

As for the uses to which the French applied Boulsover's invention, nothing certain can be reconstructed until 1770. In that year an industry was established in Paris at the Hotel de la Fère, in Rue Beaubourg in the Marais, which it was subsequently transferred to the Pont aux Choux district, in Rue Popincourt, for the production of silver-plated vessels, under royal patronage. This activity was originally conducted by a certain Degournay, the King's engineer, and continued to be carried out successfully until the process of fusion plating was supplanted towards the middle of the 19th century by the newly invented electroplating method.

The establishment of this factory in Paris so alarmed the producers of solid silver articles of the time that in 1772 they addressed a note of protest to the Duke of Vrillière against the introduction of the manufacture of this class of products in Paris. This new industry was, however, destined to receive further patronage from the king. The very expensive solid silver then in vogue was too expensive for the French middle classes, and Louis XVI, personally inclined by mental disposition to mechanics (he devoted his spare moments to mastering the intricacies of the blacksmith's trade), was anxious to satisfy their needs with a more economical form of tableware for table use. He therefore decided to finance a factory of his own, and in due course erected a plating plant at the Hotel Pomponne, in the Rue de la Verrerie. This establishment was administered by Marie Joseph Tugot and the king's son-in-law, Jacques Dauny. The company flourished to such an extent that Louis XVI allowed them to call the pottery "of royal manufacture". The Guild of Goldsmiths, on the other hand, envious of the success of this firm, exercised its influence at the “Court des Monnaies” to attempt to limit the extent of the privileges granted to them. This, however, had the opposite effect, since thanks to the King's influence, the company was granted "by letters patent dated 17 March 1787" permission to gilde and plate brass and other types of vessels suitable for use as utensils. table. 76

In Paris, some examples of the articles produced by this factory can still be seen at the Museum of Decorative Arts. Among others we can mention a very nice tureen, with a flute-shaped body (which once belonged to Mr. Alfred Darcel, former director of the Cluny Museum).

It was above all thanks to the initiative and great skill of Messrs. Tugot and Daumy that middle-class Parisian citizens were able, as early as 1787, to display on their tables articles of plated pottery whose artistic design was locally produced. Before this date we can assume that almost all articles of cast pottery in France had been produced in Sheffield.

So many antique melt-plated wares of foreign manufacture can be met with in England today that it has been thought appropriate to illustrate a rather varied selection of them. The collector can therefore get used more quickly to the shapes and styles that were popular among foreign producers. The majority of French products bear the names of Balaine, Durand, Gandais and Levrat, who were the most illustrious among French producers. Levrat's performance is perhaps the best. From time to time we come across articles of his manufacture with conspicuous silver supports and edges, the comparison of which - leaving aside the absence of " rubbed-in " silver shields on these - with the Sheffield artisan production of the late period is worth certainly in their favor. The crests appear to have been stamped separately in fine silver, then filed and soldered onto the items. Cast pottery produced in France is immediately recognizable by the brands that are always found on it.

The manufacturer's name was normally engraved, as was his trademark, initials or other insignia. Hallmarking in France of any silver-plated article was compulsory, and they had to bear either the word doublé [mark] or plaqué [mark]. Manufacturers were also obliged to print the thickness of the silver on the plated items, e.g. [molds] (E, M & EM are abbreviations for Dixième ). The marks indicate that 1 kg had been applied to a copper ingot weighing 9 or 19 kg. silver. [brand] and [brand] indicate the worst plating qualities, i.e. a deposit of 1 kg. of silver for 29 or 39 kg. of copper. Today in France, although producers of plated articles are no longer obliged by law to indicate the quantity of silver deposited on the articles, they are still tied to this habit.

In some cases you will find the words garniture argent [brand], which indicates that silver edges (filled with solder) have been attached to items bearing these words.

PART VIII

ADVICE TO COLLECTORS – DESIGNERS

HOW TO JUDGE THE OLD SHEFFIELD PLATE

One of the main difficulties faced in judging the Old Sheffield Plate is that sooner or later many items have been re-plated and have changed colour, thus returning to have an appearance very similar to the original one. Those pieces which at the time of the spread of electroplating were covered with tin on the back and showed the slightest signs of the presence of copper, were usually sent off to undergo the new refurbishment process, and when the articles were not actually ruined by this restoration, it is very difficult to say whether they were made before or after the invention of plating on both sides of the ingot. The ultimate decision regarding age and intrinsic value must depend, essentially, on tests of color, texture, appearance, or to some extent the style of the period to which an item must have belonged. 77

Experienced men, accustomed to dealing with all varieties of plated articles, are usually able to recognize Old Sheffield Plate almost at a glance or touch. Melt-plated pottery is sturdier than that produced by the electroplating process for three reasons. The first is the alloy effect; the second, the rolling and hammering to which it was subjected; and the third is that the electroplating process appears to have a softening effect on the base metal. There is also a difference in color. Pure silver is always white, while common silver used in the ancient process has a small addition of bluish color due to the alloy.

REPRODUCTIONS OR “FAKES”

In addressing the issue of Old Sheffield reproductions and the huge quantity of such items being placed on the market today, from the buyer's point of view the matter is absolutely simple. The retailer has undoubtedly purchased these items from factories producing such goods, located in London, Birmingham or Europe. It may be stated here that the temptation offered by the very great demand for counterfeit pieces of Old Sheffield Plate has not yet led to the establishment of a copper electroplating factory in Sheffield. Collectors can also buy the items they choose on the condition that, if they turn out to be reproductions, the seller agrees to take them back and refund the purchase price. If the seller responded evasively to the question posed to him by the would-be buyer regarding the authenticity of the item under discussion, he would be wise to immediately abandon the purchase. However, if the collector trusts his own knowledge and wants to compare his intelligence and experience with the dealer, he should only blame himself if he is cheated in the deal, and he should profit from the experience without complaining. Suppose he entered the shop with the idea of ​​purchasing something at a price lower than its value; if he finds that the deal is going the other way and then tries to refuse it, he is certainly behaving unfairly, unless he has prepared to compensate the merchant for any mistake that goes against him. When purchasing antiques the beginner should always keep in mind the motto “ caveat emptor ”.

An aspiring buyer of Old Sheffield Plate would do well, should he be tempted to enrich his collection of specimens, to be guided by the following advice:-

Avoid medium or large sized items which have not indicated a silver shield for engraving, unless he is sufficiently familiar with the periods and execution to recognize them as pre-1789. Also avoid those items whose mounts and edges are made of copper, and resulting from adaptations of designs from the period in which the silver setting was in vogue.

Absolutely refrain from purchasing any item that is poorly made or otherwise of poor workmanship, fit and finish, or that has a suspiciously dull, charcoal-like appearance on the undersides. Finally, more than anything else, avoid all imperfect specimens and those that reveal poorly defined details in the execution of the molding of the supports and edges. Today, Old Sheffield Plate breeders usually employ unskilled workers in cutting dies.

HOW TO DISTINGUISH REPRODUCTIONS

Reproductions can be roughly divided into various classes. The first includes those made in Sheffield entirely in the old way, from cast pottery with silver shields and mounts, and with silver threaded edges. The expense in the production of these articles is so great that they must sell for about the same price as antiques, and they naturally lack that richness in appearance, afforded by age, which is the best guarantee of antiquity of an article. The second category of reproductions includes those produced in Birmingham, selected and exhumed from still existing designs and moulds, which were modeled when the activity in that city had entered its decadent phase, around the 1820s-1830s. They normally carry supports with conspicuous or quite conspicuous features and, for a true art collector, are unattractive in their grotesque forms – particularly when found in the form of large trays, candlesticks and candlesticks. The candlesticks usually have badly matched and disproportionate columns, bases and coats of arms and supports with showy acanthus leaf decorations and other models (the details have a bad definition), welded on top as decoration and obtained from time to time from molds of fine silver. Then deposited whole in the electroplating vat, they receive a final matt shape without being burnished, to increase the resemblance to the Old Sheffield Plate .

Now let's take the reproductions made in London. They are more difficult to recognize, since they were subjected to total electroplating and were finally given a dark semi-oxidized color without burnishing them, while on the bases the copper is exposed to view in certain places. Some are modeled after designs from the very early period – candlesticks, teapots, writing inkwells and salvers , etc. Being adaptations from a period before the invention of plated wire and the introduction of threaded silver edges and supports, they are more easily deceived. The buyer should, however, look very carefully and try to find every little hole that the surface may reveal with a magnifying glass. The holes are always associated with the casting process, a method absolutely foreign to the production of the Old Sheffield Plate . The makers of Old Sheffield Plate never resorted to it except in the initial stages of ingot production, before undertaking the plating process.

The foreign articles reproduced today in imitation of the Old Sheffield Plate , are chiefly pierced and decorated bottle stands, common tea-jars, and various other small articles, all produced by electroplating, the supply of which increases from year to year . Very recently, some consignments of goods have been offered for sale in the country which have silver wires tin-soldered onto electrolytically silvered copper bodies. These items had the words “SILVER BORDERS” printed on the bizzles of the lids, as occasionally happens with authentic antique specimens, and found a very receptive market among so-called rarities shops in small, out-of-the-way country towns. When you subject such pieces to close scrutiny, there are always small details that raise suspicion. The sides are uneven as they have not been flat-hammered correctly, while the copper on the bases is bare, very clear signs that the items have been subjected to the “ antiquing ” process. The complete lack of original finish has left the surface in an uneven condition, the bodies of the items, in the case of tea jars and similar wares, are also uneven, and the knobs and feet have not been chosen with the right regarding the period to which they should belong.

Dessert and dessert baskets constructed of wire, in all their various styles, are popular reproduction items, and are produced by the truckload by all manufacturers who copy the designs of the Old Sheffield plated items. Even in this field the manufacturers are not expert enough to produce the different types of patterned wires found on the old plated models, nor the very delicate varieties of frames, so common that decorated with gadrooning . The pieces are not welded together so carefully, and all items, subjected to careful examination, bear irrefutable evidence of the use of the file in their production.

The wares belonging to what can properly be described as the transitional period in Old Sheffield Plate were made between 1830 and 1840, when German silver gradually replaced copper as the base metal for cast pottery, and the process of electroplating had not yet been discovered. These pieces have often put collectors to shame, as they possess all the attributes of melt-plated items, including silver edges and mounts, etc. The most commonly used base metal around 1837 was described in catalogs as nickel silver. The custom of adding fine silver mounts remained in force until 1862.

All categories of reproductions, except those produced entirely according to the old procedure, present a very unattractive appearance, after having been subjected to daily consumption for a time. This is mainly due to the omission of the burnishing process. Which, although essential to the complete finishing of a well-made plated article, is carefully avoided in all reproductions of Old Sheffield Plate as it gives an aspect revealing their character as reproductions.

Illustrated here are three examples that can appropriately be described as “Fake”.

A fairly effective test of the authenticity of antique plated items that have hinges is to carefully examine the joint fittings. Unless they have undergone subsequent repairs, long-standing looseness as a result of continued use of such items should be noted.

Finally, a test is provided here which if performed carefully is a fairly sure guide to the (non)authenticity of the Old Sheffield Plate . As mentioned above, the silver coating cast on the copper plates consisted of a fixed standard of 925/1000 silver to 75/1000 copper alloy. In the case of electrolytic sedimentation the silver is always pure. Apply nitric acid mixed a little with pure water to the article to be tested, using judgment not to leave the acid on too long so that it penetrates the base metal. It will only take a moment for the silver to melt a little on the surface. Place the distilled part in a glass of wine and add a few drops of ammonia. In case of a bright blue color of the mix, we will be in the presence of common or attached silver (mixed with copper). In case of light color, you can be sure that the silver is pure and therefore deposited by means of the electroplating process.

The author, when recently searching for Old Sheffield Plate specimens in one of the largest rarities shops in this country, discovered only one absolutely authentic item among hundreds of reproductions. The owner justified himself by claiming that he was unable to make the public pay the value or market price of the authentic pieces. All the customers seemed to be looking for deals.

Perhaps at this point it is good to remind Old Sheffield Plate collectors that they should not be unreasonably discouraged by failure to correctly evaluate the chosen specimens; keeping past mistakes in mind is the best protection against their repetition. For the beginner the best advice is:- buy from a reputable company and pay the market price.

ON THE RESTORATION

In cases where lead clearly appears through the supports, it is foolish to resort to electroplating. Much better to just let it go. The successful restoration of a somewhat damaged item from the period of heavy silver settings requires particularly careful treatment. The patching, joining and welding must be carried out with genuine skill if the restoration is not to be noticed; but it is often found that the brighter the article appears after being restored, the more satisfied the owner is that its value has been duly restored. When you need new bits of waiter stands, mustard sockets, sleeves for badly worn teapots, hinges for tea jars, knobs and handles for various small items, and feet for salt shakers, etc., the use of common silver. As it wears out, it soon takes on the same color as the article to which it is welded.

The most painful repairs in the Old Sheffield Plate that the workmen encounter are undoubtedly those of the teapots. The family teapot, around which the earliest memories of our childhood are gathered, fascinates everyone, and no one would dream of replacing this beloved relic of times gone by with a new item, as long as it contains tea. To demonstrate this, we can give the example of a lady who actually threatened legal action against a jeweler whom she accused of having replaced the wooden handle of a teapot she had sent to him with a new handle made of a different material. repair, declaring that the original handle was made of a similar yet different substance.

The difficulty in restoring teapots lies in the fact that the tannin, after some time, seems to act on the welded joints of the vessel, and as soon as a crack is repaired the heat produced by the welding creates a new one. The amount of time spent in the restoration of an Old Sheffield teapot will rarely satisfy the owner, given the poor results appreciable to the eye.

As a rule, antique pottery can be restored appropriately by patching and partially or entirely replacing the old supports with new ones in some places, although in many cases, when done properly, the cost of the work required is almost equal to that of production original. However, you should not be disappointed if at first the item looks quite new; it is unavoidable, as a piece that has been in constant use for many years must be soaked in powerful solutions to remove accumulated dirt. It will be noted that the oldest Sheffield Plate pieces are the most easily handled, due to the absence of fine silver borders and silver-filled molded supports.

There are some pieces from the first period, especially jugs and coffee pots, which can be replated profitably. In many cases, although they have lost the silver, thanks to their strength and robustness they are still very solid in body and retain their well-made shapes despite having been somewhat beaten up. Once you have repaired the hinges, attached new appropriate knobs and handles, secured the feet, and finally tin-plated the insides and plated the outsides (after first carefully removing the dents), you can give them a new one once again. life perspective. After a few years of constant use it would be difficult for a collector not to possess the practical experience to say what level (if any) of restoration these items have undergone.

An illustration is given here of the wear of a pair of Old Sheffield Plate candlesticks, made in Birmingham some 85 years ago, and of a low standard of plating quality. Not a single particle of silver can be seen either on the decorative lead foliage, or on the spout holders, or on the copper posts and bases, although unfortunately the illustration does not show these defects very clearly. The model is a typical Birmingham economical production of the decadent period.

In the same period as the Old Sheffield Plate , Sheffield coppersmiths and tinsmiths made a very large quantity of copper tea vessels, both large and small. Sometimes these vessels have a silver shield stamped, nailed or soldered onto the bodies, and the date letter establishes the exact year in which they were produced. They, having been electroplated in recent times, have deceived the public quite a bit because of their resemblance in style and shape to Old Sheffield vessels. They can be easily recognized, as a rule, by having the feet, handles and other parts, nailed together rather than soldered, and also by the absence of silver supports. Some of these copper tea vessels are stamped with marks such as: “Guaranteed to be the best made in London”. An illustration of one of these is given here, originally copied from an Old Sheffield model of around 1815, and most likely electrolytically silvered about a century later.

THE METHOD OF TRADING IN ANTIQUE SILVERWARE AND OLD SHEFFIELD PLATE

An old custom is linked to the trade in antique silverware, to which fortunately the Old Sheffield Plate remains foreign, namely the method of selling the various items by weight. Why we should still remain tied to the sale of antique Silver Plate by the ounce is a mystery. It's a remnant of the times when silverware, discarded or sold, ended up in the melting pot, and today it could just be abandoned. There is no good reason why a Queen Anne porridge bowl, or a silver tea caddy, made by the illustrious silversmith Paul Lamerie, should not sell as articles in the same way as a piece of fine china or a Chippendale chair. The actual value of the metal alone could never be taken into account when ancient silver is worth, say, £10 to £15 an ounce, and its melt value is not much more than a shilling and 6p an ounce. In cases where valuable fine porcelain and old master porcelain are put up for auction, it would be a considerable shock to the sensibilities of onlookers to hear the auctioneer ask that "the bidding should begin at the rate of an ounce or a pound". The materials themselves are of little or no value, not unlike in the case of very old silverware. Long exposure to the atmosphere has given it a rigidity that detracts greatly from its intrinsic value as a smelted good, and the amount of silver contained in an item such as, say, a three-tiered salt shaker from the Elizabethan period, a Charles I tankard or a pie basket from the early Georgian period, further decreases the achievable casting value to a very low level. As with ancient silverware, so with modern one. A true expert is never guided by the quantity of metal contained in an article, when he is tempted to enrich his artistic treasures.

Very recently, in reporting the sale values ​​of some lots of Old Sheffield Plate , it was reported that a set of gravy boats and lids had been sold at auction for a value of 13 shillings and 6 pence an ounce in the case of sold by weight (as would have happened if they had been made of silver). But why make such a comparison? Certainly in the context of the trade in antique pieces this method of selling silver by the ounce is ridiculous and irritating, and its abolition today would be welcomed both by auctioneers, sellers and the public. Furthermore we have the beginner who now and then appears in the auction room and purchases, in the face of strong opposition, a piece of antique silver for, say, 25 shillings, as he or she believes, not even remotely imagining that that same article is sold by the ounce and that when the invoice is presented, he will find that the cost is perhaps ten times that amount. There is no escape from the invoice, since the conditions of sale have been, as the auctioneer states, "fully advertised".

THE VALUES OF THE OLD SHEFFIELD PLATE IN THE DISPLAY AND SALES ROOMS

The value of the Old Sheffield Plate varies according to the condition and quality of the specimens, and the difference between the lowest and the highest is notable. Items of which only a few have been produced are in high demand, while some of the more frequently encountered ones can be sold quite cheaply. Items that may be intended for everyday home use are generally in high demand, but pieces in poor condition from any period are not. Well-preserved pieces from the early period usually fetch the best prices, and some of the items that are no longer used are very valuable. Much depends on the condition of the plating. Examples in good condition from the late period with heavy mounts, good production and showy decorations are also very popular. The bulk of what still exists bears the signs of careless treatment, and there are rare examples in which the silver has not detached from the sharp and protruding edges. A notable quantity of Old Sheffield Plates has recently been sold in auction rooms. Some details obtained from the documents of these auctions will be useful in estimating the value of the pottery. However, prices have risen since the information was collected, although some items are currently worth slightly less.

The miniature soup tureens and lids are in great demand, fetching between £5 and £15 a pair. First course dishes bring in good revenues, e.g. sets of four sell from £16 to £50, a pair from £5 to £25, while almost any price can be paid for complete sets of plate warmers, in good style and condition, with the heavy supports intact. Plate covers are not in high demand; many have been sold for less than the cost to the manufacturer, from £9 to £14 per set of five, although lately their value has increased. There is some demand for vegetable and breakfast plates, sets of four have fetched from £12 to £29, the pair from £4 and £10 shillings to £8. Sets of 24 soup plates fetched between £13 and £16. The trays and waiters were produced in large quantities in both plain and decorative designs, and a substantial number of them are in good condition. They are in demand at high prices. For a beautiful tea tray 24” long, with gadrooning foliage and shell border, you could pay up to £40.

Other tray sales documents indicate:- 30” tray, with chiselled center and scrolled edge, £15; 24” waiter , smooth, with edge decorated with shells and scrolls, £21; engraved circular waiter , 22” diameter, with gadrooning edge, £18; 22” smooth waiter , with festooned edge, £16; rectangular tray , 25” long, with chiselled center and edge decorated with vine wreaths, £20; other salvers and waiters from £2 to £16, depending on size and condition. Epergnes have been in high demand lately. In perfect condition examples of the wire and heavily decorated variety fetched £30 to £40.

The following are other records of sales at auction:- Game plates and lids from £5 to £15; cake and bread baskets, £3 to £15; wine coolers and ice buckets with loose linings, up to £25 a pair, and very fine examples up to £50 a pair; teapots (plenty), £2 to £5; samovar, £3 to £20; coffee pots, £2 to £5; tea and coffee sets, from £5 to £20; snuffers and trays, £1 to £3; cigarette holders, £1 to £2 and 15 shillings. Since candles were the primary means of illumination in the days of the Old Sheffield Plate , candlesticks and candelabras were produced in large quantities and still abound today.

Oval and square base candlesticks yield higher amounts than those with a round base. The sales records give the following results:- Chamber candlesticks, from 17 shillings and 80 pence at 80 shillings a pair; candlesticks, set of three, £12 to £30; the pair, from £12 to £20, while extra fine and large specimens have occasionally fetched up to £50 a pair; table candlesticks, set of four, £2 to £21; the pair, from 30 shillings to £8. The oldest examples of square-based candlesticks from the best period, from 1770, in good condition, fetched £10 to £12 a pair. Considerable prices are paid for supports of small jugs with wooden bases. The sides of some of these are decorated in almost every way imaginable, and the versatility in the design of both the supports and the bodies is absolutely extraordinary. Cake baskets are not very popular, except in the case of openwork or fine decoration in high relief. Cruet and liqueur cruets are not in great demand, but small cruets from the Adam period are highly sought after. Well-preserved pierced plate rings fetch a huge price compared to their original cost, with £20 to £30 recently being paid for examples in perfect condition. Perfectly preserved perforated salt shakers, mustard shakers and sugar baskets have recently risen in price. Their value today can be roughly estimated as about half that of contemporary silver specimens.

APPROXIMATE DATES OF VARIOUS ITEMS PRODUCED IN OLD SHEFFIELD PLATE AND BY ELECTRIC PLATING

For the first seven years after the process was discovered (1743), there were few attempts at innovation. At first buttons were produced, then snuff boxes and other articles of little value. From 1750 to 1760 we can trace many skillfully executed copies of the silver models then in vogue, such as coffee pots, jugs, salvers and candlesticks. 78 Very few of these specimens bear traces of the workmanship of brasssmiths, tinsmiths and coppersmiths, whose services, there is reason to believe, were secured in the early days of the industry. No original design was introduced until 1760; from that date until 1770 a large number of candlesticks were made, and the inspiration came above all from the five architectural orders. From 1770 to 1785 the Adam and Flaxman designs were adapted on a large scale for candlesticks, and probably, before or since, finer designs have never been made, either in plated pottery or silverware. At first the new forms were joined or interspersed with the five orders, but in the long run some clearly original and particular designs were created. These have ever since been associated with the candlestick manufacturing business in Sheffield. In 1770 the drawing and engraving process was introduced on a large scale in an absolutely original way 79 , and it still exists in different forms. From 1785 a notable overall progress was made in the originality of the designs; silver borders had been introduced and polished cut engraving soon followed. Teapots were made with stands to match, with engraved stripes. It turns out that teapots with spherical-shaped feet were introduced as early as 1800, either in silver or Old Sheffield Plate ; After the introduction of spherical feet, the supports on teapots gradually disappeared, as the feet acted as insulators. Salvers and handleless trays were copied from the silverware of the time, and all were finely engraved and heavily plated, usually on only one side of the ingot. From 1790 to 1800 we have the introduction of the oval shape in almost all the articles produced both in Silver Plate and in silver. Candlesticks and telescoping candlesticks were first patented by Eckhardt and Morton in 1797, and by Samuel Roberts in 1798. Mention should be made of the introduction, from 1790 to 1800, of interlaced wire designs of sugar bowls, fruit dishes, and pie baskets, both with and without handles, similar in construction to some examples recently unearthed at Cutlers' Hall, owned by the Sheffield Cutlers' Guild. 80 They were most likely produced either by Samuel Kirkby & Co., or by Richard Morton & Co.

These items are among the most sought after by experts. They mark an originality in creative design almost entirely unique to the Sheffield Plate and Sheffield silver industry of that period, although it is noteworthy that in the same period Wegwood and other potters were executing very similar designs in cream-coloured pottery .

From 1805 to 1815 shells, dolphins and oak leaves, etc. were interspersed with the gadroons as a form of support. From 1815 to 1825, designs introducing variations of these borders decorated with gadroons and shells were all the rage; then followed adaptations of fruit and flowers, bouquets, vine leaves and bunches, etc., and in that period wine coolers, trays and épergnes were mounted in high relief in an absolutely extraordinary way. 8 1 From 1830 to 1840 the heavy decorations began to give way to arabesque supports and elongated volutes, which, with the occasional addition of a leaf or flower as an extremity, eventually replaced all the others forms of eye-catching decoration. These were the fashions in vogue at the time of the general introduction of the electroplating process on German silver around the years 1845-50. They quickly gave way to an entirely different category of items. Extraordinary varieties of épergnes then arose, with palm trees, tropical plants, etc., under which cattle, birds, camels and Arab horsemen rested, and tea and coffee sets were purchased by the enthusiastic public when they saw them loaded with heavy chiseling or a 'intricate engraving, while the trays were produced to match both styles. These designs, subject to a few modifications, remained popular until the jubilee year, 1887. Since then a more artistic taste has established itself and at present there are no signs of a return to the old style.

THE DESIGNERS AND THEIR INFLUENCE ON THE DRAWINGS OF THE OLD SHEFFIELD PLATE

If it could be imagined that any man could have designed even half of the candlesticks illustrated in this volume, his name would have been handed down to posterity along with those of Adam, Chippendale, Flaxman, Lamerie, etc., but the trade of Old Sheffield Plate has embraced in its 100 years of existence a huge number of different styles, staggering in their variety and ramifications. Hence the impossibility of an accurate division into periods with clearly fixed dates as is possible in the case of ancient silverware. Collectors of Old Sheffield Plate in setting dates may be guided more by distinct successive advances in execution rather than by the resemblance to period designs which the items themselves suggest. The help of Sir Francis Chantrey was requested to design the figures of the épergnes and interchangeable candelabra illustrated on pp. 240 and 241, at the beginning of the 19th century, for Gainsford & Nicholson. In 1822 Roberts & Cadman produced an épergne with a female figure stand, illustrated on p.294. Around 1825, following the discovery of the method introduced at the time to do away with drawn silver edges, the fashion for reproducing rococo designs in silver so popular between the years 1750-1765 was established (see the illustration of the gravy boats, on p.85, and the tureen in the center of p.330).

THE DRAWINGS OF PAUL LAMERIE

Fine examples of pierced pie baskets can be found, produced in Old Sheffield Plate around 1765, copied in part from silverware designs made by Paul Lamerie about 25 years earlier; but although their general decorative style is well preserved as regards the handles and mounts, yet the openwork, owing to the different mode of manufacture, is not so well delineated nor so free as in the case of the silver originals. Pierced silver items dating back to the period of Charles I have been found, in this case saucers.

Paul Lamerie may be counted as a silversmith in the same way that Chippendale is as a cabinetmaker, Adam as an architect, or Wegwood as a potter, such was the originality of his designs and the executive brilliance of the crafted objects. It is therefore not surprising that the Sheffield platemakers drew great inspiration from his handiwork, and it is extremely interesting to trace the effects of his influence on the creations of the Old Sheffield makers, along the many variations in design and workmanship which affected the industry.

Since we do not have the precise date, in general we can only say that Paul Lamerie was born before the accession of William and Mary to the throne. We find him recorded as a silversmith at the London Goldsmiths' Hall in 1712. His career as a silversmith reached its peak in the reign of George II; it ended about the same time as Chippendale's, in 1751. Some of his later productions bear the mark of that year. Did Chippendale draw any inspiration from Paul Lamerie? Certainly no sideboard or table would harmonize better with Lamerie's productions than those of Chippendale, and much food for thought might be found in this. In any case, if Paul Lamerie was not the first silversmith to introduce silverwork on a large scale, he certainly brought these pierced designs to a remarkable level of perfection.

The Sheffield platemakers must however be given credit for great originality in the production of their forms of openwork work (perhaps based on Lamerie's designs) and also for their use of steel molds to make advances in the overall structural design.

At one time, in the Adam period, Sir William Hamilton's book on the classical figures of Antiquity must have been used, which had provided much inspiration to the most important potters of the late 18th century. Undoubtedly, from 1800 onwards, Sheffield originated and established the fashion for a different style of mounting to the stereotypical gadroons , swags, ribs and S-mouldings, which had been used consistently for decorative purposes for the previous 100 years. More floral motifs were then introduced into pottery, and the London silversmiths of that time were forced to follow these whims of the Sheffield houses. At this time also, Staffordshire potters and porcelain makers generally adopted those styles in their turn, while the designs of some of the fine porcelains produced by the local Rockingham workshops appear in many cases to have been copied en masse by the Old Sheffield gadroon and shell pattern items (a combined frame) and others, created between 1815 and 1830.

It is rather curious that the Sheffield Plate maker in studying his drawings never took note, other than superficially, of the “Queen Anne” period. Very few items are found in Old Sheffield Plate having more than a passing resemblance to the hexagonal, octagonal, pentagonal and other more common shapes of the silversmiths' production of that period. Occasionally one comes across an unusual porridge bowl or something similar in Old Sheffield Plate 82 , and some straight-sided tankards or goblets, but the silver originals of which they are copies were produced long after the death of the queen, as well as while she was alive. Of the myriad flat-topped silver tankards produced during Queen Anne's reign, not a single authentic replica has been found in Old Sheffield Plate . As a rule it will be noted that the old manufacturers, with the help of their steel moulds, favored in their adaptations the study of an ancient specimen in its most decorative variety, since this allowed a wider range of action for their fitters, brasssmiths , drilling workers and mold makers, all highly specialized.

Among the numerous items copied from silver productions, the Sheffield platers do not appear to have reproduced the large silver Monteiths and other cups clearly prevalent in the 16th and 17th centuries. A careful search among the series of Old Sheffield Plate catalogs has failed to bring to light anything other than the generally common large cup with an oval design, rather low in shape, around which the edges have been scalloped to contain the glasses of wine in reverse position, as shown here.

Most early silver candlesticks bear the hallmarks of Winter, Law, Tudor & Leader and Fenton. These were made from the same molds as those used for the Sheffield Plate , except in the case of production for the London market, where they usually bear the mark of some London silversmith. Collectors of antique silverware should note that although these 12" die-struck candlesticks are highly sought after by experts as London specimens, as they bear the London mark, there was none in the metropolis at the time, 1765-1850. only one active firm of manufacturers of "mould-struck" candlesticks, this being a branch of the industry which even at the present day remains almost entirely exclusive to Sheffield. To prove this statement, a pair of Adam model silver candlesticks are illustrated here, both made from the same moulds: one candlestick is marked with the hallmark of J. Parson of Sheffield, 1786; the other shows signs of evident, before or after, subsequent branding by “Richard Carter, Danl. Smith and Robert Sharp”, of London, in 1778. The cast and chased silver candlesticks of London production illustrated here, from the year 1765, 13.25” high, with the pillars out of proportion to the dimensions of the base, do not hold minimal comparison with the fine specimens produced in Sheffield by Winter around the same date.

CHIPPENDALE'S INFLUENCE ON DRAWING

Concerning the numerous original designs in wine coolers, it must be concluded that the Vatican's impressive collection in Rome of finely chiseled vases was the most fruitful source of their origin; while as regards the ancient trays and heavy-mounted épergnes , these prove quite clearly their nature as copies of handwork executed by Chippendale. As is known, he was a talented carver and, when he had the possibility, and the model was susceptible to a similar treatment, he preferred to load his work with heavy Rococo style decorations. The Sheffield Plate maker designed his wine coolers, trays and samovars in accordance with the sideboards on which they were intended to stand , 83 and Chippendale is credited with lending the Sheffield Plate makers his genius for design in other practical forms, although careful research has not yet brought to light any certain information on this interesting topic. Chippendale's career was coming to an end around the time that Sheffield Plate began to come into its own. His birth and death dates are still shrouded in mystery today. All we know for sure about him concerns the publication of his book of drawings, which had three editions, the last of which was in 1762. Some of the articles date from 1753 and 1759. He had a son, Thomas Chippendale as he was named , who succeeded him in the business. The claw-and-ball foot so widely used by silversmiths and pottery makers was an adaptation of Thomas Chippendale's designs; but to prove the obscurity of the origin of this attractive decorative piece, it is enough to say that Chippendale took it from the French designer, who had copied it from the Dutch, who are said to have introduced it from China, where it had been in use for almost 2000 years.

Perhaps the recent revival of interest in Chippendale's work is to some extent stimulated by the mystery associated with the beginning and end of his career. In every antique shop we enter, whether north, south, east or west of the country, we learn that almost everything is “Chippendale,” its own design, style or period; and if we fail to show enthusiasm for the articles thus described, the merchant is struck by a happy inspiration, and tries the magic words "Queen Anne". Surely, if these two distinguished characters could be conscious of what is now attributed to them and their period, the phlegmatic satisfaction at the ugly features of the last Stuart sovereign of England would be exchanged for an expression of painful surprise; while the "master cabinetmaker", if he had the slightest feeling of self-esteem, would be stung to the quick by seeing the frighteningly grotesque articles which are associated with his craft or described as being made from his drawings.

THE ADAM PERIOD AND THE CERAMISTS NAMED ADAMS

Another complication facing the antiquities collector is the Adam period (which, it goes without saying here, has no bearing on humanity's earliest history whatsoever). Its effect on the Old Sheffield Plate of the time was so great that it is necessary to mention it en passant . Robert Adam (not Adams), born in Edinburgh in 1728, was an architect, and no doubt derived his inspiration from his three years' sojourn in Italy, 1754-7, and was the most popular English draftsman of the latter part of the 18th century. . He died in 1792, and was buried in Westminster Abbey. Almost all Old Sheffield Plate objects produced between 1770 and 1790 show clear signs of his influence; the hanging festoons, containers, ram's heads, shells, etc. etc., were decorated in a very skillful way. 84

The Adams, potters, lived and made their splendid jasper and other wares at about the same time (and the names are unfortunately often confused with those of the architect and his brother James, known as the Adam Brothers). There were four of these Adams, all potters between the years 1745 and 1865, in the Tunstall region. It was, however, William Adams (1745-1805), who executed the splendid blue jasper and stoneware jugs with the so-called Flaxman figures on them, adaptations of ancient Greek and Roman friezes. 85 It was he who worked as an apprentice at the firm of Josiah Wegwood, of whom he was later a work colleague, while Wegwood (born in 1730 and died in 1795) exerted the same influence on the porcelain production of the end of his time as Chippendale on furnishings , and by Robert Adam on the interior decoration of houses and other buildings. Josiah Wegwood was also a personal friend of both Samuel Roberts and Matthew Boulton, and the latter, being closer in age, made most of the Old Sheffield Plate and silver mounts for him. Thomas Law made the mounts for most of the jugs with Old Sheffield Plate and silver mounts for William Adams; and at the time there were myriads of them in circulation, but unfortunately, since they were easy to break, today very few intact ones are found outside of museums and carefully preserved private collections. Ashfort, Ellis & Co. (producers of the Sheffield Plate ), in the last days of their activity, opened a branch in Paris, in close contact with the Wegwood exhibition hall.

On the opposite page there is an interesting illustration of the Pickslay showrooms in Sheffield. These buildings existed in the year 1828. The following is a passage taken from a local guide of that year:-“The exterior of the building may exercise considerable attraction to the antiquarian, being one of the oldest facades in the city, furnished with a very elegant and highly valuable selection of Sheffield Plate and silver items of the best quality, design and workmanship".

 

62 The author is greatly indebted to Mr. George Kinman, who for 50 years has had varied experience of the plated wares trade in Sheffield, for his assistance in compiling many details respecting the methods. Mr. Kinman is now a manager at the workshops of T. Bradbury & Sons, where he originally served as an apprentice.

63 The spout is the free part of the basin intended to intercept the molten wax; the hoop , the tube fixed to the basin to secure the spout inside the candlestick capital; the bizzle , the internal part of the capital tube into which the circle slides.

64 See p.45.

65 The sud pot contains a mixture of soap and water.

66 Lipstick is a fine powder, based on iron oxides, used to polish metal, glass and jewelery ( Ed. ).

67 From that date the manufacturing in France of pottery obtained from molten metal can be said to have almost entirely ceased.

68 Mr. Boulton Senior died in 1759, and as presumably the manufacture of melt-plated pottery in Sheffield had already attracted considerable attention for some years, it is quite probable that his son was commissioned to become himself master of this art in his hometown.

69 French plating was often confused with the process of close plating , since in times past the method now described as “ close plating ” was not in these terms. The workers and small masters who worked as close platers sometimes called themselves "tacklers", other times "French platers". In all likelihood they would not have understood the method of procedure described on p.96, known in Sheffield as French plating.

70 The name Garrard, as well as that of AB Savory & Sons (both of London), is frequently found on items of Old Sheffield Plate , i.e. dinner plates, plate covers, etc., produced about this period.

71 In some periods there have been partners in this activity. William Lindley was one. His name [brand] is also found on late Victorian steins and measures, made in Nottingham. There are other examples of workers who in recent times have manufactured beer ware for use in local breweries.

72 Read was a Dublin cutler.

73 James Montgomery.

74 A beautiful example of a silver samovar with a body similar to that of the object depicted above, but with engraved floral decoration and an openwork base, marked in London in 1764 and bearing the initials of the maker (Louisa Courtald), can be seen at Sir John Soane Museum, London. Today one encounters many Old Sheffield samovars, similar to this one in design and manufactured in the same period.

75 The writer is greatly indebted to Mr. Joseph Spiridion of Cardiff, for the great assistance given him in the deciphering and interpretation of these Russian marks.

76 It is interesting to note that the French manufacturers had to face the same difficulties faced by the early Sheffield platers, i.e. opposition from the then existing silversmiths, when they introduced plated wares for tableware use into a market which had previously been controlled almost exclusively by them.

76b Rocher of Rue de Sèvres is a modern-day descendant of this firm, “Durand”.

77 In the local directory of 1849, Messrs. HD Wilkinson publish an advert to find someone who will replate some of their items; and in that of 1852, Messrs. Walzer & Co., of 11 Howard Street, inform that the “public can have their household articles replated at one third of the original cost”.

78 The clamshell and gadrooning models were the first to be introduced (see illustration on p.33).

79 See p.118 and 119.

80 See the illustration on p.210.

81 Between 1820 and 1835 were manufactured perhaps the largest Sheffield Plate wares ever attempted, and from the point of view of workmanship perhaps the best. They included candelabras and épergnes interchangeable with trays, large plate covers and game plates, samovars, the Warwick vase, and large coffee trays.

82 See illustration on p.349.

83 The firm T. Bradbury & Sons is still in possession of molds whose originals have been attributed to Chippendale himself.

84 At the Sir Joane Museum in London, may be seen a book of original illustrations, written by Robert Adam, comprising a large number of designs for silver articles such as vases, candlesticks, dessert plates, tureens, cups, etc., executed between 1764 and 1779.

85 See pp.339, 340.

PART IX

ON THE ASSESSMENT OF THE DATES OF SPECIMENS

EXTRACTS FROM A LIST OF THE YEAR 1774, OF ITEMS PRODUCED AT THE TIME IN SILVER AND SHEFFIELD PLATE

The following extract is taken from the very first Sheffield directory, published by J. and T. Sketchley, of Bristol and Hall, in 1774:-

“These skilled workers made a vast assortment of articles, a summary of which may be appropriate here, namely: épergnes , tea vessels, coffee pots and teapots, kettles and tea lamps, mugs and measures of all sizes, jugs , cups, goblet glasses, drinking glasses, candlesticks, candlesticks, oil cruets, water and platter plates, and dishes, dish rims, dish rings , ampoules, tea trays, water bottle holders and desks, tureens and/or gravy boats ( tureens ) 86 , ladles, spoons, comb shells, canisters 87 , round and oval mustard jars, salt shakers, bottle labels, cream buckets, baskets for bread and sugar, argyles , snuffer holders and plates, wine funnels, skewers, cream jugs, lemon strainers, cheese toasters, chocolatiers, sauce pans, stew pans, snuffboxes, bridle bits, stirrups, buckles, spurs, knife and fork handles, saddle buttons, and a vast assortment of other articles.”

The Sheffield Gales & Martin list, published in 1787, adds to the previous list of items: communion services, first course plates and jug stands.

In addition to this, we give here a complete list of Old Sheffield Plate items, produced by Watson & Bradbury between 1788 and 1815, with original descriptions taken from the firm's pattern book. During that period the business enjoyed the greatest prosperity:-

OLD SHEFFIELD PLATE ITEMS LISTED IN THE INDEX OF AN OLD PATTERN BOOK BETWEEN THE YEARS 1788 AND 1815

Argyles	Various models	2	Candlesticks	Various models	217
Asparagus tongs	“	1	Upper mold candlesticks	“	95
Bottle trays	“	105	Bracket candlesticks	“	187
Bread baskets	“	148	Candelabra	“	324
Cool butter	“	13	Bedroom candlesticks	“	11
Cookie boxes	“	2	Lampshade candlesticks	“	18
Chalices	“	9	Patented stanchions	“	182
Butter knives	“	3	Candlesticks with wax winders	“	56
Bougie boxes	“	6	Oil cruets	“	486
Chocolatier	“	1	Coffee pots and biggins	“	136
Canisters	“	7	Mugs	“	4
Cream ewers	“	106	Pepper shakers	“	8
Caps	“	7	Punch ladles	“	4
Glasses and plates	“	1	Platto (trays)	“	8
Comfores	“	2	Food warmer ( plate warmer )	“	1
Coffee containers	“	19	Jugs	“	2
Caudee shells 88	“	3	Gardener	“	7
Cups and measures	“	41	Spoons	“	21
Cheese toaster	“	8	Trays for snuffers	“	165
Communion cups	“	2	Sugar bowls and cream containers	“	107
Dish crosses	“	4	Salt shakers	“	138
Dish rings	“	20	Soy frames	“	84
Dishes	“	42	Sugar tweezers	“	3
Plate cover	“	6	Snuffers	“	13
Caps for carafes	“	7	Soup ladles	“	19
Food warmer	“	12	Cigar boxes	“	1
Plate wedges	“	3	Sauce ladles	“	11
Epergnes	“	269	Supports for salad bowls	“	74
Egg cups ( Egg frames )	“	65	Sauce pans	“	8
Egg warmer	“	6	Services	“	1
Egg cups	“	11	Miscellaneous items ( sundries )	“	83
Forks	“	3	Toast trays	“	78
Fish knives	“	20	Tea vessels	“	106
Fruit baskets	“	103	Tureens and/or gravy boats ( tureens )	“	73
Mugs	“	7	Teapots and tea jars	“	114
Stemware glasses	“	19	Canisters for tea	“	7
Gravy spoons	“	4	Tea trays	“	74
H oney hives	“	1	Tea bells	“	1
Desk inkwells	“	70	Forks for toasting bread	“	1
Ice buckets	“	17	Tea makers	“	3
Knife rests	“	4	Snuffbox	“	1
Knife trays	“	6	Teapot holders	“	10
Kettles	“	6	Table dishes	“	5
Liquor maker	“	328	Tea set	“	85
Labels	“	7	Flasks for aromatic salts	“	10
Lamps	“	7	Game dishes	“	10
Mustard maker	“	65	Waiters	“	96
Pumpkin spoon	“	1	Tastevin	“	1
Sugar sieves	“	2	Wine strainers	“	31
Bowl for tea grounds	“	7	Water plate	“	6
Holsters ( soup plates )	“	2

Collectors of Old Sheffield Plate will find this latest list of items very interesting, manufactured by one of the oldest known fusion plated goods companies. It is certainly fortunate that, from the general ruin and large-scale destruction through which the industry passed before finally re-emerging in another form, some books have been preserved, such as the one from which this list was copied. Those unfamiliar with the sector perhaps need a little explanation. Only items that were produced by a specific company are listed: naturally, there were many manufacturers who excelled in different branches of the industry. Compared to the production of candlesticks and oil cruets, the importance that this company had at a given time is evident. It is surprising to find “aromatic salt bottles”. The “ Comfores ” were perforated or smooth dishes for sweets, with glass coverings, sometimes made of metal wire, and fixed to waiter plates : they looked very much like sugar bowls with large feet. “ Fish knives ” are not what we imagine – knives for eating fish –, but fish slicers or cutlery, excluding forks, to be combined with those. “ Honey hives ” were honey jugs shaped like a beehive. The “ Bougie boxes ” are classified together with wax winders or taper winders and served the same purpose. “ Bracket ” candlesticks were a smaller variety, the name of which derives from the fact that they were originally shelf-shaped products, to be fixed to the walls of a room or to one side of a spinet or desk.

You will notice the absence of citations for buttons, snuffboxes and buckles. Although the first two items marked the beginning of Old Sheffield Plate production, their manufacturing moved to Birmingham. In this work the question of the possible production of buckles in Sheffield has already been touched upon.

On the next page two interesting documents relating to goods purchased in 1821 from famous Sheffield Plate manufacturers are provided, complete with illustrations of the items and original receipted invoices; they belong to the wife and daughters of John Barker, of Wisewood House, Sheffield. Although almost a century has passed since the items were purchased, it is interesting to find them in such good condition, in addition to the fact that only one is missing.

ILLUSTRATIONS OF ITEMS MADE IN SHEFFIELD IN BOTH SILVER AND SHEFFIELD PLATE

For an item made by the Sheffield manufacturers in silver, dozens were produced from the same designs in Silver Plate . Certain models have therefore come to be considered closely linked to the Old Sheffield Plate . When, as a sporadic event, designs, peculiar to the styles of plating, of silverware are put up for auction, it not infrequently escapes the attention of both the auctioneer and the public. A few years ago a pair of Sheffield Plate trays similar to those illustrated at the end of p.322, but larger, were put up for auction and sold for the paltry sum of £25. It was later discovered that they were made of solid silver; weighing almost 400 ounces 89 , they were then worth double the sum paid for the mere intrinsic value of the silver.

You will find here illustrated a method of ascertaining the dates of Old Sheffield Plate specimens, with the names of the makers, compared with the Sheffield silver wares.

Designs in silver as well as Sheffield Plate , however adaptable they are, never fail to reflect the personality of a maker, as can be seen in the illustration of the salt shaker and bottle coaster pictured below; also note the foot of the pie basket on p.210, and a perforated mustard jar on p.314.

Then refer to illustrations “138” on p.398 of a salt shaker taken from an old plater's catalogue. Here is an example of four different types of articles of the same decoration, and made almost entirely with the help of the same fretwork tools. The silver salt shaker hallmarked in Sheffield in 1777 by M. Fenton & Co. serves as a guide, not only to the approximate date and maker of the coaster, mustard jar and basket, but also to the identity of the company which issued the catalog in which the salt shaker is illustrated.

The candlesticks illustrated, though made from the same molds as many in Old Sheffield , are of silver, and were purchased some years ago as " Old Sheffield " for the sum of 50 shillings a pair. Although this was discovered before the passing to the current owner, it is believed that the original owner, if still alive, is unaware of the mistake he made in selling them. The silver in a pair of these items weighs 210 ounces.

ILLUSTRATIONS AND DESCRIPTIONS OF OLD SHEFFIELD PLATE ITEMS, WITH APPROXIMATE DATES OF PRODUCTION AND NAMES OF THE MANUFACTURERS

A large number of Old Sheffield Plate examples are illustrated, described and dated with the greatest possible accuracy.

With respect to the dates, descriptions and names of manufacturers provided herein, absolute accuracy is not claimed or relied upon. These additional details were arrived at mainly through comparisons. In this sense, enormous help came from a typical collection of contemporary Sheffield silver in the author's possession, and from an almost complete collection of catalogs of the Old Sheffield platers , and from old documents and pattern books belonging to the T. Bradbury & Sons.

Wherever possible, specimens have been reproduced with due regard to size, but where trust has been placed in the courtesy of the people who sent photographs to be reproduced in this work, the size of the illustrations has, to a large extent, depend on the relative proportions of the original negatives.

You will notice the relatively small number of manufacturer names in these illustrated lists. The reason for this is not far to seek.

In the past, just as today, some of the leading companies overshadowed all the others, and the articles produced by a quarter of the most renowned manufacturers, whose names appear in directories and elsewhere, were ten times greater than the productions of those who could be called the smallest fish on the market. Once firmly established, the company tended to grow in size, and as the years passed and the product range expanded, the number of molds increased proportionally. Furthermore, manufacturers had a bad habit of copying from each other and branding items intended for various markets with each other's insignia. Maybe the same person designed for different companies. More likely, as mentioned earlier in this book, the producers had no scruples in adopting suggestions derived from the productions of competitors superior to them in the originality of the design. Finally, the practice of alternating different parts of articles, e.g. the feet, pillars and capitals of the candlesticks, to extend the range of models, makes it difficult to fix the date precisely of many early examples of Sheffield Plate .

ARGYLES

One cannot help but think that the Argyle gravy container derives its name – as presumably in the case of the Monteith cup – from that of the original inventor. In the oldest reference books on the Old Plate trade, these items are referred to as “ Argyles ”. They were manufactured in various models. The one pictured on the left, shaped like a teapot, had a separate chamber with a removable lid. The chamber was used for hot water, and the sauce was poured around it. The one on the right is in the shape of a hot water jug ​​with a double protective covering, in which the water was poured down the mouth which can be seen on the right, while the sauce was placed inside the body of the jug. The spout communicated through the protective coating for hot water with the body of the jug itself, and from this spout, inclined upwards, the sauce could be poured. There are other Argyles with different shapes, but all made for the same purpose, namely to keep the sauce warm during meals, which they served very well. Today the use of Argyles has almost completely ceased.

The gravy boat ( sauce tureen ) illustrated is also an ingenious invention that served a similar purpose. It is equipped with a double protective coating, and at the other end you can see, on the hollow handles, two potholders which, when loosened, reveal a small opening down which hot water was poured in order not to let the dish cool down. sauce.

If these hollow, double-protected containers become dented or damaged during use - which is not uncommon - it is very difficult to rearrange them.

BASKETS FOR CAKE AND FRUIT

Of these articles known in the past as "bread baskets", you will notice that in the list of cataloged articles on p.196, 148 different models produced between 1788 and 1815 are indicated. Cake baskets in their lightest and most ancient - and in particular the productions in metallic iron wire - are today much more popular than the bulky and heavy productions of the late Georgian period.

The lightness of cake baskets, and even of fruit plates, has increased their value as table decorations to a degree better appreciated when filled for use, than when left empty in a collection. Several designs of these baskets were produced in Sheffield Plate , and the same list that includes bread baskets also enumerates 103 different types of fruit baskets. The bases of some of the lighter forms of wire fruit baskets were normally gilded.

CANDLESTICKS

Regarding the importance attributed to candlesticks and the examples illustrated in this book, it is good to keep in mind the indispensability of the candle for the comfort of domestic life from ancient times to today. In the Bible candlesticks are mentioned around 1500 BC. In this country there still exists a candlestick of the " Pricket " type, previously received from the church of St. Peter's Abbey in Gloucester, attributed as dating to the beginning of the 12th century. Even today there is no softer or more restful light than that provided by the ordinary wax candle. Those who spend many weary hours under the steady, dazzling light of incandescent gas or electricity appreciate as no one else could the luster imparted by candle-light not only to the furnishings of the dining-table, but also to the jewels of ladies. It is almost impossible to obtain equally satisfactory effects from electric light or gas, regardless of their treatment.

Among the earliest articles for table use made by Sheffield Plate ware makers were candlesticks, and there is good reason to believe that the one previously illustrated on p.33, Part II, was actually made by Joseph Hancock himself, circa 1755.

It bears the initials [initials] in a completely different font from the lettering used by John Hoyland, a slightly later manufacturer, whose mark was [trademark]. Even the execution is of the rudimentary type characteristic of the very first works of the old platers .

The collars and necks, which constituted the main parts of the oldest candlesticks, were composed of hoops welded together and then hot-molded into the required shapes. As a result they don't fit perfectly and are unbalanced on the shoulders. The feet, shoulders and pillars show signs of being minted from some rudimentary form of cast mold and subsequent hand chasing, while the spouts bear traces of both operations. The items were completed by soldering the parts together with tin, but the plating was usually of considerable thickness.

This production method was replaced around 1765 by the introduction of candlesticks constructed entirely from cast molds, without the aid of hot molding. They were made chiefly with fluted columns and capitals, as found on Ionic columns, with innumerable varieties of base, though throughout the life of the industry, the shell pattern illustrated on p.33 was never neglected.

Around 1800, the gadroon 90 in silver, moldings and other supports printed separately and soldered onto the shoulders and bases of simple round candlestick models were introduced, operations following the filling of the supports with tin and lead. This form of mounted candlestick remained in vogue until the end of the industry, and the decorations of the supports and edges of the candlesticks themselves became so extravagant, that the designs ended up intruding on and around the bases, shafts and capitals of many of the candlesticks manufactured between the years 1810-1825.

Some of these massively decorated candlesticks are found molded completely or almost completely in fine silver and filled with tin and lead, hoops , trays and bizzles being the only parts produced in melt-plated metal. These candlesticks were certainly not tasted. To give an idea of ​​the large number of candlesticks made by Old Sheffield Plate makers, the list of items on p.196 shows that, including wax winders, bracket and chamber candlesticks, patented slide candlesticks, and candlesticks, no fewer than 1,190 different models were manufactured by a single company over a period spanning over 25 years of production.

THE FILLING OF THE CANDLESTICKS

The method of filling the candlesticks must, we are forced to think, have had local origin, borrowed from the practice of stamping knife handles in two halves and welding them together. The process was conducted in the following manner: an iron bar was placed up the center of the stems, the candlesticks were turned upside down and a mixture of resin and loom was poured into them in molten liquid form. This mixture, when cooled, formed a hard solid substance. The addition of the iron bar prevented the stanchions from breaking at the thinner parts, as well as adding stability and weight to the whole. If these plugged candlesticks were produced for foreign markets, a compound was used in which plaster of Paris was the main element, since the resin melts in hot climates.

This method of producing candlesticks, both plated and silver, aimed to clearly define the very delicate contour of the molds by coining the sections in very thin metal sheets. The success that accompanied the production of these molded and filled candlesticks was very great, since the new process ensured considerable savings in both effort and material. In Sheffield this system is still used today, after over 150 years.

Old Sheffield Plate collectors will note the large number of what are termed telescoping pattern candlesticks. Presumably the only purpose was to raise or lower the candle where necessary. In all adjustable stanchions, the scheme usually adopted was to fit a rag covering to the slide rails, so that when they were moved up or down there was no metal-to-metal contact, thus not scratching the posts during the sliding process . Eckhardt's patent - apparently the first to be issued for telescopic stanchions - differed from the others in having adjustable brass collars adapted as a sliding guide, with two slots on one side, which could be opened or pressed towards the low to allow the guide to operate more easily or more rigidly as needed (fig. 3 and 4).

The simplest and most effective device was based on Archimedes' principle; the candle, fixed on a small nail at the base of the candlestick capital, could be pushed upwards, at the same time increasing the height of the candlestick by screwing the column (fig. 8). No patent mark was printed on these candlesticks. The telescopic candlestick illustrated on p.238, bearing the mark [trademark], was the subject of much dispute. Messrs. AJ Echardt and Morton spent £120, 5 shillings and 6 pence in attempting to validate this patent under their joint names. In connection with this matter a notice was given by a Mr. Warry, residing in Norfolk Street, Sheffield; However, it seems that the request was ultimately rejected on the grounds that the producers had sold the articles before patenting them. This application for the Eckhardt patent dates back to 15 October 1796, and the period of these candlesticks and telescopic candlesticks is after 1795, although it is difficult to find any made from the reign of George IV onwards. Telescopic stanchions operating on the “ notch and catch ” principle 91 (of the type in fig. 2) are sometimes found marked [trademark]. In 1798 Roberts, Cadman & Co. secured a patent in similar terms. The telescopic stanchions of their production are rarely found without the words [words]. Furthermore, common sliding stanchions may be found which operate on the same principle as the rag lining being threaded into the runners, and yet printed with the words [words] (fig. 7), and also [brand].

We now illustrate a rather ingenious method of adjusting stanchion guides, an apparent improvement on the Eckhardt method. The operation consists in simply unscrewing the telescopic guide, and then expanding the internal column of the stanchion with your fingers until it is fixed more firmly to the tube or to the external column. The operation is simple, as the tube is cut lengthwise into two sections at the base.

As will easily be understood, therefore, the confusion regarding these patented sliding stanchions is considerable; and to complicate the matter still further, stanchions similar in style to the telescopic ones have been found, with the word "patent" printed on them, although they were not produced on the sliding principle. It may simply be an error on the part of the worker responsible for carrying out the branding.

It is worth detailing a particularly curious combination of candlesticks. The production date is set around 1805. The combination consists of, fig. 2, a bedroom candlestick, a snuffer and a spout, with two complete telescopic columns, all pressed into the two bases, ready to be placed in the suitcase before embarking on a carriage journey. In fig. 1, the inverted base of the candlestick, which formed the foot of the complete chamber candlestick, as in the illustration; in the figs. 3 and 4 all parts assembled for use, to form a pair of common table candlesticks of telescopic construction, 9.25” tall. It is almost impossible to imagine how all these various parts could be packed away in such a small circumference as that provided by the two inverted bases, illustrated in fig. 2, 3.5" high by 5.25" in diameter.

The difficulty in identifying the manufacturer of a particular model of candlestick is increased by the habit established among local producers of trading with each other. Some candlesticks have been found, struck from the same dies, bearing the hallmarks of various Sheffield makers.

By 1773, Winter, Parsons & Hall had become clearly the largest candlestick manufacturing company; Where they had acquired superiority in design remains a mystery – perhaps they had focused particular attention on the production of just one category of item.

In all likelihood Winter and Parsons did not produce for a specific market. It would not have been profitable for them, one would suppose, to send representatives at home and abroad for the purpose of securing orders for these articles alone. We therefore find a significant percentage of their candlesticks bearing the names of London silversmiths and the mark of the London silver assay. In competition with the manufacturers and merchants of both Sheffield and London, they would hardly have obtained the large support afforded them by the wholesale trade.

It should be remembered that the definitions Ionic Corinthian Egyptian and so on, used by silversmiths, are not strictly precise in an architectural sense. While using classical examples to a large extent, the designers quietly departed from the rigorous purity of the source of inspiration, and introduced many extraneous details. Thus their free nomenclature indicates the basic motif of the compositions, but does not imply an exact imitation of the authentic models.

CANDELABRA

The original candlestick makers took inspiration from the shape of a tree, as the stem resembles a trunk and the arms extend like those of a tree. In the last days of the Sheffield Plate industry, moreover, this seems to have been the idea taken most into consideration, so much so that the candelabras were made in such a way as to remarkably resemble tree trunks, foliage, leaves and to the flowers.

The plated Sheffield candlesticks cannot be dated before 1770. Sketchley, however, includes " branches " in the list of articles produced in 1774. Nowadays it is rare to find examples from that period.

Candlesticks and interchangeable épergnes formed an important element of Sheffield's plated ware trade. They were introduced shortly after 1815 and took the place of the previously popular épergnes and oil cruet combinations (see pp.290 and 291). We perhaps have Chantrey to thank for the innovations introduced in their artistic design. The credit for the design of the caryatids illustrated on pages 240 and 241 is certainly his.

Snuffers

Mr. H. C. Casley of Ipswich says of the strange, silver-backed, close-plated Old Sheffield snuffers illustrated here: “In our grandfathers' day, and even when our parents were young, the only shape of candle used was the wax one (definitely too expensive for anything other than dinners with guests), and the tallow candle, which simply consisted of tallow on a twisted cotton wick, and in the most common and ancient form, the wick it was sometimes made of rush. The quality of such candles varied – those produced for the drawing room were fashioned, and of composite tallow; The fact remains, however, that the wick used to char quickly, and smoked horribly if it wasn't snuffed out with some regularity. The charred portion of the wick, if not snubbed and carefully removed, and deposited, fell on the tablecloth or was scattered about the room, leaving unsightly black streaks of grease, which undoubtedly gave rise to this special form of snuffer, which provided safe storage for the charred end when removed.”

Such observations are well worthy of attention, not only because of the enormous number and variety of styles of these steel snuffers, but also because their manufacture is an entirely lost art, as can be ascertained by of inquiries among the old shear makers in the city of Sheffield, as far as it is possible that the trade still survives in London or Birmingham.

The added list of patents related mainly to snuffers and candlesticks gives the idea of ​​how, for almost a century, the minds of an important section of the community had apparently been concentrated on the question of the flame, on how to regulate it, and on how to turn it off successfully, without fear of some general damage to the house. Around 1840, candles were introduced for the first time whose wicks burned without having to resort to snuffers.

1749. The Cartwright specification is the oldest one can be found for spring snuffers.
1750. Christopher Pinchbeck's patent for holding the candle upright by carrying it around, regulated by a weight, and also a spring screwed in to the spout, to avoid the use of a gasket (which is still used today), is the first traceable in relation to the topic.
1751. Joachim Smith's patent for raising the candle automatically as it burns, by means of a spring.
1752. Christopher Pinchbeck patented the first patented spring snuffer to lock in the eliminated wick and extinguish the spark.
1753. John Trusler on the same line, but working on the sides.
1754. Edmund Greaves' patent for raising the candle by turning a screw.
1755. Raybould's patent. An adjustable patent to secure and hold candles.
1756. Patent by John Wilkes for the manufacture of a spring-loaded cylindrical candle snuffer, which removes, insulates and extinguishes the snubber in one motion.
1757. William Kent patents an invention for the chamber candlestick by means of which, when burning, the remains of the candle fall into water, also attaching a safety, made of horn or glass to let the sparks fall into the water.
1758. John Duff brings onto the market a pair of patented snuffers, the principle of which, he claims, had been communicated to him by a foreigner.
1759. George Alexander Thompson patents a pair of spring snuffers, in which the candle wick is cut and held in perfect shape and at a convenient length.
1760. Samuel Hobday of Birmingham takes out a patent by which snuffers work without springs, by simply applying a lever.
1761. Abraham Willis invents a patent for many everyday items, including snuffers.
1762. Leger Didot comes up with some very complicated additions to the candlestick patents.
1763. Charles Goodwin patents a housing for fixing the candle without a gasket, and an auto-extinguisher.
1764. Robert Salmon patents an advanced device for holding the spark plug in the socket.
1765. Samuel Hobday patents a snuffer again, this time without levers and springs.
1766. Thomas Motley patents some improvements in the construction of candlesticks or lamps, as well as candles to burn in them.
1767. Thomas Lees the younger patented improvements in snuffers, "which consist in the perfect extinguishing and in the impossibility for the snuffer to light up again, thanks to the pressure and exclusion of the air of the atmosphere, independently of the opening of the snuffer blades".
1768. James Simpson, a London maker of surgical instruments, presents a steel snuffer “with composite levers on the handles to keep the snuffer in the receptacle chamber when the snuffers are reopened.
1769. William Palmer patents a device for making and fastening candles.
1770. Thomas Walzer patents an automatically operated snuffer for stanchions with springs, by means of a nail placed in contact with a stopping or blocking device.
1771. Henry Needham Scope Shrapnel patents improvements in snuffers “for retaining the snot by means of a series of nails or projections in the receptacle.”
1772. James Barlow, of Birmingham, patents some improvements in the construction of candlesticks for the primary purpose of securing the candles.
1773. Charles Greenway, of Douglas, Isle of Man, patents an improvement in snuffers, for preserving snot.
1774. John Lee Stevens and John King patent improvements in stanchion adjustment and fastening.
1775. Septimus Cocking, of Birmingham, patented improvements in the production of the flame, burning oil, tallow and wax, and in the device for regulating and extinguishing it.
1776. Francis Prime Walker Junior patents improvements in the manufacture of candles and candlesticks, which consist of: an improved candlestick for fixing three different candles so close together that when they burn they unite into one flame; in an automatic fixer to accommodate candles of different diameters; in improved snuffers.
1777. Thomas Clive, of Birmingham, patented improvements in the construction of candlesticks consisting in an improvement in the " push-up " of the candlesticks, and also in an elastic fixator for firmly securing the candle.
1778. William Young patents improvements in lamps and candlesticks.
1779. Mark Freeman patents improvements in the device of candlesticks and in the instruments used in the use of wax and rush candles.
1780. Frederick Oldfield Ward and Mark Freeman, patents consisting of cooling caps.
1781. John Butt patents “certain improvements in candlesticks” (there are no specific additions).

For collectors it will be a good research to extrapolate from the above-mentioned list the particular inventor to whose mind the snuffers in their possession owe. Almost all snuffers bear an indication of origin, through trademarks, patent letters, or otherwise.

ROOM CANDLESTICKS

As the name suggests, they were and still are intended for the bedroom. Despite the advent of gas and electric light, the bedroom candlestick is still in constant use, and is likely to continue to be so as long as people continue to dedicate a last half hour to reading in bed by candlelight, still considered today the best way to relax your mind in view of a night's rest.

CANDLESTICKS FOR LIGHTERS (TAPERS)

Another branch of the candlestick family was the holder of the small lighter, once used to melt wax while sealing letters. They are all very attractive small decorations, now particularly sought after by collectors of Old Sheffield Plate , such as cabinet specimens and drawing room decorations. The stem of the taper was usually fixed to a writing inkwell, and very often formed the upper part of the lid of the box containing the wafers. Another form had a handle and a strip running down the middle of the article, around which a long coil of wax could be wound and pulled through the opening at the top or spout. It was called “ wax winder ”. A third variety had a similar shape, but was enclosed in the so-called " bougie box ", however without the handle to wrap the wax, and the coil had to be pulled manually. At times, undoubtedly, all three of these items were used as pipe or cigarette lighters.

CHEESE TOASTER

In Old Sheffield Plate cheese containers were always in high demand. The cheese was cut into thin slices and then placed on bread, toasted or not, in these containers, subsequently placed in front of the fire. Usually the insides of the containers were divided into two sections. All containers had hot water compartments and, as with vegetable containers, hot water could be poured into the insulating lining of the container by unscrewing the handle or lifting a small side cap. A chain was attached from the knob of the container to a small socket on the handle, which held the lid of the container up so that the heat was reflected on the cheese, which was a great help in the toasting process. By the 1830s, the production of cheese toasters almost completely disappeared.

BOTTLE COASTER

The various descriptions of what are normally called “ coasters ” 92 cause some confusion. In the oldest pattern books they are described as bottle trays or bottle holders, but descriptions such as " decanter " or "bottle" holders - or coasters tout court - are the ones most often attributed to them today.

In the very early days of the industry there were only a few of these bottle trays, an insufficient number to include them in the 1774 list. By 1800, their production had increased to considerable levels, due largely to the introduction of glass rims. silver, which added much to their artistic appearance; and with the advent of decorated decanters in deep cut crystal, the decorated designs of bottle coasters also increased. In the extracts taken from the book of old articles on p.196, 15 different models of bottle trays are given. The very first forms of bottle coasters, especially the pierced ones, produced before 1785, are very deficient in the finish of the external edges, missing the silver edges. In general they highlight a clear coppery appearance which takes away a lot from the beautiful variations in the perforation, visible around the sides.

The origin of the "wine trolley" 93 must be attributed to the creative genius of Sir E. Thomason, of Birmingham, and in this connection the following passages, taken from his memoirs, will be read with interest:-

“Many years ago, Lord Rolle visited me at the establishment, saying that he had dined with His Majesty George IV the day before, and that His Majesty was pleased to express his regret at having to have his noble guests sitting across the table get up from his seat to pass the wine, and commented to him (Lord Rolle), "since he has told me he is going to Birmingham to-morrow, he had better go to Thomason, who might invent a scheme to obviate this inconvenience."

I suggested to Lord Rolle that jug stands on wheels were, in my opinion, the only solution that could be adopted; and possessing the beautiful molds with the victories of the last war, 40 in number, that is, from the landing in Portugal to the conquest of Paris, and to Napoleon's settlement on St. Helena, I recommended placing these medals around the flat perpendicular edges of the supports for bottle, so as to fill four of them, thus adapting them to two trolleys, all in silver and richly gilded, and that each trolley had finely decorated wheels. 94 His lordship approved my suggestions, and requested that no time should be lost in carrying them out, and that, when ready, they should be sent to the Marquess of Conyngham. Upon their arrival His Majesty expressed total approval of the idea. Some time later the King presented them to the Duke of Wellington. 95

COFFEE MAKERS

Old Sheffield Plate coffee pots can be divided into four categories.

The first includes the " coffee pot ", derived in conception from those in solid silver, when the plated articles sector first saw the light of day as an industry. These pots are surprisingly numerous even today, and their thickness of copper, like that of the deposited silver, has served them well in the 150-odd years since they were first put on the market by manufacturers in Old Sheffield Plate (see the first two illustrations on p.260). The second includes coffee “jugs” ( jugs ), which first appeared around 1787, after the introduction of silver holders and other improved manufacturing methods (see p.262).

Such items are sometimes described as “ biggins ”. Biggin or bagging is a dialectal term from the northern regions indicating refreshment between regular meals. The baggin-time is either 10 in the morning, or 4 in the afternoon. Correctly described, the biggin is a container with a capacity slightly larger than a pint, manufactured with a tall lid, which being separated can act as a saucer. A coffee biggin is a jug with a rim and lid, inside which there is a shelf on which a round wire can be placed to hold the tea muslin, when filtering the coffee.

The third category is that of the coffee machine ( coffee percolator – see the illustration above on p.262), and from approximately the same period is the smaller coffee pot or with side handles, with rim or spout, the whose capacity varies from ¾ of a pint to a pint and a half, with a stand and light bulb underneath (see p.263).

The old platers did not produce the chocolate pots on a large scale, although Sketchley mentions them in his 1774 list. In the extracts of wares produced between 1788 and 1815, given on p.197, only one model is described.

LIDS FOR CUTS OF MEAT AND GAME PLATES, FINE PORCELAIN PLATES, ETC.

Plate covers from before 1800 are rarely encountered. 1810 is the approximate date of their introduction into the long rows or sets ranging in size from 10" to 24" in length, initially used mainly by innkeepers. In the pattern book for the period 1788-1815 only 6 varieties are described. By 1820, in the revised edition published at the time, the number had risen to 21. Upon the introduction of floral designs around 1815, they gained much popularity in private homes, while 10 years later their dimensions had become sumptuous , varying the sets at the time from 12” to 26” in length. It is a pity that as this book is written they are out of fashion, for perhaps no article lends itself better to elaborate decoration than a large Old Sheffield plate cover.

The good old English cut of meat, served hot at the midday meal, except at business lunches and in the market, is now almost a thing of the past, and as no one now wishes to become an expert in carving meat, there is no longer any demand for the large 26” Old Sheffield meat platter, with hot water container and 24” platter cover. The latter articles can, however, still be found as embellishments for hotel sideboards in rural districts. In the past many lids were made, as shown in the illustration on p.266, for use on fine china dishes, etc.

MEAL AND MEAT DISHES, AND OTHERS

With the decline in the use of large plates and lids for game, the demand for large plated dishes of all sorts has also ceased. Today, plated meat plates are among many other Old Sheffield items that have outlived their domestic useful life, although they are still found in hotels and restaurants.

Perhaps the resourcefulness shown in recent years by fine porcelain manufacturers in increasing their range of items for domestic purposes, and also in making their production more convenient, may to some extent have caused the disappearance of many items from our homes. plates that were used daily a century ago.

The Old Sheffield dinner plate with the sunken top, shown in the illustration below on the next page, may prove a very useful article on which to place a fine china plate at mealtimes, to keep the contents warm.

However, complete sets are still often made, consisting of meat and soup dishes in “925/1000 silver”.

The large knife, fork and spoon tray pictured below is a great piece in terms of size. It bears the plume of a well-known English noble family, and has evidently been discarded. Once the meal was served, the cutlery and other items were sorted and placed in the three partitions shown. However, one would believe that the article itself required almost as much cleaning of the content.

CRUET FRAMES AND SAUCE BOATS (SOY FRAMES)

Until the rediscovery of the oldest (so far known) books describing the patterns of trade in Old Sheffield Plate , there has always been controversy as to where in the 18th century. the platers supplied themselves with glass. The article on glass that appears in the first part of the work (see p.67), although it deals with this topic in an exhaustive way, nevertheless leaves us amazed at the immense quantities of this material which could have found a market more than once century ago. Without taking into consideration the glass supplied for the é pergnes , the liqueur jars, the salt shakers and the mustard jars, etc., one is amazed to discover that including the gravy boats, the number of the various glass cruet models, indicated on pp.196 and 197 in that company's books, it should amount to 570.

Gravy boats and oil cruets - with their various combinations and assortment of models - are sufficiently illustrated in this book to give a general idea of ​​the different fashions and requests in this branch of the industry. The name soy is borrowed from French, and means sauce.

COMMUNION SERVICES

The specialty of Robert Gainsford, who registered the elephant-head trade mark in 1808, was the production of Old Sheffield Plate wares for places of worship, and about 1810 he published a complete catalog of designs and prices of altar candlesticks , communion cups, patens, toothpick boxes, food bowls, incense burners, altar ampoules, etc.

Gainsford was Catholic, and appears to have received much support from this "label" in the production of items generally intended for Catholic churches and chapels.

In the catalogs of other manufacturers there are only here and there some illustrations of communion services, simple in shape and normally of the type illustrated here.

In this country you can find many plated communion vessels of French production. The majority appear to have been produced in the early part of the 18th century. (see the illustration of the small altar cruet on p.168).

DISH RINGS, OR RIMS (RIMS)

These articles, today more commonly known as " Potato rings ", - the origin of which is somewhat of a mystery - were usually punched and perforated using methods employed in Sheffield factories (explanation on pp.118-119) . The openwork silver rings of Irish production mainly depicted rural scenes - shepherds and shepherdesses, farm animals, houses and huts, sheaves, flowers, men and birds, etc., while the Sheffield plated rings bore decorations of scrolls and festoons, obtained by chasing in low relief ( flat chasing ), and both the perforation and the punches were of the pattern with stripes and floral decorations, etc. Roughly, cymbal rings can be divided into four types, the first of which is chased in high relief, the second in low relief and commonly referred to as " flat chased ", the third pierced and engraved, while the fourth simply consisted of rings made of holders made of bent wire secured to a shaped wire support so as to carry essentially any shape of oval or round plate. The rings of this last category were made in different ways, and the most common shape was usable with an oval or round plate of your choice, reversing the circle itself; others were produced to hold two different sizes of round plates, and occasionally oval rings can be found that can be treated in the same way (see p.282).

Mr. Westropp, regarding the definition " Irish Rings ", points out that the silver ones, always circular, in the books of the Dublin Assay Office were described as " Dish Rings ", while in the old Sheffield catalogs they were sometimes named “ Dish Rims ”. Having had in his hands a large number of these articles, he never recognized any of them as having been produced before 1750. He found them mentioned in auction advertisements in the old Dublin newspapers, in the following order:-1762, a “Plate support”; 1776, “a Ring for the table”; 1780, “a Ring for the centerpiece”.

So far none of the old Sheffield catalogs of plated wares, generally published for commercial purposes, have disclosed an illustration of the so-called Irish styles or shapes of pierced plate rings. Which would naturally lead one to conclude that they were items produced exclusively for the Irish market.

On the following pages are given illustrations of so-called Irish dish rings , three of which were owned by Mr. MLA West of Dublin. Mr. West's notes on these articles will be held in high esteem, as he has taken much interest in the subject. He states: “It is now generally believed that these rings were produced as supports for fine porcelain punch bowls, thus serving the dual purpose of raising the bowls for better display, and preventing them from damaging the mahogany; Many people refuse to entertain the originally accepted idea that rings were always used as supports for wooden potato bowls . Personally I believe that they were used in both capacities, and in this case they were used for the majority of the meal, certainly making beautiful table decorations. I imagine that these rings were made about the same time that the Old Sheffield Plate came into vogue. I once owned a pair of Old Sheffield plate rings, chased in high relief, but the ornament usually consisted of scrollwork, foliage and floral decoration, and was not of the peculiarly Irish courtyard type in silver, of which I have only seen an exemplary Old Sheffield ”.

Mr West believes that all the Old Sheffield Plate rings were actually made in Sheffield, and this is confirmed by the other Sheffield plated and pierced items illustrated in this volume, which bear the same decorative style. Starting from duplicates of silver salt shakers, baskets, etc. found in solid silver, it was also possible to identify the Sheffield makers and the approximate production dates of some rings (see p.280).

PRODUCTION METHOD OF PLATE RINGS

The process adopted in the production of Sheffield Plate rings is as follows:-

Taking a sheet of molten metal, plated on both sides, 18" to 20" long by 4.5"/5" wide, the worker turned it up and welded it together in the shape of a cylinder, thus giving it the appearance of a crescent moon hammered into a wooden block designed for the purpose, slightly wider at one end than the other. Subsequently, having obtained thanks to this method a ring of the required shape, i.e. by tapering it slightly at one end, he hammered it again on a steel plug until the necessary thickness was obtained.

The next process was decoration, carried out in the case of the Sheffield plated rings with the aid of a pallet and a fly punch; in other words, pressure was exerted on the model in this way. After that, to print the perforated work into the template, the services of the “on the fly” perforation and punching machine were needed (see illustration on p.119). At this point the ring was ready for mounting, an operation carried out by soldering onto a thin stamped silver support, threaded, molded - sometimes S-shaped, in harmony with the style of the ring model, while the metal particles of the support were overlapped on the outer edge of the ring to form a protection.

After carefully burnishing and hand-sanding, the ring was ready for use.

FIRST COURSE DISHES (ENTRÉE DISHES)

At one time, the most important articles for table use were undoubtedly the first course plates, and when the ancient trade in plated ware reached the height of prosperity, their forms and varieties were innumerable. As we know them today, they were produced only occasionally before 1785, and very rarely before 1775. The handles of the earliest dinner plates are usually at the ends and not on the lids. In books dating back to the 18th century. they were described as “ double dishes ”, “ steak dishes ” and “ hash dishes ” 96 , the latter manufactured with supports, with and without heating lamps. Normally the first course dish was accompanied by a " warmer " 97 , the oldest forms of which were heated by means of a red-hot iron placed on a metal structure at the base. The top cover of the warmer on which the plate rested was perforated (see illustration on p.289). Then followed the adaptation of the plate inside a warmer containing hot water, without the help of the red-hot iron (see p.286). Countless varieties of different dishes were produced for serving cakes and jellies, although the lower halves of first course dishes were also used for this purpose. Vegetable dishes were usually round in shape, with a protective outer covering for hot water. The handle unscrewed, and hot water was poured into the hollow tube. Others were equipped with a plug-in screw for this purpose, while the plate itself was divided into three sections, one of which was removable (see p.288).

EPERGNES AND PLATEAUX

Perhaps the triumph of trade in Old Sheffield Plate was the product of the wonderful combinations of centerpiece and side dishes, surrounded by pepper shakers, mustard shakers, salt shakers and cruets, on a revolving stand. They appear to have been immensely popular towards the end of the 18th century; and as “ Epergnes ,” in the Sketchley list of the productions of 1774, given on p.196 of this book, they are given the place of honour.

The repair of the remains (so definable) of these delicate molded centerpieces from the early period which still exist today, is almost hopeless. Very few will be found complete, and certainly no servant today would know how to handle such combinations of glass and wire material without seriously damaging them (see p.291). How the servants managed to treat them once is a mystery, but evidently there were those in the house who had them. Furthermore, the cost of these centerpiece pieces was relatively high, averaging 15 to 21 guineas for each wholesale sale.

We then move on to the Epergnes of the late 18th and early 19th centuries, made of metal wire on a revolving support, to hold fruit and flowers. This variety always attracts praise from experts. Their delicately shaped shafts rotate on a pin fixed in a housing towards the base and act as a support for a number of baskets usually between five and eight, all separable and usable as separate receptacles for sweets or other purposes (yes see pp.292, 293).

The final form of Old Sheffield centerpiece piece was a true triumph of cut glass and heavy floral decoration. These late Georgian épergnes are absolutely stunning objects, once displayed on the dining table and filled with fruit or flowers. As for the artistic aspect of the latest Old Sheffield productions, it would be unfair to write about them without rewarding the workers who produced them with praise. Their various parts are joined so perfectly that the union of the joints can only be detected by technicians. Being refined achievements of industry, they should be given a very important place (see pp.294-5-6).

Generally these épergnes are found - except when they were used in hotels - in perfect condition, since due to the immense amount of cleaning necessary, they were only taken out for use on special occasions. Unfortunately however they are too often useless, both from an artistic and practical point of view, due to the lack of crystals. An épergne without crystals is as painful to look at as a sailing vessel that has weathered a storm but has lost masts and sails.

WRITING INK PAD

The first attempts made by the Sheffield platers in the production of writing inkwells clearly open our eyes to the influence on design exerted by the London silversmiths of that time, in the early stages of the industry. These quickly produced desk inkwells, with perforated bodies and long decorations with chiselled curved scrolls, are very rare. Their disappearance is due to the fact that, having been produced before the use of plated metal wire or silver edges, they lacked the protection necessary for articles subject to particularly heavy wear.

Lord Nelson was an admirer of the Old Sheffield Plate , and it is said that a writing inkstand he used at the Battle of Copenhagen in 1801 still exists, presented to him by Captain James Clarke after the battle as a souvenir. 98

On the following page you will see a small inkstand, with an anchor handle, bearing the mark of D. Holy, Parker & Co., made about 1804. It has been stated that this inkstand was also once owned by , and done for, Lord Nelson. While it is not impossible to find a small item on board an old warship, it is more likely that the design was influenced by the victories achieved by Lord Nelson in that period. Since no duplicate has come to light so far, presumably the model was not put on the market through the canonical channels.

Among other items offered for sale around the date of purchase of this inkwell (1895), were a set of four Old Sheffield dinner plates bearing Lord Nelson's crest, with many other relics, both silver and plated, today kept in public institutions and private individuals, including the famous Flaxman-Nelson vase in gilt silver, which once belonged to the late King Edward VII. 99

KETTLES ON SUPPORTS, WITH LAMPS

The kettles in Old Sheffield Plate are not very numerous. In the old article lists of the book of the first period, cited on p.197, only 6 different models are indicated, but in the subsequent model books, compiled between 1815 and 1830, this rises to 10.

LIQUOR FRAMES

Even though 328 varieties of liqueur makers are listed together with the other items in use a century ago in the list of models on p.197, which shows how much gin, Hollands 100 , rum and other curious drinks in vogue at the time must have been in demand ( as evidence of this, consider the wine labels illustrated on the previous page), it cannot be said that today there is any demand for these items; and perhaps the same applies, with some differences, to ampoules and other combinations of glassware and silver, and of silver and pottery. Whether in Old Sheffield or in antique silver, any article in which the glass is excessively prominent in the structure is today not sought after by either the collector or the public. Liquor and oil cruets can currently be purchased at 1/10 of the prices obtained for the more general and popular varieties of articles, both in Antique Silver and in Old Sheffield Plate .

PITCHERS OR JUGS 101

Undoubtedly the most useless, and certainly the prettiest, articles of melt-plated pottery, are the jugs made by the makers of Old Sheffield Plate . However, they are not abundant, and consequently the prices obtained today for valuable specimens are relatively high. “ Pitchers ” is the name given to them from the beginning in the old article books of the sector. A well made and fashioned pitcher , it is an article which perhaps as much as any other lends itself to the decorations prevalent between 1770 and 1790. This fact appears to have been fully understood by both the master potters and the Sheffield platemakers of that period. Their contemporary silversmiths, however, remained a little behind in the production of solid silver pitchers . It appears that these ancient pottery items became extinct with the advent of the “ Biggin ,” which could be used for coffee, milk, water or cocoa. On the following page there are illustrations of large jugs for the negus 102 or claret 103 , which are very difficult to encounter today.

Salt, mustard and pepper shakers 104

Among the items that have remained in constant daily use from the earliest documents of the plating industry to the present day, importance should be given to salt shakers and mustard shakers. You will note that 138 of the former, and 65 of the latter, in different patterns, are listed on p.197 in the extracts from the old pattern book. Salt shakers from the George III period always fetch high prices when auctioned, whether in Old Sheffield Plate or silver, while mustard shakers have recently fetched almost prohibitive sums. As is usual with both antique silver and Old Sheffield Plate of this period, the openwork varieties of these items are those most sought after by connoisseurs. If in any case they are well preserved, it is very difficult to distinguish plated specimens from silver ones.

Sheffield platers appear to have produced almost as many salt and mustard shakers in solid silver as in silver plated. Being perhaps cheaper than salt and mustard shakers made in London, due to the labour-saving methods of fretwork adopted, Sheffield makers probably had a larger market for these items than London silversmiths. A form of salt shaker with wire supports, gilt plate and large deeply cut crystal containers, appears to have been specific to Sheffield, produced in both Sheffield Plate and silver, from the early 19th century. until the end of the industry (see pp. 313 and 415).

The round tripod salt shaker illustrated on the next page, small though it is, is one of the most interesting pieces of Old Sheffield Plate to have yet come to light, for the following reasons:-

The initials HT (used by Tudor & Leader), repeated three times (one punch mark has been obliterated by the repairer) clearly indicate that the item was made before 1773, when a law was passed preventing such production, as it closely resembled closely to contemporary silver marks (see Part X).

The fact that the article was undoubtedly made from a molten sheet, plated front and back, resolves the dispute (since the salt shaker was not subjected to electroplating in later times) on the possibility that the plating on both sides of the ingot had been discovered before 1803. 105

The body was shaped by hand, acquiring great strength and rigidity. The festoon decoration was cut from a separate mold and then attached to the top with solder.

The scalloped support in relief, also separately welded on top, was obtained from a mold and duplicated, to give it sturdiness.

The feet were printed from two separate molds, front and back, and soldered together, after initially being filled with tin and lead.

This salt shaker has suffered considerable wear and the salt has corroded the metal in two places, where it has been repaired with a small silver patch in both cases. The features all closely follow the lines of the silver tripod salt shakers made in London around the years 1760-1770, and it must be concluded that it was made by a silversmith trained in that city.

SALVERS AND OTHER TRAYS

Waiters , or salvers , were among the very first articles produced by Joseph Hancock when he began the production of plated articles, and further back in this work you will find illustrated an example of a salver in Old Sheffield Plate given by Boulsover to his daughter Mary in occasion of his marriage in 1760 (see p.25). It would be interesting to know who the manufacturer of this item is, but unfortunately it is impossible to ascertain the fact.

More attention had to be paid to the manufacturing of s alvers than in the case of the majority of items manufactured in the past, due to the considerable wear and tear to which they were subjected in constant daily use. The issue of the production of waiters and other trays has already been covered quite extensively in the book, so now it only remains to illustrate some of the more popular styles. As for the edges or supports, the different designs of waiters and other trays during the first half of the 19th century. they are truly astonishing, and testify to a rich conceptual creativity on the part of the makers of the Sheffield Plate , which the leading London silversmiths never approached.

TRAYS FOR SMUTERS

The variety of designs and styles of snuffer trays is truly astonishing. They can be classified together with coasters as the most common and sought after creations of Old Sheffield makers.

Originally produced as supports on which to place snuffers, today they are used for various purposes, for example as trays for sweets, pens and toiletries, ashtrays, etc. etc. Some experts have entire collections of these popular small items of various periods, styles, and backgrounds, some of which are illustrated.

GRAVY BOATS (SAUCE TUREENS) AND SOUP TUREENS, SAUCE BOATS 106

The oldest Old Sheffield Plate gravy boats are quite light and not very large, with a capacity rarely exceeding ¾. Oval gravy boats, described in pattern books as “oval canoes,” were very popular between 1790 and 1800; today, however, they are very rare. This is quite surprising, since in the lists of models from the late 18th century. countless varieties of these forms are described. The great examples of tureens with floral decorations from the early 19th century. they are a success of technical skill, both in design and execution, and today fetch high prices.

Old Sheffield Plate gravy boats outnumbered soup tureens by a ratio of 10:1 across model varieties. They were always sold in pairs, and today when they are auctioned they fetch high prices. Sketchley mentions tureens in his 1774 list, but does not clarify whether they are tureens or gravy boats. However, the gravy boats closely resembled the characteristics of the tureens, and vice versa. In the old pattern books they are both classified under a single title, namely “ tureens ”. The manufacture of sauce boats or butter boats 107 , with hems, began with the introduction of plating on both sides, around the years 1763-1770.

SPOONS AND FORKS, AND OTHER ITEMS

Perhaps the only category of ware to which the Old Sheffield Plate makers did not turn their attention with complete success was tableware in the form of spoons and forks, soup ladles, gravy spoons, etc. During the development of the industry, repeated attempts were made to supplant the more popular solid silver productions, but with limited success.

Countless light tea spoons and sugar tongs can still be found, produced between 1770 and 1790, made from drawn metal wire with bas-relief chiseling on the handles. Others were made from twisted metal wire, but surviving examples of these teaspoons and tongs retain little or none of the silver. Some of the tongs are branded inside the arches “BEST PLATE”, others “PLATED”, and on the handles of the spoons we find SOLID SILVER.

The next page illustrates the first period production of plated spoons, forks, etc. The handles of the two Fiddle model table spoons illustrated were made from thick metal, then chiseled on the sides, while the cups – welded separately on top – are made from moulds. You can make out the dovetail joint, where the handle was welded to the cup.

It appears that an attempt was made very early in the history of the industry to produce plated forks, illustrations of which are also provided. These forks were molded from longitudinally plated metal in two whole halves, subsequently soldered together after being filled entirely with a mixture of tin and lead (quoted in Dixon's notes, p.30).

The difficulties which the Sheffield Plate makers faced in the production of plated spoons and forks can be easily understood by means of the illustrations given on p.337 of the modern production method. These difficulties arose from the need to cut from very thick metal (of various calibers) the blanks from which the spoons and forks were to be obtained. Once upon a time, the cutting of the raw pieces, which necessarily had to be undertaken after the plating of these, exposed a bare surface that was too large for the articles that would have to come into contact with food, and the shaping system (subsequent to the plating of the metal ) was also an absolutely impossible procedural way. In the case of solid silver spoons and forks, the latter method of production was universally used.

It was only between 1840 and 1850 that Sheffield manufacturers began producing spoons and forks, both silver and silver-plated, always in large quantities. The introduction of the electroplating process completely revolutionized its production. The difficulties encountered up to that point disappeared completely once silver plating of the articles was made possible after cutting, moulding, filing and polishing them. And when Sheffield manufacturers made the production of plated spoons and forks their own, they also gradually absorbed most of the silver production, which in the past had belonged almost entirely to London silversmiths.

W. Hutton & Sons of Sheffield deserves the credit of being the first company to produce spoons and forks using the newly invented metal, nickel silver, in 1833. These articles were initially plated, while the fork tips were made of solid silver.

STAFFORDSHIRE POTTERY, MADE BY THE OLD SHEFFIELD PLATERS

A particular feature of the business of T. Law & Co. appears to have been the setting of precious stone and jasper tableware, vases, cups, milk and cream jugs, hot water jugs and a general assortment of wares. 108 Today, however, they are not common at all, outside the delimited areas of museums and private collections; but due to the conditions in which they are found - perfect -, they are always considered precious by collectors; the various subjects depicted in high relief around the bodies of these specimens are so numerous as to constitute a fine lesson in classical history, and a large part of the drawings are attributed to Flaxman. Like the Old Sheffield platers , potters copied each other's designs, and similar ware in Old Sheffield silver and mounts are found on these, produced by Wegwood, Adams 109 , Turner and others. However, Flaxman would be the designer from whom they drew particular inspiration. He was born in 1755 and died in 1826, reaching the height of fame during the most prosperous period for both Staffordshire potters and Old Sheffield Plate makers. It is interesting to note that Mr. BH Hoole, who owns the beautiful stoneware vase and lid illustrated on p.340, is the great-grandson of Thomas Law, who was born in 1717.

SUGAR BASINS AND CREAM JUGS (CREAM EWERS)

Until the beginning of the 19th century, sugar bowls in Old Sheffield Plate were never produced together with cream jugs and vases as "services", but we find them illustrated together with cream jugs in the old platers' pattern books, published around to 1798 (see p.413), described as “ sugar bason ” and “ cream bason ”. In reality, and apart from the difficulty always encountered in making three pieces of a tea service appear homologous, in the early days sugar bowls were requested more often for the dining table, as were cream jugs . The former were always at hand when the punch was served in the evening, and the many ingredients associated with the punch mix were arranged.

Powdered or sieved sugar appears to have been used daily for many years, as we find sugar sieves described in detail in the very early Sheffield Plate catalogues; while the silver sugar shakers with the Queen Anne mark and others from the early period are still plentiful.

Large Old Sheffield Plate sugar spreaders are very scarce, and only one is illustrated in this volume.

DINNER SERVICES AND TEA MACHINES 110

The examples of these "combined" productions are very scarce; they were the largest and most expensive of all items in Old Sheffield Plate . A complete dinner service, including salt shakers, plates for the first course and a tureen on a revolving stand, as shown on p.345, originally cost between £40 and £50. The tea maker, illustrated on p.416 and reproduced from an old catalogue, cost £30.

There may be examples of both types locked in bank vaults, in old metal chests in country houses, or elsewhere; but as far as the average collector is concerned, the evidence of their existence is of the same nature as that on which his knowledge of a prehistoric animal rests. Similar to specimens of the Paleolithic fauna, only parts of what was originally a complete entity can be found.

As for the dinner stands, they were presumably used by theatre-goers, especially in London, where a century ago fashionable restaurants were not as numerous as today, and people were received to a greater extent in private homes. By means of the large hot water compartments in which the first course dishes were placed, the food could be kept warm for a considerable time until the master and guests returned home. The only “set” indicated in the list of items on p.197, is described in the model book as follows: “20 rectangular tray”, with gadrooning silver supports, handles and sphere-shaped feet, which two large decanters and 12 small glasses are attached".

MUGS, GLASSES, CUPS AND MUGS

Tankards, with and without lids, cups, goblets and drinking vessels of all types are among the most popular products of Old Sheffield plated pottery. Many manufacturers specialized in this type of article, while others produced exclusively these. Thomas Law, Nathaniel Smith, John Love, and Josephus Smith all made large quantities of cups and tankards, and collectors of antique plated wares come across examples almost every day. Below is an illustrated page, taken from one of the old Sheffield catalogues, which mentions the name “Winchester Measure”. 111

There is little doubt that the name derives from the ancient city of Winchester. In Saxon times, when it was the seat of government, the standard measure was retained there, and the 112 Winchester bushel was used in England from the time of Henry VII until 1825, when the slightly larger capacity imperial bushel became the measure legal. It has been said that the “Winchester Pint” is equivalent to ¼, and there is no doubt that it too disappeared in 1826, when a statute standardizing weights and measures became operational. Sometimes these mugs are printed with the initials IM, which would stand for Imperial Measure; others are marked with the royal crown and initials, and in the case of the mugs attested in Sheffield, they also bear the heraldic insignia of the borough, the "cross arrows" (sometimes mistaken for the mark registered by T. & J Creswick in 1811). All mugs thus marked are intended for use in hotels, inns or public places. The cracks that can sometimes be found under the lower parts of the hollow handles of both silver and silver-plated mugs are said to have been made for the purpose of using the handle as a whistle (to serve more drinks). By upsetting the empty mug and blowing along this opening, some sort of noise can certainly be produced from the hollow handles. But an opening of some sort in the handles was necessary to ensure that no accident occurred during their welding onto the bodies of the mugs.

Large punch cups, and large two-handled friendship cups in Old Sheffield Plate , capable of holding ¾ or more, are sensationally rare.

TEA CADDIES AND CANISTERS

We discover that in the very first lists of articles produced by the old platers, the models of tea canisters or caddies followed very closely the contours of the bodies of the teapots, and that a partition was made from the center of these bodies to keep the two varieties of tea separate , that is, the black and the green. The bodies of the larger models illustrated on p.353 closely resemble those of teapots, and these examples may have been used for tobacco, biscuits or tea, depending. An interesting tea canister pictured below is just what you call a masterpiece. Each apprentice in completing the engravings had to provide a practical demonstration of his competence by manufacturing, without help, an article relating to the craft to which he had been initiated.

Tea canisters are typically found with locks and keys. Sometimes they are locked in a case with a padlock, because due to the high price of tea in the past, the owner of the house kept it carefully.

Like most Old Sheffield Plate items, there were no hard and fast rules as to size. The jars were modeled paying more attention to design than to capacity. In the case of ancient teapots, utility was often sacrificed for appearance, especially with regards to the spouts. Who did not show understanding to the hostess when, due to the length and narrowness of the spout, every attempt to pour more quickly by tilting the teapot ended in disaster for the tray or tablecloth (see the illustrations on p. 355).

TEAPOTS

English-made teapots have existed since the time of Charles II. A fluted oval design from the Georgian period, now commonly called “Queen Anne,” was put on the market with a misleading name about 25 years ago. Those produced during the Queen Anne period were generally shaped like a large homemade or octagonal loaf. 113 A family unit, painted by Hogarth in 1720 (the painting belongs to the Crichton brothers), portrays a tea party . Arranged on the table, in a typical octagonal design of the period, are a teapot, a kettle, a jar, a jug with lid and a sugar bowl, as well as a bowl for the tea grounds. Teapots are among the most common Old Sheffield plate items found today, but complete sets are very rare; those in existence do not date back much earlier than 1810. Teapots made before 1770 in Sheffield Plate are very rarely encountered.

The different shapes of teapot bodies are barely less varied than the variations in the styles of their mounts. The extravagances of the spouts, which begin with the perfectly straight ones found on the first teapots of 1768 (see illustration on p.88), and end around 1850 with the tendency to return to the very first forms, constitute an interesting study which alone deserves a chapter . The shapes of the handles, the designs of the knobs, the pods 114 in place of the feet, the difference in the hinges, and the variations both in the chasing and the engraving, are sufficiently interesting from the point of view of a connoisseur to constitute themselves the topic of an entire volume. 100% metal handles on one-by-one teapots are rarely found, while they are frequently found on coffee and teapots as part of complete services. The substances of which the handles are generally made are colored wood, ebony, compressed horn and - very rarely - ivory.

The same observations apply to the teapot knobs, insignificant little additions that nevertheless lend more personality to the adorned article than anything else. Of all the knob shapes, the green colored pineapples in ivory 115 are undoubtedly the most pleasing to look at, and round off the meal better than any other article. In the early days these knobs could usually be found on lighter varieties of teapot - such as those with engraved stripes, etc. As mentioned above, separate teapot holders gradually fell out of the market, as manufacturers got into the habit of soldering small spheres to the bases of teapots as insulators, thus preventing to some extent damage to wooden trays and tables. These ball-shaped feet remained in constant use until the end of the industry, despite repeated attempts to supplant them by the "claw and ball" and "lion mask" varieties of designs.

TEA CONTAINERS (TEA URNS)

Vessels for hot water, coffee or tea have occupied a place on the sideboards of the richer classes since the mid-18th century. about. The first connection with the Old Sheffield Plate dates back to around 1762 116 , and we find them listed in the list of items of 1774. The small Old Sheffield tea urns of that period, whose capacity ranged from about ½ to ¾, are kept in highly prized by collectors, and when those in good condition are offered for sale, very notable prices are achieved. Like many other items in Old Plate , these vessels, with the introduction of heavy stands with conspicuous decoration, increased considerably in size, so much so that it must have been very difficult for the stoutest of butlers to lift them when they were full, and weighed down. further from iron kettles.

Tea urns were initially produced without any heating accessories. Applications were then introduced to keep water boiling, with the help of a heating iron fixed to the top of the base. This iron penetrated the lower part of the body, and was secured as seen in the illustration on p.361. On the following two pages, a curious container is illustrated in detail. On top of the separate base you will see a round perforated container, made of iron, in which the hot charcoal was deposited. From this there was a tube, fixed to the base, which ran up the body of the container, conducting the heat from the charcoal through the body, and also facilitating complete combustion. The lid was fastened tightly around this tube. The knob was removable and adjustable with the help of a socket, visible in the illustration.

A later method of heating such vessels consisted of a separate piece of iron in the shape of a small ingot, red-hot and then deposited in an insulated jacket fixed inside separately, which is almost always found welded to the inside of tea urns made after 1800. This method was sometimes applied to first course plate warmers produced before that date. Tea urns with lamps and burners are clearly the most satisfactory in use, but those in Old Sheffield Plate are in short supply. This may perhaps be explained by the high price of ethyl alcohol common in the past.

TOAST RACKS, EGG FRAMES, EGG BOILERS, AND THEIR VARIOUS COMBINATIONS

Toast holders – toast trays, as they were called – and egg cups are not mentioned in the 1774 list of items. It may be that their production was too ordinary to attract attention. Nonetheless, we see that small items such as comb shells, wine funnels, and skewers have a place on the list. We would almost hit the mark by setting the date of introduction of egg cups and toast holders between 1780 and 1785 117 - as far as the sector of plated articles is concerned -, simultaneously with the perfected invention of plated metal wire. Samuel Roberts took out a patent for his toast tray in 1807 118 ; there were other designs for folding toast holders which apparently were not patented, one of which is illustrated at the end of p.369.

Regarding the egg cup, the toast holder, the salt shaker, etc., and their combinations, all companies produced these items in various models, each with its own style. Among the 65 egg cups listed on p.197, a significant percentage is made up of combinations of these items.

Perhaps the producers of Old Sheffield Plate took inspiration in their creations from the numerous different productions of the same period signed by Thomas Sheraton. He was born in 1750 and died in 1806. His book on furniture, published in 1793, testifies to his ideas regarding economy of space and usefulness of purpose. The sensitivity traceable in the invention of this furniture may perhaps have influenced the designers of such plated articles of domestic utility, as they were used in conjunction with each other.

In any case, Sheraton's productions were contemporary with those composite items in Old Sheffield Plate , such as épergnes and combined ampollieres; egg cup with spoons, salt and pepper shaker, toast holder with pepper shaker, salt shaker and egg cup; dinner services with tureen, first course plates and salt shakers; coffee and tea machines; writing inkstands with wafer-box, lighter, etc., and many other ideas which appear to have been executed by the old platers, and which are rarely found produced by the London silversmiths of the same period, towards the end of the 18th century.

Snuffboxes and cigar boxes. PIPE LIGHTER. BOXES WITH BAIT AND TINDER BOXES.

The Old Sheffield Platers carried on a business of some size in the manufacture of snuffboxes and “ segar boxes ”, as they were described. In addition to being once a very nice table decoration in the evening, tobacco and cigars were preserved very well in these boxes, prepared in such an intelligent way as to be airtight. Pipe lighters are illustrated together with these; A great discussion has arisen about their purposes. They are sometimes described as chestnut or confectionery dishes. Since however the feet were nailed to the plates and screwed to the trays beneath them – and containing a separate protective copper coating – it is clear that they acted as containers of peat, or some other fuel.

Mr. HC Casley states: “I cannot say whether they were used in cafés and clubs in the past, but I know that they were produced for the Dutch market, and were used in relatively modern times. A Belgian artist who used to visit our house when I was a boy, brought from his country all sorts of arrangements of table kettles, which almost invariably turned out to be made in Sheffield.”

Something resembling matches was only used in the home from 1835. However, it is said that tinder boxes die hard. The maids were humane and conservative, and at first they complained vigorously about the new method of lighting a match, and attributed their discovery to a diabolical agent. The box with tinder and steel therefore resisted the introduction of matches for a long time, having an advantage over subsequent discoveries in the field of flame production - humidity did not ruin it irremediably. This one shown here, being so small, was perhaps produced for a particular purpose. The production of Old Sheffield Plate tinder boxes cannot have been a regular activity, as they are very rare, and are not mentioned in the old pattern books. They were usually constructed of wood, 8” long, 5” wide, 2” high, and split in half; one section contained steel, flint, and strips of wood, the ends of which had been dipped in sulphur; the other contained the bait and damper . 119

ICE BUCKETS (WINE COOLERS)

Described as “ ice pails ” in the old pattern books, these items in Old Sheffield Plate are in short supply before 1800. Certainly it can be said that before 1780 they are very difficult to find anyway. The 1774 list entirely omits any record of their existence at that date, and only between 1815 and 1825 did they assume the important position on the beliefs of the time, previously held by the old Chippendale and Sheraton knife boxes. Today the prices of Old Sheffield ice buckets in good condition have risen significantly compared to those offered 10 or 15 years ago. The richly decorated productions of the late Georgian period are still the most popular with collectors. It is quite surprising to find that the mass of ice buckets now in such great demand were produced relatively recently, and most of them by only two or three of the Sheffield firms, who appear to have specialized in this class. of articles. Ice buckets produced today are generally intended for use in hotels and on ships.

Heavy-framed items, especially ice buckets, are worth their full price, for their manufacture marked the pinnacle of the platers' expertise. It is very difficult to say whether the resurrection of melt-plated ice buckets (even assuming that the molds used in the past in various parts of their construction still exist) is still possible to any extent.

Ice buckets are by no means the cheapest items in Old Sheffield Plate , and looking through the Messrs. catalogue. I. & I. Waterhouse & Co., we discover that 16 guineas per pair was considered the right wholesale price to ask for the firm's most ordinary model, while for the one illustrated on p.383, in the shape of a Greek vase, it they asked for as much as 20 guineas a pair.

Between 1788 and 1794, a very graceful style of ice bucket was created, with broad silver stripes soldered on, and deep polished cut engravings above. Manufactured primarily by Daniel Holy, Wilkinson & Co., Matthew Fenton & Co. and Nathaniel Smith & Co., they are quite rare.

THE WARWICK VASE

Reproduced to serve as an ice bucket, there is no doubt that to a certain extent the vase loses quite a bit of its original conception in terms of shape, but, nevertheless, any collector who owns a reproduction in this form of the prestigious Vase Warwick in Old Sheffield Plate is certainly lucky.

The prices charged for these fine examples of Sheffield craftsmanship have risen sharply over the last 10 years. Today 100 guineas would not be too much to appreciate the value of a pair of these vases - usually adapted as ice buckets - if in perfect condition. The wholesale prices quoted in their catalogs by the manufacturers of these vases, I. & I. Waterhouse & Co., are 32 guineas per pair, and the original production must date back to around the 1820s and 1830s. Some models of the Warwick Vase, stamped with the mark of this firm, may also be found as tea-pots and tureens, and, as such, are by no means as pleasant as in the preceding case.

The manufacturer - who had to face such a huge expense in cutting the molds for these vases - will have to be excused for having made any possible use of the models. It should therefore not be too surprising to find other items in Old Sheffield Plate in addition to those listed, in the shape of a Warwick Vase. Those found with the cornflower mark cannot have been made before 1833, the date of Waterhouse's registration of the mark. Those with the crown mark were probably produced around 1820.

As regards the origin of the "reproduction" of the Warwick Vase, we are indebted to the "Half-Century Memoirs of Sir E. Thomason."

“At the end of June 1813, there was much talk that the Earl of Warwick had at last consented to a model of the splendid vase at Warwick Castle being fashioned on the spot, on condition that Lord Lonsdale should make it in silver; to this Lord Lonsdale consented, and his lordship thought to settle with Messrs. Rundell & Bridges that the cost, including expenses, did not exceed £30,000. Messrs. Rundell & Bridges, before completing the contract, asked to send their principal modeler to the Castle to make a wax model; the difficulties and expenses they felt they would have to face in casting such a vast surface of silver led them to communicate to his lordship that the estimate should be £30,000, more or less £5,000.

Now, Lord Lonsdale did not agree with the words "more or less", and seeing that there were doubts as to the feasibility of such a gigantic specimen of pottery, the negotiation was abandoned altogether. What cost Messrs. Rundell & Bridges had determined for the large model now almost completed, I have never heard it said with certainty, but I believe that Messrs. Rundell & Bridges were absolutely consistent in asking for the aforementioned margin on the price."

The vase was eventually copied by Sir Thomason, after much discussion, in bronze. It was believed that this was more tasteful than if it were made of silver. However, it took 7 years before it was completed, and the onerous task was finished around 1820.

One of these vases by Thomason, in bronze, is today placed in Cambridge, in front of the University Library, while another is placed at the entrance to Aston Hall, in Birmingham. Smaller versions of the jar, capable of holding about 5/4, were produced in silver by both Thomason and Rundell & Bridges. Then followed those produced in Sheffield Plate by Waterhouse.

The original of this vase is found in the gardens of Warwick Castle. The execution is made of white marble, and has been attributed to Lysippos, who flourished in Greece in 325 BC, and at the time of Alexander the Great. According to Smith's list of Greek and Roman biography, Lysippus worked almost entirely in bronze, so the attribution of the vase to him is perhaps doubtful. Others claim it was made for, and during the reign of Emperor Hadrian, 117-138 AD. Dimensions are as follows: maximum height 7 feet 5“, diameter approximately 8 feet, capacity 163 gallons. It was discovered in 1770, during the drainage of Lake Pantanello, near Hadrian's Villa, near Tivoli. Sir William Hamilton, ambassador to the Court of Ferdinand IV, King of Sicily, purchased it and brought it to England in 1774; some time later it was sold to the Earl of Warwick and placed in the gardens of Warwick Castle, where it has stood ever since.

The vase is crater-shaped, the lower part extended and decorated around the base with acanthus leaves, inclined upwards, on which, lying on a sort of shelf, lies a panther skin, with the head and legs bent down on the curvature of the lower body of the vase. Above this, the center or main part of the body or cavity of the vessel narrows until it takes on the shape of a shelf, covered by the skin of the panther. On this rest, on both sides of the vase, four Bacchic masks. In the centre, and on a separate low plinth, there is a head of Dionysus crowned with ivy, and another of the bearded Silenus: in front of each mask a short thyrsus is placed transversely; on the left and right a bearded satyr's head, the one on the left crowned with ivy, the one on the right with sprigs of pine. On the opposite side, in the centre, also on a low plinth, there is another head of Dionysus, bearded, but without a garland, and next to this a woman's head crowned with ivy on a plinth; next to these on the left there is a rod, on the right a thyrsus; at both ends there is a bearded satyr's head, the one on the left bald and crowned with ivy, the one on the right with pine needles. On each side of the vase are attached handles woven in the shape of vine twigs, which start from the base and end on the upper projection of the body just below the support; they are completely wrapped around the vase and decorated with vine leaves and piles of grapes. The vase is mounted with a combined modeling of mouldings, ovoli and tabs. At the time of the discovery, the vase was in fragments, and Sir W. Hamilton commissioned restoration and supply of the missing masks to a Roman artist. This restoration cost him over £300. 120

Rumor has it that if Emperor Napoleon had succeeded in conquering England, the first entry to enter his notebook would have been the seizure of the marble vase at Warwick Castle. Reportedly, no other ancient vase equal to this one in size and workmanship is known.

VARIOUS

Many items were produced by the Old Sheffield platers for particular reasons or individual needs. Naturally such articles did not fall into the category of those which were sought for the usual domestic purposes. Some of these are illustrated here, and for the most part they are essentially pieces that can be defined as unusual. In this respect others were made for or by opticians, surgical instrument makers, etc., while as for the rest, although Sketchley's list refers to some, they are not found in sufficient quantities, nor are they interesting enough to justify its classification among the previously illustrated articles.

Concerning the telescopic toasting forks pictured here, Sir E. Thomason of Birmingham writes in his memoirs: “In 1809 I invented the sliding toasting fork, with one, two or three slides, inside a handsome handle lacquer common now in all shops.

I also invented one in which, by pulling the guide, the same movement made the protection lift from the teeth, and when closing the guides this action made the protection return to the teeth again.

I also invented a third type, in which the three teeth folded together and, when the fork guides closed, drew it into the mouth of a snake: the head of the silver snake was attached to one end of the handle or guide external (see illustration above).

The forks above were made of silver, gilt and plated, and brass, and even I sold large quantities; but not having protected this invention with a patent, other manufacturers produced and sold them by the thousands.”

Concerning the coins illustrated below, Mr. J. G. Nairne of the Bank of England writes:- “Early in the last century, when silver was in short supply in this country, a large quantity of Spanish dollars, stamped with branded with the head of the sovereign printed on the neck of the Spanish monarch. This adjustment, however, proving to be a failure, meant that the design shown on the reverse of the silver coin was superimposed on the dollars. These dollars, widely imitated by counterfeiters, went out of circulation in 1817.” The illustrated fake is made from a finely executed mold. The metal (plated on both sides) is 3/32 of an inch thick. The only weak point in the manufacturing is the outer edge of the dollar, from which you will notice that the silver has come off with use. The fraud is total. The specific weight and circumference of the coin are the only means that would allow us to discover it. The production process was as follows:- A circle of silver approximately the size of a coin was cut out, skillfully turning it around the edges of a melt-plated disk – on a lathe – the size of the dollar to be reproduced. The article was then inserted into the ring of the mold, and the force of the press was then applied, bringing the blow to the imprint of the dollar, while the impact secured the silver to the edge of that, and at the same time milled it .

REPRODUCTIONS OF ILLUSTRATIONS TAKEN FROM THE MANUFACTURERS' CATALOGUES, ARRANGEMENTS IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER

Old Sheffield Plate items were on sale in almost every town of any size in Britain and Ireland, and an extensive export trade was also carried on. Despite the damage caused by time, precious series of illustrated catalogs published by the first silversmiths have been preserved, and these lists of their production clearly elucidate the progress of the art.

However large the number of craftsmen who registered as silversmiths in London, their work was much more individual than in the case of the Sheffield platers, and examples of solid silver articles made by different workmen resembling each other are rare. significantly to each other. Only the truly wealthy could at one time purchase solid silver, and it is unlikely that a large or extensive export trade was ever carried on in so expensive a class of articles. As a result the market was restricted and large quantities of silver were produced and purchased in London.

No catalog appears to have been published before the advent of the Adam drawing period, but from about 1770 to the present the illustrations of plated articles offered for sale have been constant and successive. It is good to keep in mind when examining an old catalogue, that the items illustrated therein were produced both before and after the date of publication. Therefore the details given below the illustrations on the following pages are in many cases only approximate.

Examined closely, the illustrations reveal a progressive decay in design more clearly than might be understood from an inspection of the items themselves.

It is interesting to read a contribution to the question from the pen of Mr. B. B. Harrison, of Sevenoaks, as he has perhaps the most carefully selected Old Sheffield Plate collection yet seen by the author. The information provided is also the most authoritative due to Mr. Harrison's long experience in printing and publishing. His company, established in St. Martin's Lane in London in 1748, is currently completing the fourth generation of the same family:-

“Scrolling through some of the catalogs of today's manufacturers of electrolytic silver articles, one is struck by the profusion of perfectly executed clichés 121 of the photomechanical process, the elegant printing, the thick shimmering paper and the general magnificence of the work. However, if you examine the catalogs of Old Sheffield manufacturers, the efforts of today's competitors pale into insignificance. The manufacturers of Old Sheffield spent £15 or £20 on a cliché illustrating some article, when today one spends 15 shillings or a 122 sovereign. No photomechanical process of any kind was in vogue then, nothing except the pure and exquisite steel engraving, printed by hand, on hand-made paper – one page of which was worth twelve pages of current material.

The cost of a single page of these old catalogs ranged from £10 to £20 per engraving, and the printing and paper cost about 15 shillings per 100 copies; so that a catalog of 100 pages of illustrations cost around £1,500 or £1,600 for the first 100 copies and around 15 shillings for subsequent ones. What would today's producers think of this!

In no case, among the 20 or more catalogs I examined, does the name of a publisher appear. Evidently they were intended for public offering by the retailer, so the names of the manufacturers were purposely omitted. Sometimes, however, small identification keys are available. In one case the initials (Tudor & Leader) are repeated on the sides of the various candlestick illustrations. In another catalog under a sauce boat is printed [signature] (Thomas Law & Co.). A catalog that once belonged to T. Nicholson (see p.45) has “Dan Holy & Co” written on it in his handwriting. At the bottom of the illustrations is printed [signature] (renowned engraver of Sheffield), and the paper of which it is composed was manufactured by Lepard 123 in 1794. In another catalogue, under illustrations of candlesticks produced by J. Parsons & Co., is printed [signature], engraver in Norfolk Street, Sheffield. He arrived from Newcastle probably after 1774, and emigrated to America before 1797.

In some of the oldest catalogs there are illustrations of the beautiful mold in vogue from 1775 to 1805, and the producers, although possessing a large number of moulds, necessarily limited their work to these, the cost of which prevented them from multiplying them beyond a certain measure; and it is interesting and instructive to note the ingenuity of the variations on these restricted models. For example, a molding from a snuffer tray mold could also be worked into the shape of a writing desk inkwell, by adding the feet, bottles and supports to the base. The different parts used in the construction of an Adam candlestick are often found intermingled in the production of épergnes , fruit plates and writing inkwells, etc., while the molds used to produce a molding holder or gadroon for salver were worked together with medallions, shells or other decorative ornaments when assembling a cake basket or teapot, so that even an expert sometimes has considerable difficulty in judging the period of an article, parts of which were struck from molds existing many years before the construction of the together, and whose origin is due to manufacturers who made subsequent modifications to the same moulds.

The study of these catalogs is very instructive as to the progress, or rather decadence, of artistic design. In the later catalogues, 1825 or thereabouts, silver articles in heavy and showy settings seem to have supplanted the early fine wrought objects to such an extent that the catalog editors do not think it worth including a single illustration of the fine ones. drawings and shapes contained in their first publications. In those days convenience was also taken into consideration; almost all the plates are still engravings on steel, but instead of the detailed work used previously a rough draft is adopted. There were exceptions to the rule, as in the case of the Warwick Vase already noted, which must have been produced in 1825, with a complete steel engraving dedicated to the vase.”

The National Museum of Ireland has a catalog of Sheffield Plate , on the back of which is handwritten in Parsons ink and on the flyleaf there is an ex-libris 124 of the D'olier family, goldsmiths in [address] Dublin in the second half of the 18th century . 125

PART X

LIST OF MANUFACTURERS AND THEIR BRANDS

EXPLANATION OF THE TRADEMARKS FOUND ON THE OLD SHEFFIELD PLATE, WITH SOME DETAILS REGARDING THE COMPANIES THAT USED THEM

The marks on the Old Sheffield Plate are of much greater interest and importance than the public has hitherto been led to think. Undoubtedly the Sheffield platers ' idea of ​​branding their wares originated from the fact that many of the early manufacturers were cutlers, and therefore had become accustomed to correctly using registered trademarks on their wares. We find, therefore, that Thomas Law (one of the very first to embark on the new industry) immediately began to place marks on his plated articles. He was one of the first to do so. Furthermore, in some cases, his full name is found [name] printed on various models of plated candlesticks, which were probably the first articles he produced after the introduction of the production of plated articles in his own workshops. Collectors come across these candlesticks frequently these days.

The practice described above was common to the trade for 20 or more years, and in that period it is evident that manufacturers were able to skillfully stamp their wares in such a way as to leave a slight deceptive trace of the hallmarks on the 925/1000 silver. tasting – a superficial resemblance, to be sure, but enough to mislead non-expert buyers. The usual method seems to have consisted in affixing one's initials, sometimes repeated three or four times and designed in such a way as to closely resemble the origin mark, the date letter, the lion and the manufacturer's mark, used on articles of silver from the same period. [mark] The illustrated tankard is so well made, and the marks so skilfully punched both on the lid and the body, that without close examination one would naturally assume that the article is in solid silver. 126

This was the state of affairs until 1773. In that year, the silversmiths of Sheffield and Birmingham asked parliament to establish a Assay Office in the two cities, on account of the cost and delay involved in sending the articles to the London or Chester office. Goldsmiths' Hall strongly opposed the application, boldly accusing their provincial rivals of fraudulent practices, and a Parliamentary Committee, after taking evidence on both sides, reported as follows to the House of Commons:-

“That the Manufacturers have now arrived at so great a degree of perfection in the silver plating of articles made of base metal, that these closely resemble solid Silver; and if the practice that has been introduced, of affixing brands on these which closely resemble those used in tasting offices, is not limited, many Frauds and Deceptions could be committed to the detriment of the public". 127

The result was that, although the silversmiths of the two cities obtained their assaying offices on the spot, this was to the detriment of the silver platers, for a clause was inserted prohibiting the minting of any letter, or letters, on the articles “made of metal, plated or coated with silver, or on any metal vessel or other article made in the likeness of silver.” The penalty for breaking this rule was a fine of £100.

In 1784, Sheffield obtained another law. Which, citing the provisions above, and underlining that "since a doubt harmful to the industry has arisen regarding the possibility for a manufacturer of silver-plated articles to print his name on them", established that such articles, “manufactured in Sheffield or within 100 miles thereof, could have bore the surname or company name of the manufacturer, together with any mark, figure or insignia at the end of the name, provided that such figure was not an office insignia of the assay for silver at 925/1000, or its imitation”. And, under penalty of a fine of £100, such name and sign could only be printed with prior approval and registration by the custodians of the Sheffield Tasting Office.

It can therefore be understood that a Sheffield Plate manufacturer had no need to print his own items; however, if he had done so, it would only have been possible with a duly registered trademark. And Birmingham, falling within the 100 mile limit, was under the jurisdiction of Sheffield.

The Birmingham manufacturers of course strongly opposed these regulations, but to no avail; many attempts were made to circumvent the law, but violators were promptly fined by the Sheffield Keepers.

The following table shows the extent to which Sheffield and Birmingham producers took advantage of the privilege of recording:-

Year	Sheffield	Birmingham	Year	Sheffield	Birmingham
1784	11	5	1810	3	3
1785	7	-	1811	3	4
1786	2	-	1812	1	6
1787	-	1	1813	1	3
1788	1	-	1814	-	4
1789	1	-	1815	-	1
1794	1	-	1816	1	6
1795	1	-	1817	-	3
1797	1	-	1818	-	1
1799	1	-	1819	-	2
1800	1	-	1820	-	3
1803	1	-	1821	1	3
1804	2	-	1822	1	1
1805	1	-	1824	-	3
1806	1	1	1833	1	-
1807	1	18	1835	1	-
1808	2	7	1836	2	-
1809	2	5

It will be seen that 16 marks were registered in the first year, after which there was a steady decline; some years – from 1790 to 1793 – there was a total void.

In 1807, registrations suddenly skyrocketed to 19 – the maximum number of registrations – with 18 of the owners of these marks resident in Birmingham. Before that year, since the registrations began, only 7 trademarks of that city had been registered during the 23 years of operation of the law. From that time the records of Birmingham were preponderant, and in 1824 the Wardens of that city endeavored to induce Parliament to grant them powers of record in their own office. However, it was useless, and shortly thereafter it seems that the custom fell into disuse, since in Birmingham there were no further registrations, while until 1836 only 4 brands were registered by the producers of Sheffield. After 20 June that year no more pottery marks were registered at the Sheffield Assay Office, although there is no record of any repeal of the Act. Registration of trademarks at the Sheffield Assay Office therefore gradually ceased. The total number of registered trademarks is 134, 80 of which are in Birmingham, 52 in Sheffield (one unidentified), and one in London, 128 , namely that of “Stanley and Thomas Howard, St. Paul's Cemetery” (registered in 1809) . This company was however over 50 miles outside the 100 mile area around Sheffield prescribed by the 1784 Act. It produced articles made by close-plating .

Since the publication of “ Old Silver Platers and their Marks ” in 1908, it would be safe enough to attribute at least 75% of the ancient melt-plated wares in existence today to Sheffield makers, despite the fact that Birmingham makers who registered their marks under to the law of 1784, were superior in number to those of Sheffield.

It is worth explaining that the laws of 1773 and 1784 had very far-reaching results, and seem to have influenced a greater number of categories of producers than their authors had foreseen or intended. 129

A quick look at the descriptions of these Birmingham tacklers provided in local directories for that city, spanning the period under study, shows that those who ended up registering their trade marks in Sheffield were largely a mixed aggregation of makers and tacklers of harnesses, buttons, buckles, cutlery, jewellery, etc., and how only a rather insignificant percentage could legitimately be described as producers of “ Old Sheffield Plate ”.

The majority of Birmingham manufacturers undoubtedly were, before 1773, in the habit of affixing their initials, brands, or perhaps full names to the small articles they produced, for we still meet with articles marked in this way, and these brands do not they looked nothing like the imitations used on large items at that time. Thus, the clause against imitating silver-platers, which the silversmiths of Birmingham had to accept in 1773 as the price of obtaining a local Assay Office, barely concerns any of the smaller industries of that city. The discontent, however, spread considerably when in 1784, all Birmingham manufacturers of 'articles made in the likeness of silver' were brought under the jurisdiction of Sheffield records. For this reason, therefore, before 1807, the date of the apparent general reintroduction of close plating , the number of registrations in Birmingham was negligible.

An example has been found where G. Ashforth & Co., of Sheffield, stamped their registered silver hallmark [mark] on the lids of a pair of plated dinner plates, while on the base of the plate warmers there was an insignia resembling a spool [drawing] (probably a workman's mark) circa 1787, although at the time their registered plated mark was [trademark]. It is not possible to say whether the irregularity was ever noticed by the Keepers of Sheffield. It could perhaps be due to an error on the part of a worker who escaped notice. Several later examples of irregularities in branding by Sheffield tacklers have been found; but an irregularity which occurred a few years after the approval of the law (1784) is an unusual case.

It is certainly a dilemma for collectors of Old Sheffield Plates as to why so few examples, in proportion, bear any mark of any kind, and how it was possible that, despite having registered almost all the producers a mark of some kind on the basis to the new law of 1784, these were rarely used. The probable solution of the question is that articles intended for sale in the country usually bore a mark of some kind to increase their value, but articles intended for the London market, if they were marked at all, would in all probability bear the name of the retail seller, and not that of the real manufacturer. By way of example, the mark illustrated here [mark], obtained from the base of an Old Sheffield glass, although bearing the imprint of a hand, which indicates that it was produced in Sheffield, also bears, in large letters , the name of Thomas & Co., in New Bond Street, a very old London firm of jewellers, and also, [brand], from the basis of an Old Sheffield vegetable dish. The disappointment of the Sheffield manufacturer of that time must have been no small one in realizing that in the end, after having obtained with great difficulty a law which guaranteed him the possibility of branding his articles, he once again had to end up in anonymity because the retailers of London, if any branding was undertaken, they preferred to see their own names on the goods they sold rather than those of the actual manufacturers. This is why the practice of branding never became universal.

Furthermore, the three illustrated marks [trademarks], although from different Sheffield manufacturers, bear the same initials underneath. Since the initials do not belong to a worker, they must have been minted by the manufacturer, for a merchant or retailer, although these forms of branding all clearly contravene the dictates of the law. It would therefore appear that, except in the case where the plated hallmarks resembled those of silver in outline, no one considered it necessary to reintroduce the law against these deceptive hallmarking methods.

In all likelihood, the size of some of these brands could also have given rise to disputes. For example, Watson, Fenton & Bradbury 130 registered its hallmark at the Sheffield Assay Office on 7 October 1795, but this mark is rare to encounter. We must conclude that, being a full sail [brand], it was too large a sign to be reproduced legibly, - together with the name of the company - on anything other than large items. We also find other renowned manufacturers who used their brand very limitedly or who omitted their name altogether, printing only the sign. This last procedure was, however, absolutely illicit according to the law, and it seems that the producers were equally divided between those who preferred to run the risk of a trial by adopting the printing of the sign alone, and those who decided to completely disavow the branding of their articles before affixing their full names, along with the sign, thus completely ruining the appearance of the finished items.

Once again the buyer's main aim was therefore to obtain items that were as similar as possible to solid silver. He consequently avoided any item displaying conspicuous markings.

The most persistent trademarkers of their wares were Matthew Boulton & Co. 131 , of Birmingham, who registered the sun [mark], and Roberts, Cadman & Co. 132 , of Sheffield, whose mark was a bell [mark]. These two companies appear to have used their trademarks on plated items with great consistency, as do the latter's modern-day successors, Messrs. W. & G. Sissons, who together with Messrs. Roberts & Belk 133 (whose trademark is a lamp), and Messrs. J. Dixon & Sons (flag bugle), are today among the few Sheffield firms who use trade marks on modern electroplated articles to any significant extent.

Although the Matthew Boulton & Co. mark is often encountered in England (for an inexplicable reason it is generally found in duplicate) and although this was registered way back in 1784, it is very rare to find it on articles produced at the end of the 18th century. Various articles with this mark, especially decorated with shell and gadroon borders, will readily be found, but they are of later date – from 1805 onwards. Their execution is exquisite. They include snuffer trays, round salvers , coasters, tea trays, coffee biggins , candlesticks and a whole host of other common tableware. No collector will have difficulty obtaining examples of Boulton's late productions, as they are very common today. Having been manufactured by the best category of workers, they have suffered very little from the heavy consumption to which they have been subjected in these hundred years.

Alongside the Boulton brand, the "bell" (to which we referred earlier) will emerge in England, used by Samuel Roberts & Cadman; even in this case however, despite having been registered in 1785, it is usually not found marked on the articles produced by the company in the following 25 years. The épergne illustrated on p.292 (with the bell mark present 9 times on the various parts) is an exception. The oldest pieces bearing the mark have probably been destroyed due to constant use. Many of the early items produced by the company were very light and delicate, and of a quality effectively illustrated by the épergne . However, patented folding toast holders, telescopic candlesticks, innumerable combinations of egg cups, common tea kettles and teapots, trays, and salvers with floral and rush decorations, bearing the company's registered hallmark, still abound.

Richard Morton & Co., an early firm of silversmiths and platers, registered the mark, a cock [mark], in 1785. The Mortons were large-scale manufacturers of all categories of Sheffield Plate wares. In 1780 the name of the firm changed to Morton, Warris & Co., but the ramifications of Morton's subsequent companies (and the use of this mark) have not been satisfactorily elucidated. The items in which they specialized were pierced salt shakers and mustard shakers, wire baskets, large jugs and snuffer trays with subjects depicted on them, classical style tea vessels and the candlesticks which were to accompany to these.

The mark, an open hand [trademark], should be given a little more than passing attention, as it has remained in constant use for well over a century. It was used with absolute consistency, and is now very often found on plated Old Sheffield wares.

Nathaniel Smith first recorded the hand as a mark in 1784, and in this period it is often found in conjunction with the name of those [name]. In 1810, it was re-registered in the same form by “George Smith, Tate, William Nicholson & Hoult” [trademark] (so described in the 1817 directory), on which occasion the firm is said to be situated in “Arundel Street”. And again in the 1828 directory, it is described as Smith, Tate, Hoult & Tate, of “Arundel Street, 16”. Now, this firm was presumably purchased or taken over by John Watson & Son, of Barker Pool, between 1828 and 1837. We find the latter firm described as making silverware and silver plate at "Arundel Street, 16", in list of 1837, while the names of the first have disappeared. We are also told that John Watson & Son used the hand mark in the period 1828-1837. In 1845, the address given of this firm is “Arundel Street, 51”. 134 By 1849 it no longer existed, as the firm of Padley, Parkin & Co., of Watson Walk, purchased the mark, "the hand", used by them and their successors on articles produced thereafter by electroplating. The firm of John Watson & Son originated with John Watson, of Furnace Hill, who in 1795 registered a hallmark for silverware [trademark]. He became a senior partner in Watson, Pass & Co., in Watson Walk, registering the mark for pottery in 1811. He later carried on business with his son as J. Watson & Son, originally in Barker Pool or Fargate, then in Arundel Street, until his death in 1835. John Watson Junior ceased trading around 1849. In 1854 the latter was appointed Master of Tasting, a position subsequently held by his two sons, now by his grandson.

The hand mark was previously noted as appearing on a glass with the name of Thomas & Co., of London. It has also been found on the bases of plate warmers and various other accessories of solid silver articles, such as candlesticks, plate stands, etc., made from molten Silver Plate , the articles being of silver and produced by London silversmiths, e.g. Paul Storr, early 19th century. The initials [initials] 135 also appear frequently, with the London date letters, in one case dated 1828 (see plate illustration on previous page).

The various combinations of Holy further complicate the issue of trademarks. The firm of D. Holy & Co. was established in 1776, the year in which Daniel Holy, son of a button manufacturer, succeeded in acquiring possession of part of the buildings at the corner of Norfolk Street and Mulberry Street (then recently built ), occupied from 1774 as a Silver Plate factory by John Rowbotham & Co. 136 Rowbotham's associates included, as often happened, numerous men, such as Benjamin and Joseph Withers, engaged elsewhere in the cutlery trade, while active partners among the silversmiths they were, it seems, Rowbotham, William Birks and Roger Wilson. It was probably the latter's death that caused a reduction in operations, and Rowbotham himself appears to have died in 1781, when the widow, Birks and Withers separated and set up on their own. Among the rooms given to Holy, there were the bits department, the burnishing attic, the brasssmiths department, the boiling department, the mold department, and so on. In 1784, Holy's firm, then known as Danl. Holy, Wilkinson & Co., registered a pipe [trademark] as a trade mark for silverware. Evidently in 1804 the partnership was dissolved, and Daniel Holy continued the business in Mulberry Street with one Parker, and on October 3rd registered a new mark, “Danl. Holy, Parker & Co.”, with a pineapple [brand]. Robert Frederick Wilkinson and James Drabble moved with four others to Eyre Street, bringing with them the pipe brand which, under the name of I. Drabble & Co., was registered on 2 January 1805 [brand]. For the collector who wants to date an article bearing the first symbol, it will be useful as a guide to know that it must have been produced between the years 1784-1804, while the articles with the other two symbols were produced after 1804. The articles with the mark [brand] that you may come across, are later, circa 1817-1830, and could indicate either Daniel Holy and his son George, or his two sons, George and Daniel. The father died in 1831, and by 1833 the sons had abandoned the silverware trade for the production of cutlery and steel items.

Almost all items found stamped with the first mark have internally soldered and heavily plated shields (see p.89). In Ireland the pieces found with the Holy mark greatly outnumber those bearing any other mark. Ireland was evidently the largest commercial outlet the company had for its wares, and certainly the brand was well known in the country, being stamped on wares made to the most refined taste; items bearing this name and emblem were therefore more easily purchased by the public.

Crossed crosses were a trademark used by three different companies. [brand] First by J. Parsons & Co. (successors of Winter, Parsons & Hall), in 1784; in a second phase, however reversed, [brand] by John Green & Co. 137 in 1799; finally in 1836 by Henry Wilkinson & Co., who adopted the John Green & Co. emblem of crossed crosses. Presumably H. Wilkinson & Co. was commercially descended from John Winter. Succeeded J. & T. Settle around 1831, in turn successors to J. Green & Co. around 1815: their predecessors in 1787 were J. Parsons & Co.; in 1773, Winter, Parsons & Hall; originally, around 1760, John Winter.

Great mystery attaches to the use of the [mark] which is so often encountered on the Sheffield Plate produced at the time of George IV's accession to the throne. Examples from almost all well-known makers have occasionally been found bearing this symbol – probably stamped, as with silverware, to indicate them as originating in Sheffield. The standard of items on which this mark is found is high, so it may be that it was used to distinguish them from lower quality items made in Birmingham and abroad and put on the market around 1820. This appears not to have been understood until recently ago that the crown as an emblem was the exclusive property of the Sheffield Assay Office. At the instigation of the Keepers the stamping by manufacturers of a crown on plated articles has now entirely disappeared.

It has also been said that manufacturers imprinted this emblem on items supplied to Joseph Rodgers & Sons of Sheffield, who were producing Old Sheffield items on a large scale at that time. 138 Rodgers may perhaps have obtained the right to use the crown by means of a Royal Charter granted in 1822. Their trade mark, registered that same year, was impressed on close-plated articles of their manufacture.

The following marks are occasionally encountered on items produced between 1765 and 1773, [marks] most likely attributable to John Winter. At that date there are no other manufacturers of plated items whose initials fully correspond to those seen above. We also arrive at this conclusion on the basis of the testimony of S. Roberts (see p.40), according to which in 1765 J, Winter with other partners began to produce plated articles, while the production of candlesticks was reserved exclusively to him. I. & I. Waterhouse & Co. printed the Gothic crown with several different initials (certainly workmen's marks), such as IW TB and other symbols. The pieces on which this crown mark was printed were however mostly manufactured before the registration of the Waterhouse mark in 1833. The same crown shape has been found in association with the Creswick mark, the "cross arrows". Thomasons of Birmingham can also be recognized as using the crown mark on plated wares in the early 19th century. [brand name]; so does J. Willmore of Birmingham, on close-plated snuffers.

We learn that, way back in 1807, an acorn [trade mark] for plated wares was registered in Sheffield, by a firm of manufacturers in Birmingham. George Waterhouse (father of the late SS Waterhouse of Dublin) registered as a silversmith at the Birmingham Assay Office together with Thomas Waterhouse (probably his brother), in 1830. We also find in 1793 a firm, Kirkby, Waterhouse & Co. , registered as “silversmiths” at the Sheffield Assay Office. The mark, the cornflower [mark], sometimes depicted in this shape, often found on large (or, to use a term of the trade, "important") pieces of late period Old Sheffield Plate , was used by the I. & I. Waterhouse & Co., having been registered in 1833. The mark, the Phoenix [trademark], was used by Waterhouse & Co. of Portobello Place, Sheffield, and registered in 1836. The latter mark is widely found on buckets for ice, tea vessels, candlesticks and many other fine articles of plated pottery of the later period.

John Waterhouse, of the latter firm, was a son of Joseph Waterhouse, of I. & I. Waterhouse & Co., and married a daughter of Dr. Hogdson, of Sheffield, in 1822. (Dr. Hogdson was in partnership with the John's father, Joseph, and registered his name with Waterhouse Senior as Waterhouse, Hogdson & Co., silversmiths, at the Sheffield Assay Office in 1822.) The late Samuel Waterhouse, of Dublin, always used to speak of John Waterhouse as well as his uncle, evidently showing the presence of a close link between the Birmingham and Sheffield branches of the family.

Cornflower appears to have been a much sought-after trade mark among manufacturers, and we find it registered in Sheffield no less than four times. The first time was in 1808 by Aaron Hatfield, of Birmingham [mark], and again by him in 1810 [mark]; then by Thomas Small, of Birmingham, in 1812 [mark]; finally (as mentioned above) in 1833 by I. & I. Waterhouse & Co. of Sheffield [mark].

The globe and cross mark was commonly found on the Old Sheffield Plate , and appears to have been used at the same time by several companies, with only a few variations. In 1786 it was registered by Samuel Roberts & Co. [brand]; a similar symbol, a full moon and cross, was registered in 1810 by a Birmingham firm of close platers , George Bott Dunn [trademark]. Blagden, Hogdson & Co. of Sheffield used this mark [brand name] to a very large extent in the last days of the industry. Mr. T. A. Scott, of Hawksworth, Eyre & Co., who succeeded them, has kindly supplied this impression from one of the old hallmarks of which he is still in possession, and which corresponds exactly to the marks found today on articles of Old Sheffield Plate . Walker, Knowles & Co. also marked a globe and cross very "similar" to this one on their articles 139 , [trademark] but it is not very clear whether or not they acquired this mark from Blagden, Hogdson & Co., although they used it for certainly in 1845 (Blagden, Hogdson & Co. had been absorbed by Hawksworth, Eyre & Co. in 1833). The globe and cross mark is found above all on first course plates common to gadrooning , common plate covers and game plates, and often together with the initials IB and also JB (workmen's marks). The initials IB stand for John Burdekin, one of the old workmen employed by Walker, Knowles & Co., and it is interesting to remember that this information was supplied by his son, who is still living at the age of 85 (see p.133 ), also an employee of that same company for many years. The initials JB, Burdekin states, stand for John Brown, a laborer contemporary with his father.

Although Blagden, Hogdson & Co. used an unregistered mark as a platers' mark at the Sheffield Assay Office, they twice registered a silversmiths' mark there, in 1798 as Thomas Blagden, and again in 1808 as Blagden , Hogdson & Co. 140

Particular mention should be made of the cross arrow mark registered by T. & I. Creswick in 1811 [mark]. It is very often encountered on larger articles of the later period. The brand itself as a rule is not located in a very prominent place. Upon removal of the spout of a candlestick, of the central light of a candlestick, or on the cap inside a plate cover, the mark very often meets the observer's gaze. The ancient plated articles bearing this mark are always of excellent workmanship, as in the case of the hand, the bell, the sun, etc. observed previously. The Creswick mark has also been found on items along with unauthorized impressions from other hallmarks [marks]. (This mark, apparently too large to be that of a workman, was made from a candlestick of the very last period).

Creswick is a name connected with the silver and silver plate trade of Sheffield from very early times until relatively recently. A Richard Creswick was formerly connected with the author's firm, and was a partner of Matthew Fenton in 1773 (see p.37). Creswick's family is one of Sheffield's oldest, having resided in the borough for nearly six centuries. TJ & N. Creswick continued the old plating process until 1851, when the excellence of their wares earned them a prize medal at the Great Exhibition (see p.141). As time passed, however, their precious molds were lost, and the [trademark] is now used by W. Hutton & Sons, the present owners, on electrolytically settled silver. The J. Love & Co. mark is often found on plated tankards produced between 1785 and 1805. The mark was also used regularly by that firm in the production of all sorts of hollow-ware . [mark] The Gainsford elephant's head is a unique looking mark, often found on communion plates, heavy-mounted waiters and close-plated wares made in the early 19th century. It was registered in 1808 [trademark].

Robert Gainsford was a member of the firm “A. Goodman & Co.”, who registered the mark [trademark] in 1800, and Fairbairn was also a partner. However, it would seem that in 1808 Gainsford had set up his own business with T. Nicholson as a partner (see pp.45-47). Alexander Goodman having died early the following year, the trumpet brand was re-registered by George Fairbairn, with John Wright as a partner. [brand] The first brand is often encountered on old plate , but the second is absolutely not so common. 141

Tankards and measures of a particularly fine class were produced by [brand], sometimes marked with his name in full on the sides of the articles, and other times on the base, with the initials "SS", and in latter times the full address given is “Moor, Sheffield, 141”. These tankards are mostly found locally (Sheffield), as Smith evidently dealt with the taverns directly, as did Askew of Nottingham. The excellent finish of Smith's tankards shows how a manufacturer could excel by limiting his attention to just one class of ware. Measurements of it have been found in the south of England and in Preston in the north. Smith's name ceases to be recorded in the Sheffield Directories after 1856; evidently his company did not long survive the introduction of the electroplating process. [mark] (of Arundel Street, 15) is another name found on plated tankards circa 1833.

A very rare mark is Samuel Kirkby's 142 troy weight, [mark] and the excellence of its workmanship was perhaps surpassed by no other Sheffield maker. We must, however, look at the Kirkbys more as silversmiths than as platers, and although several members of the Kirkby family were registered as silversmiths at the Sheffield Assay Office in the latter part of the 18th century, it was not until 1812 that Samuel Kirkby registered a tackler's mark, which he used little. It would be safe to attribute some of the nicest wire-plated articles to be met with today to the firm of Samuel Kirkby & Co., for they correspond exactly to many silver-plated cake-baskets, fruit-plates, and other smaller articles. of trademark, which are found printed with the initials [initials].

Messrs. W. Hutton & Sons can conveniently be described as one of the very first close-plated manufacturing companies. Their activity has lasted, as far as we can see today in Sheffield and Birmingham, for well over a century.

The name Hutton in the Midlands is ancient and distinguished. Dr. Hutton of Birmingham, in the late 18th century, wrote a book about this most interesting city which is now considered by its inhabitants to be the most authentic they have on the ancient history and topography of the area.

In 1807, William Hutton, great-great-grandfather of Mr. Herbert Hutton, of William Hutton & Sons, in West Street, Sheffield, registered a trade mark at the Sheffield Assay Office, on the 19th of November [trademark]. At the time Hutton was close-plater . In 1830 and 1831, he sent his son WC Hutton to Sheffield with the successful aim of establishing a close-plating industry in Sheffield, while the original firm carried on its business in Birmingham until 1842. In all likelihood Thus, Hutton's company was among the first, if not 'the' first, to establish a large-scale plating plant for the production of close-plated cutlery in Sheffield. The mark, “the triangle with two curls or ears,” is most often encountered on old close-plated dessert knives and forks, nutcrackers, skewers, spoons and forks, snuffers, lobster tongs, and many other articles of close- plated tableware. plated in use during the period considered.

The firm appears in the Sheffield Directory of 1833, described thus: “William Carr Hutton, 35 Pinton Street, steel plater and manufacturer of dessert and fruit knives, spoons, snuffers, etc., in British plate (a variety of Newly Invented German Silver ), Eyre Street, 58”.

In the Sheffield Directory of 1833 is the following advertisement:-

W. C. HUTTON, Steel Plater & General Manufacturer in Silver & British Plate .

Pinstone Street, 35½, Sheffield.

Plated on steel:- Table and dessert forks; table spoons, desserts and teas; ladles, etc., with or without improved silver edges and tips; dessert knives and forks, and butter knives with or without handles; fish slicers, skewers, knife stands, nutcrackers, toast holders, snuffers, spurs and various other items.

THE PERFECTED BRITISH PLATE OR GERMAN SILVER

It is produced in each of the above-mentioned articles, as well as in patented pencils, pen and pencil cases, etc., all processed and with a guarantee of solidity and practicality.

SILVER dessert knives and forks, butter knives, pickle forks, fruit knives, sugar scoops, tea containers, pen and pencil cases, patent pencils, padlock chains, snuff boxes and perfume boxes, eyeglasses, thimbles, awls, pins, shears, desk scales, etc. etc.

Also, copper plated spoons, sugar tongs and crushers, jug caps and labels, knife holders, toast holders, etc. etc.

NB- Shears, surgical instruments, or any other article of steel, iron, brass or copper, can be silver plated at the above factory, with minimal notice.

By 1845 WC Hutton moved to No. 27 High Street, and in addition to the items listed above, advertised the manufacture of nutcrackers in German Silver and spoons in Britannia metal . Today this company, trading as “William Hutton & Sons Ltd.”, owns large buildings in West Street in Sheffield for the manufacture of all types of silverware and silver plate .

In the last phase of the industry, and around the date of the introduction of German Silver (1830-1840), there was a tendency to return to the early practices of stamping plated articles with marks which closely resembled those used on 925/1000 silver. The use of a crown (see p.434), which began around 1820, eventually became such a common symbol that manufacturers considered themselves entitled to stamp it indiscriminately on plated articles. Why the Keepers of the Sheffield Assay Office did not officially note these transgressions until 1896 is truly a mystery. Sometimes animals were also imprinted in distinct shields , similar in outline to the Lion and with the producers' initials added. The fraud, because that's what it should be called, was total. [symbols] 143 Such forgeries resembled legal trademarks much more closely than the rudimentary images that led to the passing of the first Trademark Act of 1773.

WORKERS' BRANDS AND MANUFACTURERS' NUMBERS

Before 1785 it is not very usual to find separate marks made by workmen on the Old Sheffield plate . These marks, initials or small emblems, were imprinted for identification purposes. The practice of hallmarking still survives in Sheffield among men producing both silver and plated wares. The following examples were found on Old Sheffield ware, and are assumed to have been used by workmen.

[brand names]

These marks are most often found on the basis of the candlestick bizzles , as well as sometimes the manufacturers' stock numbers, [numbers], occasionally associated with their trademark [number+mark]. The public sometimes mistakenly believes that these numbers indicate the year of production of the item, while the workers' marks are consistently mistaken for those used by the manufacturers, a confusion sometimes due to the fact that the marks were printed close to the manufacturer's sign . Marks indicating capacity are occasionally found on teapots, coffeepots and jugs of the late period. In this case, the manufacturers' brand, Walker, Knowles & Co. [brand] also appears.

APPROXIMATE DATES OF THE VERY FIRST CONTACT OF MANUFACTURERS WITH THE CAST POTTERY INDUSTRY BEFORE 1773

Business	Manufacturer's trademarks	Date	Location	Description of the activity
Boulsover Thomas	No brand recovered	1743	Sheffield, Norfolk Street	Cutler and can maker
Hancock Joseph	[brand names]	1755	Sheffield, Union Street – High Street	Cutler and manufacturer of plated hollow-ware
Smith Nathaniel	[brand] 144	1756	Sheffield, Waingate	Cutler
LawThomas	[brand names]	1758	Sheffield, Baker's Hill	Maker of silver cutlery and hollow-ware and plated candlesticks
Tudor&Leader	[brand names]	1760	Sheffield, Sycamore Works	Manufacturers of silverware and silver plate
Fenton Matthew & Co.	[marks] 145	1760	Sheffield, Mulberry Street	Idem
Unidentified	[brand names]	1760	Sheffield	Silver plate producers
Unidentified	[brand names]	1760	Sheffield	Idem
Unidentified	[brand names]	1760	Sheffield	Idem
Hoyland John & Co.	[brand names]	1764	Sheffield, Union Street	Manufacturers of silverware and silver plate
Boulton & Fothergill	[brand names]	1764	Birmingham	Idem
Roberts Jacob & Samuel	[trademarks] 144	1765	Sheffield, Pond Hill	Manufacturers of silver cutlery and Sheffield Plate
Winter John & Co.	[marks] 145	1765	Sheffield	Silverware and Sheffield Plate manufacturers
MortonRichard	[brand names]	1765	Sheffield, Brinsworth Orchard	Idem
Rowbotham J. & Co.	[brand name]	1768	Sheffield, Norfolk Street	Idem
Ashforth, Ellis & Co.	[brand name]	1770	Sheffield, Holy Croft	Sheffield Plate Cutlers and Makers
Ryland William	No brand recovered	1770	Birmingham	Tackler
Littlewood J.	[brand names]	1772	Sheffield, Westbar Green	Plasterer and silversmith

EXTRACTS FROM THE LISTS OF MANUFACTURERS FROM THE "SHEFFIELD SKETCHLEY LIST", 1774.

NO LEGALIZED TRADEMARKS ON PLATED ITEMS, UNDER THE 1773 ACT

Business	No manufacturer's marks used	Location	Description of the activity
Burnbury Thomas	…	Sheffield, Norfolk Lane	Silversmith
Elliott Thomas	…	Ditto, John Lane	Silversmith
Ellis Thomas	…	Ditto, Norfolk Street	Silver Plater
Fenton, Creswick & Co.	…	Ditto, Mulberry Street	Silverware and Sheffield Plate Manufacturers
Greaves Johanadab	…	Ditto, Church Lane	Manufacturer of plated snuffboxes
Hoyland John & Co.	…	Ditto, Union Street	Platers, refiners, button and box manufacturers
Kirk Joseph	…	Ditto, at Wheat Sheaf, Waingate	Silversmith
Margreave, Marsden & Brocklesby	…	Ditto, on the Town Head Crofts	Bristol Stone Sleeve Silverware and Button Manufacturers
Marsden William	…	Ditto, White Croft	Tackler
Morton Thomas	…	Ditto, New Church Street	Tackler
Morton Richard & Co.	…	Ditto, Fargate	Plasterers and silversmiths
Rowbotham John & Co.	…	Ditto, Norfolk Street	Silversmiths and platers
Tonks William	…	Ditto, West Bar Green	Manufacturer of plated buckles and spurs
Tudor & Leader	…	Ditto, Sycamore Hill	Manufacturers of carafes, coffee pots, candlesticks, tureens, waiters , etc.
Wilson Joseph	…	Ditto, Highfield	Silversmith, Plasterer, Maker of saws and snuffboxes
Winter, Parsons & Hall	…	Ditto, High Street	Silversmiths and platers
Boulton Matthew	…	Birmingham, Soho Workshops	Silversmith and plater
Ryland Wm.	…	Birmingham	Tackler

(FROM THE BIRMINGHAM DIRECTORY OF 1777)

Business	No manufacturer's marks used	Location	Description of the activity
Boulton Matthew	…	Birmingham, Soho Workshops	Manufacturer of silverware and silver plate
Ryland William	…	Birmingham	Tackler

EXTRACTS FROM THE MANUFACTURERS' LISTS FROM "BAILEY'S NORTHERN LIST" AND OTHER SOURCES, 1781

Business	No manufacturer's marks used	Location	Description of the activity
Allen Thomas	…	Sheffield, Bailey Street	Snuffer maker
Ashforth, Ellis & Co.	…	…	Tacklers
Burdett John	…	Ditto, Pea Croft	Manufacturer of brass dog collars, silver sleeve buttons, silver seals and silver plates
Henfrey John	…	…	Manufacturer of quality snuffers and shears
Henfrey Samuel	…	Ditto, Spring Street	Manufacturer of steel spring snuffers, shears and double steel tripods
Holy Daniel & Co.	…	Ditto, Norfolk Street	Tacklers
Kippax & Nowill	…	Sheffield, (Nowill & Kippax, High Street in 1787)	Wholesale cutlers and silversmiths
Law Thomas & Co.	…	Sheffield, Norfolk Street	Silver platers and cutlery manufacturers
Littlewood John	…	Ditto, Westbar Green	Manufacturer of knives and forks with silver handles
Madin & Trickett	…	Ditto, near Fairfield	Cutlers and tacklers
Mappin Jonathan	…	Ditto, Fargate	Plater and cup maker
Roberts, Eyre & Co.	…	Ditto, Union Street	Silversmiths and platers
Rowbotham John	…	Ditto, Norfolk Street	Silversmith and cutler
Sykes John & Dennis	…	Ditto (Pinstone Lane in 1787)	Manufacturers of wooden, ivory, silver and silver-plated table knives and forks
Tudor & Leader	…	Ditto, Sycamore Hill	Silversmiths and platers
Winter, Parsons & Hall	…	Ditto, Market Place	Tacklers
Withers Benjamin & Co.	…	Ditto, Pinstone Cross Lane	Manufacturers of silverware. Knives and forks with ivory, plated and wooden handles, and molded penknives
Younge, Greaves & Hoyland	…	Ditto, Union Street	Silversmiths and manufacturers of plated items and buttons
Fenton, Creswick & Co.	…	Ditto, Mulberry Street	Silversmiths and platers
Boulton & Fothergill	…	Birmingham, Soho Workshops and Green Lettice Lane, Cannon Street, London	Hardware manufacturers
Ryland William	…	Birmingham	Tackler

LIST OF MANUFACTURERS AND BRANDS USED BY MANUFACTURERS OF FUSION-PLATED AND CLOSE-PLATED ITEMS AFTER THE 1784 ACT WAS APPROVED

The words “ close plater ” in this list mean that the manufacturers thus described produced items plated on iron or steel.

Business	Manufacturer's trademarks	Date	Location	Description of the activity
Ashforth G. & Co.	[brand name]	1784	Sheffield, Angel Street	Plasterers and silversmiths
Fox T. & Co.	[brand name]	1784	Idem	Idem
Green W. & Co.	[brand name]	1784	Ditto, Eyre Street	Idem
Holy D., Willison & Co.	[brand name]	1784	Ditto, Mulberry Street	Idem
Law T. & Co.	[brand name]	1784	Ditto, Norfolk Street	Idem
Parsons J. & Co.	[brand name]	1784	Ditto, Market Place	Idem
Smith N. & Co.	[brand name]	1784	Ditto, Waingate	Idem
Staniforth, Parkin & Co.	[brand name]	1784	Idem	Tacklers and cutlers
Sykes & Co.	[brand name]	1784	Ditto, Pinstone Lane	Silver platers and cutlery manufacturers
Tudor, Leader & Nicholson	[brand name]	1784	Ditto, Sycamore Hill	Plasterers and silversmiths
Boulton M. & Co.	[brand name]	1784	Birmingham, Soho Workshops	Plasterers and silversmiths
Dixon T. & Co.	[brand name]	1784	Birmingham	Tacklers
Holland H. & Co.	[brand name]	1784	Idem	Plasterers and silversmiths
Moore J.	[brand] 146	1784	Idem	Plasterer and silversmith
Smith & Co.	[brand name]	1784	Idem	Tacklers
Beldon, Hoyland & Co.	[brand name]	1785	Sheffield	Plasterers and silversmiths
Brittain, Wilkinson & Brownhill	[brand name]	1785	Idem	Plasterers and silversmiths
Deakin, Smith & Co.	[brand name]	1785	Ditto, Hawley Croft	Idem
Love J, & Co. (Love, Silverside, Darby & Co.)	[brand name]	1785	Ditto, Pea Croft	Idem
Morton R. & Co.	[brand name]	1785	Ditto, Brinsworth Orchard	Idem
Roberts, Cadman & Co.	[brand name]	1785	Ditto, Eyre Street	Idem
Roberts J. & S.	[brand name]	1786	Ditto, Union Street	Idem
Sutcliffe R. & Co.	[brand name]	1786	Ditto, King Street	Idem
Bingley W.	[brand name]	1787	Birmingham	Tackler
Madin F. & Co.	[brand name]	1788	Sheffield, Far Field	Plasterers and silversmiths
Jerwis W.	[brand name]	1789	Ditto, White Croft	Plasterer and silversmith
Colmore S.	[brand] 146	1790	Birmingham	Tackler
Goodwin E.	[brand name]	1794	Sheffield, The Park	Plasterer and silversmith
Watson, Fenton & Bradbury	[brand name]	1795	Ditto, Mulberry Street	Plasterers and silversmiths
Froggatt, Coldwell & Lean	[brand name]	1797	Ditto, Eyre Street	Britannia Metal platers, silversmiths, and fabricators
Green J. & Co.	[brand] 147	1799	Ditto, Market Place	Plasterers and silversmiths
Goodman, Gainsford & Fairbairn	[brand name]	1800	Ditto, Hawley Croft, 18	Plasterers, silversmiths and sales agents
Ellerby W.	[brand] 146	1803	London	Close plater
Garnett W.	[brand name]	1803	Sheffield, Bridge Houses	Tackler
Holy D., Parker & Co.	[brand name]	1804	Ditto, Mulberry Street	Plasterers and silversmiths
Hutton W.	[brand] 147	1849	Sheffield	Close plater
Mappin Bros.	[brand] 148	1850	Sheffield, Baker's Hill	Manufacturers of silver and silver-plated cutlery
Oldham T.	[brand] 146	1860	Nottingham	Manufacturer of plated mugs and measures
Roberts & Briggs	[brand] 146 149	1860	Sheffield, Furnival Street, 38	Manufacturers of silver pottery and silver plate

VARIOUS BRANDS NOT IDENTIFIED

Manufacturer's trademarks	Description of the article from which the brands are obtained	Approximate production date
[brand name]	Melt plated pint mug	1780-1790
[brand name]	Melt plated sugar tongs	1790
[brand name]	Melt-plated sauce boat	1790
[brand name]	Melt-plated and perforated fish slice, with plated handle	1790-1800
[brand name]	Melt plated ice buckets with lion mask handles	1790-1800
[brand] 150	Melt plated tankard	1800-1810
[brand name]	Foldable acoustic horn, with floral decorated stands and filled with silver (see p.390)	1815-1825
[brand name]	Melt-plated salt shaker, with wire supports for the glass	1815-1825
[brand name]	Melt plated 5 branch candelabra, 29” tall	1815-1825
[brand name]	Small melt-plated telescope (see p.390)	1840
[brand name]	Melt-plated snuffer tray with pointed ends (see p.328)	1840
[brand name]	Close-plated dessert knife	1840
[brand name]	Close-plated article	1840
[brand name]	Snuffers, made of Nickel silver, with silver-filled supports	1850
[brand name]	Close-plated dessert knife	1850
[brand name]	Close-plated pumpkin ladle	1850
[brand name]	Dessert knife with ivory handle, close-plated blade	1850

PART XI

OTHER INDUSTRIES RELATED TO THE OLD SHEFFIELD PLATE

THE PRODUCTION OF SILVERWARE

OLD SHEFFIELD CUTLERY WITH SILVER HANDLES

It would be impossible to write comprehensively about Old Sheffield Plate , without touching briefly on the issue of Sheffield cutlery, since, as previously mentioned, the plating industry developed out of the cutlery industry. It will easily be understood that very little time elapsed from the invention of the new process before table knives, with practical good quality metal handles, were produced in cutlers' workshops.

The earliest date of the introduction of cutlery with both silver and plated handles can only be conjectured, however by 1773 (the date of establishment of the local Assay Office) this branch of the trade was notable, as there he often comes across silver-handled cutlery items sampled in Sheffield that year.

Plated handles, although made from a sturdier and more durable metal, are less frequent than silver ones. The latter were naturally preferred if they were not too expensive. Very thin silver was used in their construction, so the additional cost was insignificant. Both the plated and silver handles were struck from molds and soldered together in two halves, then filled with shellac poured in in a molten state. The tips of the blades and forks were then fixed and cemented inside the handles before the compound had hardened.

It seems that in the past the handles were not welded to the support surface, a method frequently adopted today. Certainly, this was due to the fact that the extraordinary strength of the metal required would have more than doubled the cost of production.

For many years in the past, collectors and experts on antique silverware have racked their brains trying to discover why silver-handled cutlery made in the late 18th century so often has the word STERLING stamped on the handles, for the only other symbol was usually a manufacturer's mark. Also, if silver was at 925/1000 151 , why is there no mark? And again, who do the initials found above belong to? The answer to these open questions is that, under Act 30 of George III, cap.31, articles weighing less than 5 pennyweights 152 did not require marking unless expressly specified in the Act, and unless the handles of knives and forks did not fall into any particular category. Now, the weight of the handles almost never exceeded 15-20 pennyweights per dozen, therefore they were exempt from the law. By carefully removing these handles from the blades and forks, you will find that in the majority of cases where they have been stamped with the word STERLING, the weight of the silver does not much exceed the pennyweight per handle. It is not uncommon to find the word STERLING printed on Silver Plate produced in other cities in Great Britain and Ireland, although it occurs mainly on silverware produced in Cork and Limerick. An unusual example of the use of this word has been drawn from the bases and spouts of a pair of silver candlesticks found in Ireland:- on the bases, [marks]; on the spouts [brands]. So far we have not come across a similar case.

You should not hesitate in assigning these candlesticks to a Sheffield manufacturer. There was, it is true, a Dublin silversmith, "William Law" (mentioned on pp.148 and 153), but an examination of the dates indicates that the articles described here cannot be his, since in the year of their production, the 1765, he was just beginning his apprenticeship, and did not gain his freedom until 1774. Furthermore, except the word “ sterling ”, the above marks have all previously been found on plated candlesticks made by Thomas Law of Sheffield (see p.34), before 1773. It will be observed that the initials correspond exactly to those found on the lid and side of an ancient Old Sheffield Plate tankard, illustrated on p.425 of Part years after the date attributed to the candlesticks, while the name “Law” will also be seen at the base of a candlestick depicted on p.232.

The initials frequently encountered on silver-handled cutlery items are usually those of a Sheffield silversmith, who stamped his own silver hallmark on the handles with the word STERLING, or occasionally affixed the name of the customer for whom he produced the items. The heavier silver handles formerly supplied by London cutlers were fashioned partly by hand, and partly by means of cast metal moulds; they were almost entirely supplanted by the much less expensive Sheffield productions.

Having so far found that the majority of hallmarks correspond exactly to those recorded by Sheffield makers, we must conclude that silver-handled and plated cutlery was produced almost exclusively in Sheffield. The manufacture of this category of cutlery would present great difficulties to anyone unfamiliar with the local industry, this being a particular trade which can conveniently be described as indigenous. We must also reject the supposition, often advanced, that these wares were made in the city of Cork 153 , although the silversmiths of that city used a STERLING mark for their silverware similar to that adopted by the cutlers of Sheffield.

Among the marks found on the handles of Old Sheffield cutlery with steel blades and forks, which in most cases correspond to the hallmarks registered by the manufacturers of silver cutlery at the Sheffield Assay Office, should be mentioned

[brand name]	J. & S. Roberts	1765	[brand name]	Madin & Trickets	1779
[brand name]	Robert Tricket	1773	[brand name]	Robert Sutcliffe	1781
[brand name]	W. Birks & Co.	1773 154	[brand name]	Sykes & Co.	1781
[brand name]	John Rowbotham	1776 154	[brand name]	W. Birks & Son	1781 155

The [trademark], often found on cutlery with silver handles of the pistol model, could perhaps be attributed to J. Parsons & Co., a firm in which there were at one time 5 partners. 156 Another mark [mark] often found on Sheffield cutlery has so far not been identified.

GREEN COLORED IVORY FOR KNIFE HANDLES AND OTHER PURPOSES

Some examples of the renowned antique green-coloured ivory-handled cutlery made in Sheffield are illustrated on the grounds that these items were usually made by " Silver cutlers ", and are often found stamped with their names. They are sometimes found with silver or silver-plated rings on the table tops, and occasionally with solid silver forks. The idea for this green colored ivory cutlery does not seem to have arisen (as is generally supposed) from the fact that ivory was so cheap towards the end of the 18th century that people got tired of seeing it used, but probably because when it was colored it showed no signs of dirt or grease. Another reason for this was the attempt to obtain a resemblance to malachite, a mineral whose vivid green color was the main goal for cutlers to achieve. In fact, when the ivory was thoroughly and carefully colored and polished, the resemblance was complete. Furthermore, the use of green colored ivory was a pleasant departure from the black and brown wood and horn used for handles and knobs of teapots and tea kettles, etc., on the Old Sheffield Plate pieces.

While not classified under the heading of “Manufacturers of Silverware and Plated Articles,” the following list of names and brands of cutlers, etc. (connected to the silverware and Sheffield Plate industry), is found on the pages of the Sketchley Directory of Sheffield, 1774.

Business	Company marks granted by the Society of Cutlers for use on blades, etc.	Date	Location	Description of the activity
Ashforth, Ellis & Co.	[Brand name]	1774	Sheffield, Holy Croft	Sheffield Plate cutlers and makers
Birks, Withers & Sykes	[brand name]	1774	Ditto, Pinston Croft Lane	Table knives with wooden, ivory and silver handles
Dewsnop Joshua	[brand name]	1774	Ditto, Trinity Street	Manufacturer of silver cutlery
Lambert William	…	1774	Ditto, Pond Lane	Silver cutlery manufacturer and decorator
LawThomas	[brand name]	1774	Ditto, Norfolk Street	Silver cutlery manufacturer, silversmith and plater
Laycock Thomas	…	1774	Ditto, Pond Lane	Manufacturer of gold, plated and metal buttons
Littlewood John	[brand name]	1774	Ditto, Westbar Green	Manufacturer of silver cutlery
Madin & Trickett	[brand name]	1774	Ditto, Farfield	Cutlers and tacklers
Nowill Joseph	[brand name]	1774	Ditto, Pea Croft	Cutler
Roberts Jacob & Samuel	[brand name]	1774	Ditto, Pond Hill	Table knife manufacturers
Roberts Sam	…	1774	Ditto, New Church Street	Cutler, silversmith and plater
Roberts, Elam, Winter & Co.	…	1774	Ditto, near Fargate	Silver cutlery manufacturers

This list of marks should not be confused with those shown in Part X, which are used by manufacturers only on melt-plated and close-plated items. The marks reproduced above and on the next page are found only on blades, etc., of steel cutlery, with handles of ivory, bone, horn, deerskin or wood. Those provided in the following pages (especially in the form of initials) were reserved for use in 925/1000 silver articles. From these various lists it is inferred that the first producers of Sheffield were mostly at the same time cutlers, platemakers and silversmiths. While the marks used on steel cutlery had to be registered with the Sheffield Cutlers' Society, those for plated and silverware had to be registered with the Sheffield Assay Office. The various marks at the end of p.460, are typical of a form of unregistered marking which came into vogue especially on plated cutlery (see p.440), towards the end of the Sheffield plate industry.

Gales and Martin, in their Sheffield Directory of 1787, record the accompanying list of manufacturers of table knives, "silver and plated", with the accompanying company marks, granted to the manufacturers by the Society of Sheffield Cutlers.

Business	Company marks granted by the Society of Cutlers for use on blades, etc.	Date	Location	Description of the activity
Beldon, Hoyland & Co.	[brand name]	1787	Sheffield, Burgess Street	Manufacturers of silver and plated table knives
Birks William & John	[brand name]	1787	Ditto, Norfolk Street	Idem
Dewsnap John	…	1787	Ditto, Queen Street	Idem
Dewsnap Joshua	[brand name]	1787	Ditto, Trinity Street	Idem
Green William & Co.	[brand names]	1787	Ditto, Eyre Street	Idem
Hoyland, Clarbour & Barnard	[brand name]	1787	Ditto, Hillfoot	Idem
Hunter & Twigg	[brand name]	1787	Ditto, Black Lane	Idem
Law Thomas & Co.	[brand name]	1787	Ditto, Norfolk Street	Idem
Littlewood John	[brand name]	1787	Ditto, Silver Street	Idem
Roberts Jacob & Samuel	[brand name]	1787	Ditto, Union Street	Idem
Settle Thomas & Co.	[brand name]	1787	Ditto, Brinsworth's Orchard	Idem
Smith Nathaniel & Co.	[brand name]	1787	Ditto, Waingate	Idem
Staniforth, Parkin & Co.	[brand name]	1787	Ditto, Sycamore Street	Idem
Sutcliffe, Sporle & Co.	[brand name]	1787	Ditto, King Street	Idem
Sykes & Co.	[brand name]	1787	Ditto, Pinston Lane	Idem
Tricket, Haslehurst, Whiteley & Pryor	[brand name]	1787	Ditto, Hillfoot	Idem

W. Green & Co., cited as using the gun mark for cutlery, was the first company to register its mark for plated items – always the gun – on September 8, 1784. Registration of the same mark for two kinds of articles was perhaps an exceptional case.

T. Settle & Co. had no registered trademark except for plated wares, although between 1773 and 1825 there are no fewer than 12 registrations of trademarks connected with the name "Settle" or "Sattle" at the Office of the Taste of Sheffield. Their successors, the “H. Wilkinson & Co.”, in 1836 re-registered the mark for crossed-key pottery.

“Nathaniel Smith & Co.” it was probably the same firm mentioned previously based in Waingate, in 1756 (see p.441). Their mark for pottery - the hand - has been fully covered in Part . and Sutcliffe & Co., were all previously recorded in the lists of makers in Part

The “Joseph Nowill” firm is of considerable local interest. As cutlery makers, the Nowills are perhaps the oldest still in existence in Sheffield. You can find old steel blades from their production more than from any other manufacturer. From 1645 to the present the “Nowills” (the name is spelled in various ways) are regularly recorded in the lists of apprentices and freemen of the Society of Cutlers. Thomas Nowill was Master Cutler in 1788, having registered the mark for silverware at the Sheffield Assay Office in 1786. Joseph “Nowell” registered the mark for silverware at the Sheffield Assay Office. Sheffield in 1813. Besides the firm mentioned having their headquarters in Peacroft, there was also "Kippax & Nowill", for many years prominent merchants in the High Street, Sheffield.

VARIOUS BRANDS OF CUTLERY (NOT REGISTERED)

Business	Manufacturers' brands	Approximate production date	Location	Description of the article from which the brands are taken
J. Smith & Son	[brand names]	1829	Sheffield, Arundel Street	Table knife with steel blade and silver handles
James Bradbury	[brand names]	1833	Ditto, 45 Eyre Street	Large table knife with ivory handle colored green
? 157	[brand name]	1840	Idem	Table knife with close-plated blade and silver handle

ANTIQUE SILVERWORK IN SHEFFIELD

The oldest known piece of silverware with a Sheffield connection was purchased at Christie's Massey Mainwairing auction in 1907 and is the illustrated clock. The case does not bear any mark, but there is an interesting one inside, quite similar to the crown [mark]. The production date of the watch should date back to the time of Queen Anne, or rather later. On the front it bears the name “Travis, Sheffeild”, and also on the inside, “Josiah Travis, Sheffeied”, - note the curious spelling of Sheffield at that time (in two different ways). Nathaniel Travis, perhaps great-grandson of the maker – or more likely just seller – of this watch, was registered as a silverware maker at the Sheffield Assay Office in 1789. 158 Perhaps someone else might be able to do this. more light on this article in the future. Mr. R. E. Leader furnishes a key to deciphering the date of Josiah Travis's clock, and an interesting glimpse of the maker, contained in an account, recently published by him, of the diary of Richard Carr, lawyer of Sheffield, who in 1728- 1730 was in the office of Mr. Francis Sitwell, clerk to the Sheffield Cutlers' Company. Dated July 21, 1729, Richard Carr notes, “Mr. Travis has repaired my watch, and put in a new mainspring and glass, for which I have not yet paid him. He said I owe him 6 shillings.”

It has not been thought necessary to illustrate the hollow-ware articles made in silver and sampled in Sheffield, as the majority closely resemble the melt-plated ones, illustrated and described at length in Part X of this work.

The distinct resemblance of the antique silverware with the Sheffield mark to those found in Old Sheffield Plate , has already been discussed on p.200. Almost all silver articles made between 1773 and 1840, and swatched in Sheffield, have their duplicate in Sheffield Plate .

During the period in which the production of Old Sheffield Plate prospered, the manufacture of solid silver ware, although a steadily growing industry in Sheffield, was completely overshadowed by the production of plated ware. Thus it came to pass that, owing to the enormous demand which arose for the Sheffield Plate , the designs for silver articles were for a time copied from the plated ones, completely reversing the state of affairs existing in Sheffield in the very early days of the industry and today .

We often come across Old Sheffield Plate items which have detachable parts molded from 925/1000 silver and hallmarked in Sheffield, such as the tops of the cruets and the engraving shields left in the wooden bases of the bottle coasters; also, teapot knobs, coffee pots and tea kettles. Plated candlestick spouts and various decorations for plated dessert stands, etc., are also sometimes found made of solid silver and hallmarked. Examples of similar modeling can also be given in the handles of plated first course plates, and in plate covers. The centerpiece pattern illustrated on p.294, when detached from the top and bottom, reveals the Sheffield silver assay mark, 1822, with the registered hallmark of Roberts, Cadman & Co. This hallmark proved to be of inestimable value, not only for having allowed us to establish the year of production of a particular piece, but also for having allowed us to ascertain with certainty the name of the manufacturer to whose production an Old Sheffield article can certainly be attributed plate .

THE SHEFFIELD ASSAY OFFICE 159

The office for the assaying and hallmarking of silverware in Sheffield was established in 1773. For a long time before then there had been great agitation on the part of the silverware and ware manufacturers. plated, aimed at obtaining authorization from the legislators which would allow them to activate a Tasting Office in Sheffield. Until then, manufacturers were exposed to the inconvenience, delays and expense of sending almost all of their silver wares to London for assaying, and seven of the major local manufacturers, namely Matthew Fenton (with Richard Creswick) 160 , William Hancock, John Hirst, John Rowbotham, Henry Tudor, Thomas Tyas Junior and John Winter, had had their hallmarks registered at Goldsmiths' Hall in London. 161 Since the discovery of the fusion plating process some 30 years before the Office began its operations, the number of producers of solid silver articles had increased substantially, and the London Goldsmiths were therefore unable to resist successfully to the absolutely legitimate demands of local producers in the future realization of their wishes.

The hallmarks which were affixed to the silverware tested in Sheffield differed from those in vogue in London only to a minimal extent, i.e. the crown was substituted for the leopard's head as the hallmark of origin. The maker's mark, date letter and passing lion were stamped with different hallmarks, as was customary in London. Under the Act of 1773 the highest standard, containing 958 parts of pure silver in 1,000, was also authorized for use in Sheffield, and the figure Britannia was impressed as a customs mark. (The use of this mark in Sheffield in the period under examination has not yet been established.) The various date letters were, however, printed in a rather irregular manner and did not begin with the first letter of the alphabet, as was the case at London Hall; [letter] was the first recorded in 1773. Since 1824 the method of writing letters in alphabetical order has been adopted, starting from the letter a . 162 However, the letters ijnowy were omitted in the first consecutive cycle, and the j. and the q. in the following one (which began with A, in 1844). The following cycle, from 1868 to 1892, left only one letter aside, namely I.

During the 138 years of existence of the Sheffield Tasting Office, the following gentlemen have been appointed to the position of Master of Tasting:

1773. Daniel Bradbury	1854. John Watson
1789. George Dickenson	1878. William Henry Watson
1807. Samuel Hancock	1890. Arnold T. Watson
1809. Matthew Sayles	1898. Bernard W. Watson, Master of Arts (position still held)
1833. Lewis Charles Sayles

SHEFFIELD TASTING OFFICE BRANDS

At the tasting offices it is customary to mint various ranges of punches in proportion to the dimensions of the articles on which they are to be used. The method adopted by the producer consists in stamping his initials before sending the items to be tasted, and subsequently the Tasting Master stamps the lion, mark of origin, and the date letter as close as possible to the size of the punches that found on the articles. We can trace many cases of breaking away from this habit in our local office in the past. [marks] The first mark shown here is from the base of a full-sized teapot (dating 1817), which not only has the crown stamped upside down, but the marks used on the teapot are clearly those that should have been stamped on the cream jug of the service. The latter, although a quarter of the size of the teapot, bears a much larger mark. [marks] Many similar cases are found on silverware of the period made in Sheffield. From 1815 to 1819 the crown was constantly printed backwards. [trademarks] The most probable explanation for this strange procedure lies in the fact that the aim was to more clearly differentiate the letters used in that period from those printed in previous years. For example, X is the date letter of both 1797 and 1817, but placing the crown upside down in the second case avoids confusion. Originally it was customary for the Master of Tasting to stamp each mark separately, but later the method adopted became the inclusion of the lion, mark of origin, and the date letter in a single punch, even if in separate shields .

You will notice the various sizes and shapes of the crown: in 1854, however, they became uniform. That year Wyon, who cut the coin dies at the Mint, undertook the cutting of the crown punches used at the Sheffield Assay Office. Around 1783 the punches were so carelessly cut out, that the lion looked very much like a dog, furthermore they were struck so superficially that the local tasting mark of that period could easily be mistaken for a fake. [brand names]

An innovation completely different from the procedures of the other offices was the adoption of the method, dating back to 1780 and surviving for about 73 years, of stamping the origin mark and the date letter combined in a single punch [punch]. Probably originally intended to be impressed on small wares, where space was limited, these hallmarks ended up being used at the Sheffield Assay Office on all classes of 925/1000 silver wares.

Another peculiarity not found in the silverware of that time tasted in London, was the frequent omission of the imprint of the test marks on the separate pieces attached to the main bodies by hinges, joints, locks or screws; such as, for example, on the lids and handles of teapots, jugs and coffee pots 163 , on the handles of gravy boats, plate covers, first course plates and sugar bowls, etc. Although the 1773 law did not clearly set out regulations on this point, these omissions indicate a negligence on the part of the office, which is completely absent today. After the death of a sovereign, the replacement of the customs mark with the head of the next monarch was, at the Assay Office in Sheffield, significantly deferred. Even though Queen Victoria ascended the throne in 1837, the hallmark bearing the head of William IV remained in use throughout 1838 [hallmark] and for the first six months of 1839 [hallmark].

The silver duty of 6 pence per ounce was imposed in 1784, and for about 18 months the sovereign's head, added to the other marks, was struck in Sheffield in intaglio rather than in low relief [mark]. For the greater part of those 2 years such was the usual custom in the Assay Offices of Scotland and England; while since 1786 the king's head as a customs mark has always been minted as a cameo. 164

In Ireland a customs duty of 6 pence per ounce was imposed on silver articles in 1730, and the figure of Hibernia was struck as a customs mark. The sovereign's head (printed in cameo) was first used in Ireland in 1807, under the Act of Parliament, 47 George III c.15, “on the regulation of the collection of duties on gold and silver plate made in Ireland ”.

In 1797 the duty on silver was increased to 1 shilling per ounce. From 13 July of that year for about 9 months, the Sheffield Assay Office printed the king's head in duplicate, [marks] to indicate the payment of this double duty.

In 1804 the duty was increased to 1 shilling 3 pence per ounce, and in 1815 to 1 shilling 6 pence per ounce, at which rate it remained until its total abolition in 1890.

Since, until relatively recently, it was not usual for the Sheffield Assay Office to record an exact copy of the chosen date letter for each year, it was necessary to ascertain the earliest examples by using existing examples of early Silver Plate .

The list of date letters with the various shields , crowns, etc., was reproduced mainly thanks to articles in the author's possession. More than 20 years have been spent collecting them and – with the help of the Tasting Master – assigning them correctly. The debt to the Crichton Brothers of London must also be acknowledged for allowing access to their archive of hallmarks on antique silverware produced in Sheffield.

EXAMPLES OF ANTIQUE SILVERWARE PRODUCED IN SHEFFIELD, FROM THE AUTHOR'S COLLECTION

[DRAWINGS AND CAPTIONS]

THE DATE LETTERS THAT CAN BE FOUND ON SILVERWARE ITEMS PRODUCED IN SHEFFIELD, ARRANGEMENTED IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER

YEAR	Standard brand	Mark of origin	Dating letters	Customs mark	Dating Letters with Crowns	YEAR	Standard brand	Mark of origin	Dating letters	Customs mark	Dating Letters with Crowns
1773	[brand name]	[brand name]	[letters]			1798	[brand name]	[brand name]	[letters]	[brand name]	[letters]
1774	[brand name]	[brand name]	[letters]			1799	[brand name]	[brand name]	[letters]	[brand name]	[letters]
1775	[brand name]	[brand name]	[letters]			1800	[brand name]	[brand name]	[letters]	[brand name]	[letters]
1776	[brand name]	[brand name]	[[letters]			1801	[brand name]	[brand name]	[letters]	[brand name]	[letters]
1777	[brand name]	[brand name]	[letters]			1802	[brand name]	[brand name]	[letters]	[brand name]	[letters]
1778	[brand name]	[brand name]	[letters]			1803	[brand name]	[brand name]	[letters]	[brand name]	[letters]
1779	[brand name]	[brand name]	[letters]			1804	[brand name]	[brand name]	[letters]	[brand name]	[letters]
1780 165	[brand name]	[brand name]	[letters]		[letters]	1805	[brand name]	[brand name]	[letters]	[brand name]	[letters]
1781	[brand name]	[brand name]	[letters]		[letters]	1806	[brand name]	[brand name]	[letters]	[brand name]	[letters]
1782	[brand name]	[brand name]	[letters]		[letters]	1807	[brand name]	[brand name]	[letters]	[brand name]	[letters]
1783	[brand name]	[brand name]	[letters]		[letters]	1808	[brand name]	[brand name]	[letters]	[brand name]	[letters]
1784 166	[brand name]	[brand name]	[letters]	[brand name]	[letters]	1809	[brand name]	[brand name]	[letters]	[brand name]	[letters]
1785	[brand name]	[brand name]	[letters]	[brand name]	[letters]	1810	[brand name]	[brand name]	[letters]	[brand name]	[letters]
1786 167	[brand name]	[brand name]	[letters]	[brand name]	[letters]	1811	[brand name]	[brand name]	[letters]	[brand name]	[letters]
1787	[brand name]	[brand name]	[letters]	[brand name]	[letters]	1812	[brand name]	[brand name]	[letters]	[brand name]	[letters]
1788	[brand name]	[brand name]	[letters]	[brand name]	[letters]	1813	[brand name]	[brand name]	[letters]	[brand name]	[letters]
1789	[brand name]	[brand name]	[letters]	[brand name]	[letters]	1814	[brand name]	[brand name]	[letters]	[brand name]	[letters]
1790	[brand name]	[brand name]	[letters]	[brand name]	[letters]	1815 169	[brand name]	[brand name]	[letters]	[brand name]	[letters]
1791	[brand name]	[brand name]	[letters]	[brand name]	[letters]	1816	[brand name]	[brand name]	[letters]	[brand name]	[letters]
1792	[brand name]	[brand name]	[letters]	[brand name]	[letters]	1817	[brand name]	[brand name]	[letters]	[brand name]	[letters]
1793	[brand name]	[brand name]	[letters]	[brand name]	[letters]	1818	[brand name]	[brand name]	[letters]	[brand name]	[letters]
1794	[brand name]	[brand name]	[letters]	[brand name]	[letters]	1819	[brand name]	[brand name]	[letters]	[brand name]	[letters]
1795	[brand name]	[brand name]	[letters]	[brand name]	[letters]	1820	[brand name]	[brand name]	[letters]	[brand name]	[letters]
1796	[brand name]	[brand name]	[letters]	[brand name]	[letters]	1821	[brand name]	[brand name]	[letters]	[brand name]	[letters]
1797 168	[brand name]	[brand name]	[letters]	[brand name]	[letters]	1822	[brand name]	[brand name]	[letters]	[brand name]	[letters]

SHEFFIELD SILVERWORKERS' MARKS

The main difference to observe between the marks registered by the producers of Old Sheffield for plated articles, and those for 925/1000 silver articles, is that in the first case the entire name was imprinted with an emblem, while in the second they were use initials (and sometimes just first names).

In the very early days of London's silver industry the initial marks used by manufacturers were almost always accompanied by some kind of emblem.

Perhaps the passing of the Sheffield Assay Office Acts of 1773 and 1784 may have influenced the London silversmiths to some extent, for after 1773 we note that their use of an emblem on silverware was ceased almost completely.

From 1773 to 1854, silverware manufacturers within a 20 mile radius of Sheffield were not permitted to have their wares tasted outside the city, under penalty of punishment. Queen Victoria's Acts 17 and 18, Cap.96, 1854, modified this provision.

An important feature of the hallmarks used by Sheffield silversmiths is the variety of shapes of the unregistered hallmarks they used. In some cases the latter cannot be found at the Sheffield Tasting Office.

John Younge & Co., registered in 1779, were stamping [trademarks] at the time. In 1788, this same firm, with its name changed to Younge & Sons, re-registered [trademark] and then again in 1811, when it was described as S. & C. Younge [trademark].

All these hallmarks are duly registered, but cause some confusion if you try to recover the name of the company by means of initials.

John and Thomas Settle, registered in 1815, sometimes marked items with the [punch] mark and other times [punch], with two registrations in a single year. This form of recording occurred frequently in Sheffield, and has so far been unable to explain it satisfactorily. The hypothesis that various classes of items were reserved for different brands had to be rejected, following the discovery of duplicate silverware items produced by the same company but with its different emblems on them.

The firm of Battie, Howard and Hawksworth, who registered the mark [trademark] in 1815, also used the [punch] punch.

To explain some of the irregularities in hallmarking, it seems likely that when there was once a change of members, companies did not always consider it obligatory to notify the Taster Master of the fact or to inform him that a new member of the company had been admitted as a silversmith. , and that the initials would change in the future. Or, more likely, if this was done, the Taster Master failed to record this change in his books. In the cases of well-known companies, it may be that he did not consider any modification or new trademark necessary.

It is possible that some of these errors were due to the negligence of the person who cut the molds, and that having escaped the attention of both the company and the Tasting Master, it was not considered appropriate to modify the punches.

In other cases in which there are no records at the Assay Office that correspond to the initials found, we must explain the fact by thinking of an overlap of the mark by the London silversmiths. The following initials are not infrequently found on silver candlesticks hallmarked in Sheffield and made towards the end of the 18th century. [initials]. These brands were never registered at the local tasting office. The first two hallmarks were probably used by “Daniel Smith and Robert Sharp” of London (an example of an overlapping mark on a silver candlestick made in Sheffield was cited previously on p.190). The last mark can most probably be attributed to “Thomas Daniell”, another London silversmith.

However, it must be admitted that none of the previous hypotheses appears totally satisfactory, nor is there one that contributes much to clarifying the mystery linked to this marking. As with other irregularities previously pointed out, there is no doubt that a century or more ago it was not thought necessary to maintain such strict supervision as today over matters pertaining to the tasting of silver. The large influx of registrations to the local office, and the resulting need for stricter supervision, has perhaps meant that the attention to minor details now customary at the Sheffield Tasting Office has greatly increased.

Although it is not possible to have absolute precision in assigning the initial punches to the different manufacturers, much attention was paid to their correct identification.

The following list of silverware manufacturers who registered a mark in Sheffield begins with 1773 and ends with 1869.

It is not necessary to reproduce later recordings, as the silversmiths established in Sheffield after 1869 do not fall within the scope of this volume. Furthermore, it would be misleading, since the names registered in recent years do not indicate any real producer. Retailers insist on having their initials – not those of the manufacturers – stamped on the items sold. Thus, the names of many people residing in Scotland, Ireland and Wales, as well as in most of the larger cities of England, are mixed up in the records at the Sheffield Assay Office with those of local silversmiths.

LIST OF SILVERWARE MANUFACTURERS AT THE SHEFFIELD ASSEMBLY OFFICE, WITH MARKS TAKEN FROM THE ITEMS THEY MAKE

Business	Manufacturers' brands	Date	Location
Ashforth G. & Co.	[brand name]	1773	Sheffield, Holy Street
Birks W. & Co.	[brand name]	1773	Ditto, Pincin Lane
Fenton M., R. Creswick & Co.	[brand name]	1773	Ditto, Mulberry Street
Hoyland J. & Co.	[brand name]	1773	Ditto, Union Street
Hancock W. & J. Rowbotham	[brand name]	1773	Ditto, Norfolk Street
Law T.	[brand name]	1773	Ditto, Norfolk Street
Littlewood John	[brand name]	1773	Ditto, Westbar Green
Jonathan Littlewood	[brand name]	1773	Ditto, Westbar Green
Morton R.	[brand name]	1773	Ditto, Fargate
Morton R. & Co.	[brand name]	1773	Ditto, Brinsworth Orchard
Marsden W. & Co.	[brand name]	1773	Ditto, Norfolk Street
Margrave J. & Co.	[brand name]	1773	Ditto, Townhead Cross
Proctor C. & L.	[brand name]	1773	Ditto, Milk Street
Roberts S.	[brand name]	1773	Ditto, Cheney Square
Roberts S. & Co.	[brand name]	1773	Ditto, Brinsworth Orchard
Trickett R.	[brand name]	1773	Ditto, Far Field
Tudor H. & T. Leader	[brand name]	1773	Ditto, Sycamore Hill
Winter J. & Co.	[brand name]	1773	Ditto, High Street
Wilson J.	[brand name]	1773	Ditto, Highfields
Cosins I.	[brand name]	1774	Ditto, High Street
Greaves S. & Co.	[brand name]	1774	Ditto, Norfolk Street
Holy T. & W. Newbold	[brand name]	1774	Ditto, West Bar
Ibberson J.	[brand name]	1774	Ditto, Gibraltar Street
Justice P.	[brand name]	1774	Ditto, Spring Croft
Kippax R. & Co.	[brand name]	1774	Ditto, High Street
Marsden W.	[brand name]	1774	Ditto, Waingate
Rowbotham J. & Co.	[brand name]	1774	Ditto, Norfolk Street
Damant W.	[brand name]	1775	Ditto, Smithfield
Fox W.	[brand name]	1775	Ditto, West Bar
Henfrey J. & S.	[brand name]	1775	Ditto, Spring Street
Jervis J.	[brand name]	1775	Ditto, Pea Croft
Kelk C.	[brand name]	1775	Ditto, Spring Street
Mappin J. & Co.	[brand name]	1775	Ditto, Fargate
Mappin J.	[brand name]	1775	Ditto, Fargate
Smith J.	[brand name]	1775	Ditto, Lambert Croft
Smith W.	[brand name]	1775	Ditto, Coalpit Lane
Warburton S. & Co.	[brand name]	1775	Ditto, Bridgehouses
Holy D. & Co.	[brand name]	1776	Ditto, Norfolk Street
Hoyland T.	[brand name]	1776	Ditto, Pond Lane
Lamborn T.	[brand name]	1776	Ditto, Milk Street

PART XII

THE BRITANNIA METAL INDUSTRY

THE INVENTION OF BRITANNIA METAL

The start of trade in the Silver Plate produced in Sheffield was not the only benefit brought to the city by Thomas Boulsover's invention. The history of inventions that largely influence the prosperity of communities is full of events; A notable event was that, while Boulsover was perfecting the methods that had given rise to the Silver Plate trade, Benjamin Huntsman, nearby, was working out the details of that process of pouring steel into crucibles which played a significant role in the fortunes of the city. even greater role than the Boulsover discovery. Huntsman established his residence in Sheffield in 1742. After conducting experiments for many years, he perfected the process, and by 1772 his method of producing cast steel, with its immense potential, was in full swing. Coincidentally, an impressive collateral activity developed from this industry, closely linked to the one that had generated it, and which had such a significant role in metal tableware for domestic use as to require a separate chapter in this volume. The value that plated pottery had for those who were not wealthy enough to accessorise their tables with 925/1000 silver items, Britain Metal had for the classes that could not afford silver-plated copper items; and domestic needs now within their reach were satisfied by a material far more practical than the once predominant pewter. Ingenious craftsmen, accustomed to the production of cast pottery, were quick to understand the possibilities that the new metal made available to them thanks to the sagacity of an unfortunate discoverer.

About 1769 is the date normally, if rather loosely, assigned to the origin of Britannia , or, as it was first called, White Metal. It consists mainly of tin with a mixture of antimony and a small amount of copper. Its appearance on the market must have occurred some years after 1769, since neither the metal nor James Wickers, the first to market it, are mentioned in the 1774 Directory.

By 1787 Vickers was using it for measures, teapots, cruets, salt shakers, spoons, etc., and a dozen or more firms were at one time recorded as "manufacturers of White Metal and Metal-framed Knives." The very first record of the change from the name White to Britannia Metal is found in the 1797 list; in this, James Vickers and a competitor (Richard Constantine) are listed as manufacturers of White Metal items. Froggatt, Couldwell and Lean appear as “Makers of Articles in Britannia Metal , Silver Plate and Silver, in Eyre Street”.

In that book “ White Metal and Metal Framed Knives” is no longer used as a description of the business, and the only entry that comes close is “Jervis William, maker of Bath Metal and White Metal cutlery, at White Croft." In 1817, James Vickers' son and successor, John, while still calling himself the " White Metal Ware Maker," designated his wrought ware as " Britannia Place ," and was classified with others under the title "Makers of articles in Britannia Metal ”.

Mr. Dixon's notes (who have been referred to elsewhere on the question of melt-plated ware) contain the following picturesque references to the origin of White or Britannia Metal :-

I have heard it stated that Mr. Nathaniel Gower 170 was the first person to start this business, but I do not agree with this opinion, and there have been family circumstances which have consistently strengthened my thesis. Mr. Gower was a precocious manufacturer and much respected by the people of the trade during his youth; Mr. James Vickers, later moving to Garden Street, was the first person to produce goods in the Sheffield White Metal business.

Around 1769 James went to see a very sick person. This man possessed the recipe for producing White Metal. James told him he would give him 5 shillings for the recipe, and he accepted. James tried the recipe and found that the metal had a really nice color. He then took some spoon molds and began casting spoons, and by giving them a careful finish he managed to sell them to a fair extent as his business expanded. He then procured molds for vegetable forks, and these items were a novelty on the market.

During a friendly visit made by my father to his house one evening, he said to him: "Well, Charles, if I only had £10 I would set up a supply of articles and go to Lunnun taking them with me". My father lent him the money. A short time later, in the course of a conversation, Vickers tells him: "Well, Charles, I thought that once I had £10 I could do anything, but now I find myself as short of money as ever." My father replies: “Well, James, I can lend you another £10”. So he did. James went to London and his trip was fruitful, as he managed to sell the articles and obtain orders beyond his availability of materials for their manufacture. He kept the money until he returned from the next trip, when he paid my father, and then began producing different types of items in the industry – snuff boxes, goblets, teapots, sugar bowls, cream containers, etc.

It is usually stated that Mr. Gower was the first to start this business, in 1773, but Mr. Vickers had begun it some years before, in partnership with Mr. Smith.”

In the early days attempts were made to plate Britannia Metal with silver by a truly ingenious method. A layer of "fine" silver, laminated to obtain the necessary thickness, was spread on a smooth and well-heated surface; Britannia Metal in a liquid and boiling state was then poured onto this. Once this was cooled, and the thin layer of silver was raised, the two were rolled together to the thickness required for handling. Some items made from this silver-plated metal and produced in the old Sheffield Plate days by Kirkby, Smith & Co., are still found, but the material was soon abandoned, presenting too many difficulties in the manufacturing process, and no other items exist. producers of the time who tried their hand at it.

One of the most famous companies in the production of Britannia Metal from the beginning to today is James Dixon & Sons. It was founded by James Dixon in 1804. Operating initially under the name of Dixon & Smith, in Silver Street, he limited his attention exclusively to metal tableware; subsequently, however, rolling mills were established in Cornish Place for the rolling of Silver Plate , where the entire business was eventually transferred. About 1830 the firm, then known as Dixon & Son, added some Sheffield Plate articles to their productions, so that while up to 1828 they had been described in the directories as "manufacturers of Britannia Metal articles and metal and Silver Plate rolling machines ”, in 1833 it was registered as “James Dixon & Sons, Manufacturers of Silver, Silver Plated and Britannia Metal Articles, Talcum Powder Flasks, Shot Belts, etc., and Metal and Silver Rolling Machines”. The following comments from the jurors regarding the exhibits of J. Dixon & Sons at the Exhibition of 1851 should be read with interest: “These manufacturers exhibited a collection of tea and coffee services made of Britannia Metal , an imperfect imitation of silver, like all the compounds used for this purpose; but the shapes are as varied as they are appropriate, and could be advantageously imitated for the same silver articles; the execution is excellent and the jury consequently awarded the prize medal”.

Probably no Sheffield company has ever produced a greater number of white metal articles. The style of the articles from the older period is in good taste and also reveals originality in the design. Today their factory is perhaps the largest of its kind in the industry, while their articles, with the Trumpet and Flag brand, are found everywhere in Europe and in our colonies [brand].

The ingredients used in the production of common Britannia Metal are approximately as follows:- 210 parts tin, 12 parts antimony, 4 parts copper. These proportions vary greatly, however, as the manufacturer carefully adjusted their material to the specific purposes of particular items. (Lead is carefully avoided in the manufacture of Britannia Metal .)

Mr. Lennox Dixon, of J. Dixon & Sons, states that the company uses in the metal mixture the following ingredients:-

448 parts of tin, 20 to 60 of antimony, 5 of copper.

The price of tin is usually 10 to 12 times higher than that of lead, so the melt value of Britannia Metal is relatively much greater than that of ordinary pewter; the reason for the decline of the pewter trade is undoubtedly the invention of Britannia Metal , more beautiful in color and more practical. Nowadays, before being put on the market, almost all items in Britannia Metal are subjected to the electroplating process.

In antique shops it is now possible to see large quantities of Sheffield-made articles, very pleasing in design, described as 'antique pewter', but composed of white metal; their production dates back to about 1787, and they are often marked with the Vickers name, while later pieces more often bear the Dixon stamp.

The following are some of the marks minted by the leading Britannia Metal wares manufacturers of Sheffield, with the approximate dates of their very first use:-

1787	Brand used by James Vickers on Britannia Metal	[brand name]
1797	“ by Kirkby, Smith & Co. “	[brand name]
1800	“ by William Holdsworth “	[brand name]
1804	“ from Dixon & Smith “	[brand name]
1830	“ by J. Dixon & Son “	[brand name]
1833	“ by J. Dixon & Sons “	[brand name]
1817	“ by John Vickers “	[brand name]
1821	“ by W. Parkin “	[brand name]
1828	“ by J. Wostenholme “	[brand name]
1830	“ by P. Ashberry “	[brand name]
1837	“ by E. Stacey “	[brand name]

In the following two pages some examples of ancient Britannia Metal are reproduced. Some of these items, namely the candlesticks, were copied by the manufacturers directly from the designs in Sheffield Plate . Teapots are, however, unique to the Britannia Metal industry. Larger examples of Britannia Metal are sometimes encountered, identical to the floral designs in vogue in Sheffield Plate between 1825 and 1850. They include first course plates, dessert baskets, etc., made from molds previously used exclusively to produce metal items. silver at 925/1000 and in Sheffield Plate . This use became general in the sector by the date of the great Exhibition, and the practice could perhaps explain the comments of the Jurors reported on p.496.

DISTINCTION BETWEEN BRITANNIA METAL AND PEWTER 171

Those who write on the subject of Pewter are apt to be deceived by the later invention of " Britannia " or " White Metal ". They illustrate, by way of antique "pewter" specimens, items which are obviously in Britannia Metal . The latter can, as a rule, be recognized by their characteristic construction. Furthermore, they differ markedly in design from items made by pewters. Although the different materials look very similar after long use, antique pewter has an appearance more similar to lead, because it always contains a percentage of lead.

The main distinction between Britannia Metal and pewter is the complete absence of lead from the former, and its essential presence in the latter. However, the amount of lead in pewter varies considerably. In common pewter the proportion may amount to 80 parts lead to 20 parts tin, with a minimal mixture of copper, antimony and zinc. These are the ingredients given in Watt's “Dictionary of Chemistry”. 158 On the other hand, in other works on metallurgy the respective quantities of these elements are completely reversed – 80 parts of tin for 20 or less of lead. Which, with a minimal addition of antimony and copper, brought the alloy so close to Britannia Metal that the two can barely be distinguished. In the preparation of pewter no fixed rules were observed, and the ingredients were modified by the manufacturers according to the quality required by the buyers, or the adaptability of the articles to their uses. 173 Thus it was essential that tableware, subjected to contact with the sharp edge of a knife blade, or the sharp points of a fork, were necessarily harder than liquid vessels. Furthermore, in early times large, heavy so-called “pewter” meat dishes were often made of tin and binder mixture, that is, tin with an alloy known as “ temper ”. The major percentages of this preparation consisted mainly of copper and tin.

The luster and brilliance that ancient pewter may have can hardly be attributed to the silver contained therein, as there were less than 11 ounces of silver per 1 ton of lead. The silver added rigidity, and perhaps, when silvery lead was used in ancient pewter, it may also have added hardness to the amalgam. Tin is very similar in whiteness to silver, but it is also too crystalline a metal in its pure state to be totally satisfactory in the production of household tableware. The lead and tin alloy was less crystalline, and was as close to the color of silver as possible, although perhaps slightly greyer.

There are few traces of the existence of pewters in Sheffield prior to the invention of cast pottery. 174

ORIGIN OF PEWTER TABLEWARE

The interest developed by collectors in pewter pottery has greatly increased in recent years, especially since production has decreased as a result of the introduction of Britannia or White Metal , which has almost completely replaced it.

Perhaps the manufacture of pewter pottery originated from the desire to have metal vases for daily use which, if on the one hand they resembled silver in appearance, on the other were much less expensive.

The public is often surprised to find on antique pewter pieces nearly identical marks to those in use on solid silver items, and in some cases have purchased such items believing they were made of .925/1000 silver. [brand names]

Now, this copying of contemporary marks by pewters was the subject of a long dispute between the Society of Goldsmiths and that of Pewters of London, and dates back to the time of Queen Elizabeth. In the reign of Charles I, Goldsmiths' Hall took strong action to put an end to this practice, but in vain. A petition to the Lords of the Council resulted in the pewters being reprimanded and obliged to observe the Hall's regulations. Although they apparently had no opportunity to defend their conduct, nor any apology to offer for copying the silverware marks, they never stopped reproducing them. It is difficult to understand why exemplary punishment was not given to those members of the Pewter Guild guilty of imitating these brands. Fines were imposed from time to time, but such cases were not at all frequent. The fact remains that the pewters continued to mint these brands, and that the sanctions imposed on them for their behavior appear absolutely inadequate to the crimes committed.

86 As will be read later in the book, the term tureen could indicate both a tureen and a gravy boat ( Ed. )

87 Canisters were white metal cans used as containers for tea, coffee, etc. ( Ed .).

88 In all likelihood, these were wrappers for the caddies , i.e. the jars that served as containers for tea ( Ed. ).

89 Corresponding to 1.14 kg. ( Ed .).

90 The Gadroon is a decorative element with an ovoid and projecting shape, with reliefs and grooves, repeated on the edge and almost always in an oblique line (see also gadrooning - Ed. ).

91 Literally, “notch and socket” ( Ed. ).

92 The term can actually indicate both a bottle coaster and a coaster” ( Ed. ).

93 In English, “ wine wagons ” ( Ed. ).

94 Despite what is reported here, the wine trolleys were not very different from the ones illustrated, which are found both in silver and silver-plated, apparently produced at the end of the 18th century. However, it cannot be said with certainty whether such items were put together in the form of wine trolleys in more recent times.

95 Sir Thomason's versatility is shown by the advertised list of articles produced by his firm in 1808. “Edward Thomason's factory, in Church Street, Birmingham, where all sorts of buttons, carriage ladders, and ladders are made by himself and associates patents, rifle bolts, patented corkscrews, patented hearth brushes, patented rapier sticks, telescopic bronze toasting forks and other emblems, etc.; assortment of articles plated on steel, jewelery of all kinds, gilded toys and military decorations, silver snuffboxes, essence boxes and medals”.

96 “Double plates”, “steak plates”, “minced meat plates” ( Ed. ).

97 Plate warmers ( Ed .).

98 For further information see the Connoisseur of April 1904, p.253, and of May 1904, p.54. This writing inkwell is said to be now in the possession of Dr. C. M. Clarke.

99 Purchased when he was Prince of Wales from E. & E. Emanuel, at The Hard, Portsea.

100 Dutch Gin ( Ed. ).

101 The two terms can both be translated as: “Bricchi”, “caraffe”, “pitchers” ( NdT ).

102 Hot drink with water, wine and sugar ( Ed. ).

103 Light red Bordeaux wine ( Ed. ).

104 In English Pepper pots , or Muffineers ( Ed. ).

105 Further details on the subject will be found on p.75.

106 Variety of boat-shaped gravy boat ( Ed . ).

107 Butter containers of similar shape ( Ed. ).

108 There are still numerous horn chalices, hollow ivory tusks and coconuts split in half, mounted with both silver and silver-plated hoops, used as containers for drinks. Most – produced between 1770 and 1800 – were made by Law, Tudor, Fenton & Love.

109 The author acknowledges his great debt to Mr. Percy W. L. Adams, a descendant of the ancient Adams family of potters, for having assisted him greatly in this matter.

110 For an illustration of the tea maker, see p.367.

111 The following is a passage from the Sheffield Register of 21 July 1791:- “Spring Gardens, near Sheffield. Mr. Rollinson pays his respectful respects to the innkeepers of Sheffield and the neighborhood, and wishes to inform those who have not yet, in accordance with a recent regulation by which beer shall be sold only in the legally printed Winchester Measures, had his too small silver or plated measures exchanged for those of legal size, which he repairs and enlarges antique silver or plated quarters, half-pints and pints, in the finest, most complete, expeditious and economical manner. It also produces and sells new sizes."

112 Measurement of capacity for cereals, equivalent to approximately 36.37 liters in the UK ( Ed. ).

113 An advertisement in the “ Dublin Gazette ” of 29 May 1711, reads:- “Captain George Roane, at the pewter and brasssmiths' shop in Charles Street, was recently in London and brought back………… of very fine silver plated pottery . Bohee “teapots”, stands and lamps, etc. etc., said articles all produced by the most capable artists in London.”

114 Pod -shaped supports.

115 It is claimed that the pineapple-shaped knob was once a sign of hospitality.

116 See the illustration on p.160.

117 The majority of early Sheffield Plate toast holders and egg holders are composed almost entirely of wire.

118 These trays usually bear the mark “RC & Co., patent”.

119 Device that supplies a greater or lesser quantity of air to the fire, causing the flame to be more or less bright. ( Ed .).

120 The unoriginality of a woman's mask on one side of the vase is generally accepted, as is the anecdote that, when undertaking the restoration, the artist, in honor of Sir William, copied from the head of his wife, “ Emma Hamilton." If this is true, the vase underwent restoration many years after its original discovery.

121 Metal plates in zinc, copper or other, engraved with photochemical processes for the typographical reproduction of drawings and photographs ( Ed. ).

122 Gold Sovereign ( Ed .).

123 This company in London still exists.

124 Written note or tag glued on the inside of the cover or on the title page, indicating the name of the owner, often with friezes and mottos ( Ed. ).

125 D'olier is listed with other Dublin goldsmiths on p.153.

126 For further information regarding Law, see pp.19 and 34.

127 “ Old Silver Platers and their Marks”, by BW Watson. See also “ Sheffield Assay Office ” by Arnold T. Watson, pp.9-13, for the entire controversy.

128 “ Old Silver Platers and their Marks ,” by B. W. Watson.

129 See “ Old Silver Platers and their Marks ”, pp. 2-3 of the introduction, sec. 2-3-4.

130 Further information on this company is provided on p.37.

131 For further information on this company see p.47.

132 For further information on this company see p.38.

133 In the latter days of the fusion plating industry this firm existed under the name of William Briggs, about 1823, then Roberts & Slater, and today as described above, but never registered a trade mark for the plated articles at the Sheffield Assay Office.

134 The change from n°16 to n°51 was probably just a renumbering of the street, and not a move of the workshops.

135 B. Smith, on Duke Street, Lincoln's Inn Fields.

136 Rowbotham and William Hancock (both registered at the London Assay Office) registered as silversmiths at the Sheffield Assay Office in 1773, and John Rowbotham & Co. in 1774. Although they did not register any marks for the plated wares, there is no doubt that they produced Sheffield Plate pottery. The hallmark with their name [name] for silver articles is very often encountered today. We also find them registered as silversmiths at the London Goldsmiths' Hall, 14 December 1768.

137 John Green was one of five partners in the firm of J. Parsons & Co. until about 1792. For further information, see p.42.

138 In the late Sheffield directories of 1845 and 1849, Joseph Rodgers & Sons are classified as "dealers" under the heading "manufacturers of silverware and plated china", whilst in the same directories they are given as producers of "silver fruit and dessert".

139 Neither Blagden, Hogdson & Co., nor Walker, Knowles & Co., ever registered these marks at the Sheffield Assay Office.

140 The first partners in Blagden, Hogdson & Co. were Thomas Blagden, Thomas Hogdson, Samuel Kirkby, Joseph Elliott and John Woolen – suggestive names when we think of the later combinations described above.

141 The trademark of J. Dixon & Sons (registered 1881) looks rather similar.

142 Weight system used in England and USA to sell precious metals and stones; a troy ounce is approximately 32 g. ( Ed .).

143 These symbols are very often found on close-plated cutlery. The initials “PS” stand for plated steel .

144 Marks used on plated and silver cutlery.

145 The use of these trademarks by the company is only presumed.

144 Marks used on plated and silver cutlery.

145 The use of these trademarks by the company is only presumed.

146 Unregistered trademarks.

146 Unregistered trademarks.

147 Green, Roberts, Moseley & Co. This firm began from this date to use the mark previously made by their predecessors J. Parsons & Co.

148 Perhaps this brand was purchased by M. Boulton & Co. of Birmingham, upon its dissolution in 1848.

149 Since 1863 Roberts & Belk.

150 T. Middleton, Rd. Jewesson, G. Ashford and G. Frost are registered at Sheffield Assay Office, as a firm of Silver Plate makers, dated 2/4/1798.

151 The proportions of “standard” English silver are 925 parts of pure silver per 75 parts of alloy (per 1,000).

152 Corresponding to 7.775 g. ( Ed .).

153 See Journal of the Cork Historical and Archaeological Society, vol. XII, second series, 1906. “ The Goldsmiths of Cork ”, by MSD Westropp.

154 Birks and Rowbotham were business partners in 1774-1781.

155 In the Assay Office register for that year this mark is given as 1773, probably by mistake, as this one reproduced here was made from a table knife with silver handles, made by Birks.

156 Further details regarding the company are provided on p.42.

157 Attention has already been paid to this mark on p.440.

158 In the Sheffield Sketchley Directory of 1774, “Travis Nathaniel, maker of penknives at Whitecroft, mark IN BILBO” appears.

159 Mr BW Watson, Director of the Sheffield Assay Office, descendant of an Old Sheffield Plate maker and silversmith, has given great assistance in compiling this chapter.

160 Fenton and Creswick were in partnership (for further details, see pp.36-37).

161 For further details, consult T. Watson's book, “ The Sheffield Assay Office”, published in 1890.

162 The date letter for each subsequent year is changed at the Custodians' meeting held on the first Monday in July of each year.

163 The lids of silver coffee pots with the London mark, from the George I, II and early George III periods, are also frequently found without the tasting mark.

164 In London, the King's Head intaglio was minted from 1 December 1784 to 29 May 1786. In Sheffield the intaglio was probably replaced in July 1786.

165 First year in which the crown and the date letter were impressed in a single punch.

166 That year a silver duty of 6 pence an ounce was imposed, and an intaglio head was struck. In the first months of the year no head was minted.

167 The notched head is also found for the first 6 months of that year.

168 In 1815 the crown was printed upside down under the date letter, and for the following 5 years above the letter.

169 From 15 July of that year, the King's head was produced in duplicate, due to the doubling of the customs duty. Duplication continued for 9 months.

170 Died 30/9/1813 aged 83, and cited in the Sheffield Mercury of that year as “The Father of the White Metal Trade”.

171 The writer is indebted to Prof. LT O'Shea of ​​the University of Sheffield, for having helped him greatly on technical matters in connection with this subject.

158 Vol. iii, p.535 (1882).

173 So far no pair of pewter articles from different manufacturers analyzed by the author has given the same results.

1 74 In RE Leader's book 'Sheffield in the 18th Century', James Hoole, 'Pewter', is recorded as the owner of the George Inn in Sheffield, in 1682.