John Wakelin & Robert Garrard
John Wakelin was the Son of Edward Wakelin of Panton Street in the County of Middlesex goldsmith, apprenticed to his father 5th March, 1766. Free 6th January, 1779. First mark entered as plateworker with William Taylor the 25th September, 1776. Address: Panton Street. Second mark with the same 9th May, 1777.
Third mark in partnership with Robert Garrard I, 20th October, 1792. Heal recalls the first partnership as successors to Parker and Wakelin, Goldsmith, Panton Street 1776 to 1796, Wakelin and Garrard as the same 1792 to 1805. John Wakelin appears in the Jewel Office accounts in 1797 as Goldsmith and Jeweller to the King for a few items only (Major General H.W.D. Sitwell, “The Jewel Office and the Royal Goldsmith" Arch Journ, CXVII p. 153). It is interesting to see that Edward Wakelin’s position in the previous partnership with Parker seems second, his son, from the leading position of his initials in the mark and the styling of the firm, returned to the senior position of the partnership. It seems probable that at time the competition of Jeffreys, Jones and Gilbert must have been considerable. But as virtually no plate bears their mark, and must have been supplied by others such as Smith and Sharp and Scofield, it is difficult to judge where the commissions largely went.
