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Antique Salvers &amp; Trays

Silver Salvers

Hung Chong

Hung Chong &amp; Co. was a prominent Chinese silversmith and retailer, based in Shanghai and operating between 1830 and 1925.

address 116, Nanking Road, Shanghai

Hung Chong

Chinese Antique Silver Tray made c1890

William Peaston was a London based goldsmith who entered his first mark as a large worker in 1746. He went into partnership with Robert Peaston in 1756, and they entered a second mark together. The partnership appears to have lasted until 1763.

William is recorded as working at St. Martin’s Le Grande between 1745 and 1760. Then moving to Jewin Street, where he is recorded as being in 1778. The majority of his work seems to be the making of fine quality salvers.

William Peaston

Antique Silver George II Salver made in 1753

William Bennett, entered 1st June 1796. Address: 2 Half Moon Passage, Aldersgate Street. Moved to 19 Little Bartholomew Close, 25th September 1800.

His mark appears chiefly on trays and salvers in which he specialised.

Died in February, 1825.

William Bennett

Antique Silver George III Salver made in 1817

Christenings were held at St Andrews, Holborn in 1748 for Honor; in 1749 for Richard; in 1750 for John and in 1752 for Mary - all children of Richard and Mary Rugg of Caroline Court and Saffron Hill.

Indentures were signed in 1754 by Thomas Wicker, in 1758 by John Crouch (Grimwade p. 480), in 1759 by William Watson, in 1761 by John Hutson (Grimwade p. 556), in 1763 by his son Richard and in 1764 by John Glover to be his apprentices.

The burial of a Richard Rugg of St John’s Square recorded at St James, Clerkenwell in 1775 presumably related to the son born in 1749, as Grimwade suggests Richard Rugg senior died 1795 - 1801.

Richard Rugg

Antique Silver George II Salver made in 1755

Walker &amp; Hall were Sheffield based silversmiths making their fortune with electroplating, cutlery and silver from the mid-19th century until they closed in 1971.

The company started with a Britannia metalworker - John Harrison - who took the first licence in Sheffield from Elkingtons to make electroplated wares. He sent George Walker to Birmingham to learn the new process. On his return to Sheffield, George decided to set up his own business and entered into partnership with Samuel Coulson in 1845. They obtained their own electroplating licence but did not start manufacture immediately. When they did, they were joined by Henry Hall and they started trading as Walker &amp; Hall in 1853.

When Sir John Bingham joined them in 1852 they had fewer than 20 employees, but by 1894 they had grown to 1500 workers. Sir John Bingham was a master publicist and they appear to be the originators of the false story that George Walker had been an assistant of Dr. John Wright, the surgeon who had invented the electroplating process and so could claim to be a co-inventor. The story has made it into many texts as fact.

They were very successful and went on to open showrooms in London, Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Newcastle, Cardiff, Belfast, Hull, Bristol as well as in Australia (Melbourne and Adelaide) and in South Africa (Cape Town).

They became a limited company in 1920 under the name Walker &amp; Hall Ltd, and their "Electro Works" building dominated the Sheffield skyline until it was bombed in the Sheffield blitz in 1940. They managed to rebuild and continued production until 1963. In that year, they combined with Mappin &amp; Webb and Elkington &amp; Co to form British Silverware Ltd.

They shut down as a manufacturer in 1973, although the brand was later revived as a retailer.

Walker &amp; Hall

Sterling Silver George V Salver made in 1931

Barker Brothers business was established in Birmingham in 1801. The firm still possesses the original Boulton &amp; Watt dies acquired during its early days of manufacturing.

The business appears in an 1871 directory as Barker Brothers, silversmiths active in Paradise Street. In 1903 they moved to new factory premises, Unity Works, Constitution Hill, Birmingham, where it remained until the 1980s maintaining a London showroom during the early part of the 20th century.

In 1907, the firm was converted into a limited liability company under the style Barker Brothers Silversmiths Ltd. Levi &amp; Salaman Ltd and its subsidiary Potosi Silver Co were incorporated by Barker Brothers in 1921.

In the 1960s, merging with Ellis &amp; Co (Birmingham) Ltd, the firm changed to Barker Ellis Silver Co Ltd. On January 2, 1979, the firm obtained a Federal registration in the USA for the trademarks Ellis &amp; Co, Barker Ellis and Ellis Barker (the marks were cancelled in 1988).

The company went into administration in 1992.

Barker Brothers

Sterling Silver Elizabeth II Salver made in 1970

Thomas Bradbury &amp; Sons were silversmiths and Sheffield Plate makers based in Sheffield, active between 1795 and 1943.

The partnership between Thomas Bradbury, Thomas Watson and James Fenton was formed in 1795 under the name of Watson &amp; Co. They were registered as silversmiths and Sheffield Plate makers. The son of Thomas Bradbury (Thomas II) and the nephew of Thomas Watson (William Watson) were taken into the partnership.

In 1831, William Watson retired and the firm became Thomas Bradbury &amp; Son. The firm had Sheffield workshops and a London showroom. The firm became Thomas Bradbury &amp; Sons in 1855, and the sons of Thomas Bradbury II (Joseph and Edward) took over.

By 1877, the partners were Thomas Bradbury III (brother of Joseph) and John Sutherland Henderson. This partnership was dissolved in 1888 and the firm went on to be managed by Walton Turner Bradbury and the two sons of Joseph Bradbury (Sr.) Joseph (Jr.) and Frederick. Frederick wrote a book entitled "A History of Old Sheffield Plate" in 1912.

The business registered as a limited company in 1905 as Thomas Bradbury &amp; Sons Ltd. It ceased trading in 1943 and their tools and dies were bought by Atkin Brothers.

Thomas Bradbury

Antique Silver  Edwardian Salver made in 1907

Sterling Hallmarked Silver George VI Salver made in 1937

We have a vast selection of fine quality antique sterling silver trays, waiters, and salvers to complement any silver tea service.

Silver Salvers

Silver Salvers

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