Home

Silver Tableware

“One of the very nicest things about life is the way we must regularly stop whatever it is we are doing and devote our attention to eating” - Luciano Pavarotti

A table dressed for dinner is a magnificent sight and sets the mood for a wonderful occasion. A splendid antique sterling silver centrepiece alongside tureens, sauce boats, dinner and soup plates all set the scene.

Richard Cooke, London silversmith. No record of apprenticeship or freedom. Only mark entered as plateworker 1799.

Arthur Grimwade describes his work as good standard. Cooke probably supplied one of the leading retailers Rundell &amp; Co or Jefferys, Jones and Gilbert.

Richard Cooke

Pair of Antique  Silver George III Wine Coasters made in 1799

The firm had its origin in the mid-18th century coming into control of John William Thomas in 1848. After his death (1852) the firm was managed by his two sons, John William Thomas II (apprenticed to his father in 1840, obtained his freedom in 1847) and Francis Boone Thomas. Francis Boone Thomas was apprenticed to his father in 1847 and after his father's death was turned to his brother John William Thomas II, obtaining the freedom in 1854. The firm (trading as retail silversmiths) was known as J.W. Thomas &amp; Son or as J.W &amp; F.B. Thomas. After the death of John William Thomas II (circa 1862/1867) the control of the firm was assumed by Francis Boone Thomas. F.B. Thomas entered his first mark in 1874 listing at 153 New Bond Street as showrooms and 13 Oxford Market as manufactory.

In this period, the firm had deep links with Richard Sibley II (manufacturing Silversmith), who was active (1862/1880) at the same address of 13 Oxford Market acting, presumably, as manufacturer of finished articles retailed by Thomas (some pieces bear the inscription THOMAS besides Sibley's hallmark).

In c. 1896 entered in the partnership Charles Henry Townley (apprenticed to F.B. Thomas in 1864, obtained his freedom in 1871) and John William Thomas III (son of J.W. Thomas II, obtained freedom by patrimony in 1877). Both partners were nephews of F.B. Thomas. After the death of F.B. Thomas (1900) the firm continued to be managed by his two nephews and partners until c. 1919, when J.W. Thomas became the sole partner. After his death (1924) the firm was managed by his son until 1941 when the firm closed.

Francis Boone Thomas

Pair of Antique Silver Victorian Pierced Baskets made in 1887

Samuel Wood (c. 1704 - 1794), apprenticed to Thomas Bamford 1721, free 1730. First mark entered as largeworker, 1733. Second mark c. 1738. Third mark, 1739. Fourth mark entered 1754. Fifth mark 1756. Warden 1758 - 60, and Prime Warden 1763.

Through his apprenticeship to Thomas Bamford - who had been bound to Charles Adam - Wood came from a continuous line of specialist caster-makers and in turn trained both Jabez Daniell and Robert Piercey (q.v.), both clearly established also in the same line of production.

Wood’s cruets and individual casters, although produced in quantity, are of a uniformly high standard and one of the most attractively designed smaller items of plate; without which, no reasonably equipped table of the 18th century appears to have been complete.

Samuel Wood

Antique Silver George II Warwick Cruet made in 1744

Hester Bateman (1708 - 1794) known as "the Queen of British Silversmiths" was an English silversmith based in London. After the death of her silversmith husband, she successfully ran the family business for 30 years before passing it on to her sons. They in turn passed it on to their sons and the business continued with Batemans at the helm until the mid-19th century.

Hester married John Bateman in 1732 and had six children. When John died of tuberculosis in 1760, he left his tools to his wife and the business. She registered her first mark in 1761 as “HB” in script. Not much appears with her mark up until 1771/2, as it is likely she was supplying other silversmiths who over stamped her mark with their own.

Around 1774, Hester was joined by her sons, John and Peter, and they worked to build up a business in Bunhill Row in London. They first started to produce spoons in the early 1770s (with the odd fork which are very rare from Hester's workshop) and they expanded their range to produce neoclassical style household silverware, which included many items popular in the 18th century such as teaware, wine labels, jugs, salvers, salt cellars, trays and inkwells. There were certain items that she didn’t make such as candlesticks and candelabra - although I think one or two pairs are known!

The Bateman style is known for its bright-cut engraving, piercing and beading around edges. Hester retired in 1790 and her sons continued the business.

Hester Bateman

Antique Silver George III Wine Coaster made in 1787

of The Via Donatello in Alessandria , near Turin, Italy.

Di Guerci &amp; Company

Set of Twelve Italian Silver Underplates/Charger Plates made in C1960

A master silversmith.

Much of his work involved special commissions for Tane - the famous Mexican luxury goods company.

<a href="https://williamwalter.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/w56x4mmw.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-11109" src="https://williamwalter.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/w56x4mmw-300x185.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="185" /></a>

Jose Marmolejos for Tane

Mexican Sterling Silver Swan Cream Jug made in c 1950

Joseph I Steward
Son of Joseph Steward of Hornchurch in the Country of Essex blacksmith, apprenticed to Peter White 22 October 1709. Signatory as journeyman to the petition against assaying the work of foreigners not having served seven years apprenticeship, February 1716.
Free, 13 May 1718. First mark entered as largeworker, 18 November 1719. Address: “ Maden Lane” .
Second (Sterling) mark, 7 September 1720. Third mark, 28 June 1739. Address: Maiden Lane “Goldsmith “. For his son Joseph II see below. Heal records him as plateworker, Maiden Lane, 1719-39. His two other entries for the same name belong to Joseph II.
Joseph Steward II
Son of the above, apprenticed to Richard Pargeter 5 March 1745/?6 and turned over to Richard Bailey 4 October 1951. Freedom unrecorded.
First mark entered as large-worker, 29 January 1755. Address: Haberdasher Square, Grub Street.
Second mark (two sizes), 8 April 1755. Third mark as small worker, 9 September 1762. Address: Foster Lane. Fourth mark as the same, 14 March 1768. Address: Gutter Lane. Fifth mark as the same, 7 March 1770. Address: Wood Street. Livery, December 1771.
Sixth mark, 3 June 1773. Seventh, 18 June 1773. Eighth, 4 April 1780. Address: 98 Wood Street. Ninth, 23 May 1783. His son John was apprenticed to him in 1770.
Heal records him without differentiation from his father as small worker, Gutter Lane,1765-6; and 89 or 98 (?) Wood Street, 1770-93, He appears as small worker, Wood Street, in the Parl. Reports list 1773, and entered an incuse mark as such, 8 July 1775.

Joseph Steward

Antique Silver George II Lemon Strainer made in 1742

Elkington &amp; Co. was a silver manufacturer from Birmingham, England. It was founded by George Richards Elkington and his brother, Henry Elkington, in the 1830s.

It operated under the name G. R. Elkington &amp; Co. until 1842, when a third partner, Josiah Mason, joined the firm. It operated as Elkington, Mason, &amp; Co. until 1861, when the partnership with Mason was terminated.

The firm operated independently as Elkington &amp; Co. from 1861 until 1963. It was then taken over by British Silverware, Ltd. In 1971 British Silverware, Ltd. became a subsidiary of Delta Metal Co. Ltd.

Over the course of history, it became very successful and was one of the prime producers of silver plating. Elkington received various royal warrants of appointments, and an Imperial and Royal Warrant of Appointment from the emperor of Austria.

One of their most famous pieces is the electrotype copy of the Jerningham Wine Cooler at the Victoria &amp; Albert Museum.One of the most important 19th century Silversmiths finally dissolving in the late 1960s.

Elkington &amp; Co

Pair of Edwardian Britannia Silver Kitchen Peppers made in 1910

Robert Jones II, son of Robert Jones I, late of Bartholomew Close goldsmith deceased.   Apprenticed Solomon Hougham, 3 October 1787 on payment of £30 he was free on 5 November 1794.

Mark entered as plate worker, 29th January 1796. Address 40, Bartholomew Close , where Heal, not distinguishing between father and son , records him till 1800.

Silver Tableware

Silver Tableware

Filter

Price