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Antique Teaware

Antique Tea Caddies

Ostensibly the son of William Emes of Bowbridge Field near Derby surveyor, apprenticed to William Woolett of Green Street, Leicester Fields Citizen and Goldsmith, engraver on payment of £105 (one of the largest premiums recorded in the apprentice registers), 7 October 1778. Free, 5 July 1786.

First mark entered as a plate worker, in partnership with Henry Chawner on 27 August 1796. Address: Amen Corner. He presumably is dead in 1808, when Rebecca and William Emes entered their mark at the same address.

His work, mostly tea and coffee services with some tankards, shows a taste for elegant design and fine finish.

John Emes

Antique Silver George III Double Tea Caddy made in 1798

Henry Chawner became a freeman of the Goldsmiths’ Company on 7 December 1785 and entered his first mark as a plateworker on 11 November 1786. On 2 March 1789, he married Miss Hore, daughter and heiress of Edward Hore, of Esher, Surrey.

He entered into partnership with John Emes in 1796 and from about 1798 seems to have retired from silversmithing (he married well!) He seems to have had financial input into John Emes’ firm and then the Barnard Family. His hallmark is often seen on finely made teaware.

Chawner retired to the Manor House, Newton Valance, which, with the surrounding estate, he had purchased in 1810. He is said to have: “converted the old house into domestic offices and added thereto a villa, in the Grecian style. It contains a large collection of paintings and other works of art, amongst which is the Angouleme China vase, mounted in ormolu… The same that was rejected by George IV for whom it was ordered, in consequence of a small fire flaw which came in the burning.” Chawner died there in March, 1851.

Henry Chawner

Antique Silver George III Tea Caddy made in 1788

Thomas Harwood &amp; Sons.

From 1816. Second mark used 1864 - 1896, England.

Thomas Harwood &amp; Sons

Electroplate Victorian Tea Caddy made in c.1860

George Smith III and IV. The number of London silversmiths called George Smith in the 18th century is very confusing. The spoon makers were father and son, and are generally referred to as George Smith III and IV, and were unrelated to I, II, V &amp; VI. Both used the mark “GS”.

George Smith III was apprenticed to Thomas Chawner in 1765, turned over to Pierce Tempest, freedom unrecorded. 1st mark as spoon maker 1774. Second to fifth marks 1774, 1775, 1776, 1776, 1778. Sixth (2 sizes) 1780. Seventh (5 punches) 1782. Eighth in partnership with William Fearn, 1786. His son, George Smith IV, was apprenticed to William Fearn in 1786 and worked from 1799 - 1807.

George Smith

Antique Silver George III Tea Caddy made in 1783

John Denziloe (or Denzilow), son of a Dorset haberdasher. Denziloe was apprenticed to Charles Wright in January 1765. He became free of the Goldsmiths' Company in 1772 and entered his mark as a plateworker two years later.

His career spanned about 30 years. He was recorded at an Aldersgate Street address from 1774 to 1802.

Denziloe produced a limited quantity of domestic plate in an elegantly restrained Adam style. His pieces are usually plain, or, if flat-chased, with large undecorated areas - the emphasis being on shape and proportion.

John Denziloe

Antique Silver George III Tea Caddy made in 1794

William Gibson (d. 1913) and John Lawrence Langman (1846 - 1928) established the Goldsmith and Silversmith Co in 1880. The firm was active at 112 Regent Street, London acquiring the premises previously used by John Joseph Mechi.

In 1893, the firm absorbed The Goldsmiths' Alliance Ltd (late A.B. Savory &amp; Sons) and in 1898 became the Goldsmiths &amp; Silversmiths Co Ltd being active as jewellers, dealers in diamonds and precious stones, silversmiths, electroplaters and watch and clock makers.

In 1952, Goldsmiths &amp; Silversmiths Co Ltd was amalgamated with Garrard &amp; Co Ltd. firm and participated in a number of national and international exhibitions: Indian and Colonial Exhibition (London, 1886), Paris (1889), Chicago (1893), California (1894), Paris (1900) and Franco-British Exhibition (London, 1908).

The Goldsmiths &amp; Silversmiths Co was active with manufactories at Newcastle Place, Clerkenwell; Regent Works, Sheffield and Rue St George, Paris and as retailer of items supplied by various British gold and silver manufacturers (Martin Hall &amp; Co Ltd, W&amp;G Sissons, Wakely &amp; Wheeler, William Comyns, Harrison Brothers &amp; Howson, etc.)

Goldsmiths &amp; Silversmiths Company

Hallmarked Sterling Silver Tea Caddy/Biscuit Box made in 1927

John Scofield was a silversmith working in London during the second half of the 18th century. He appears to have been in partnership with his brother, Robert Scofield, as the pair entered marks between 1772 and 1776. He entered a mark in partnership with Robert Jones in 1776 as a plateworker based in Bartholomew Close in the City of London. The partnership was dissolved, and all his subsequent marks are entered for him alone. He is registered as working from Bell Yard, Temple Bar in London from 1778 to 1796.

He worked for the royal goldsmiths and may have received commissions from the Prince Regent – later George IV, for his residence Carlton House in London. He worked in the neoclassical style and was noted for his very fine workmanship (which was on the rise in the latter half of the 18th century as the taste for French-influenced Rococo silverware started to recede).

By 1770, the English preference was for more formal classical decoration with shapes inspired by the ancients such as urns, vases and simple ovoid shapes and straight spouts and this is reflected in his work. His signature style was to use beaded and geometric bands, oval medallions and palmettes (although he was also known to work in a more flowing style).

There was a big demand for presentation and domestic silver, and Scofield made large ‘sideboard’ items, tea-sets and trays. He is particularly noted for his candelabra and cruets. His silver-gilt mounted glass cruet set in a frame from 1789 is now in the V&amp;A in London, and Temple Newsam House in Leeds displays a pair of stately candelabra from 1794 which are in the form of fluted columns sporting an acanthus leaves frieze at the neck and base.

John Scofield

Antique Silver George III Double Tea Caddy made in 1797

Thomas Parr, son of Henry Parr late of the County of Cork in the Kingdom of Ireland clerk deceased, apprenticed to Simon Nov, 9 September 1687. Free of the apprenticeship, 8 August 1694. Liveryman of the Goldsmiths Hall, October 1712.

His first mark is entered as a large worker, undated, probably April 1697 on the commencement of his registration. His address was Wood Street, London. His second mark was entered 19 August 1717 and his address was Cheapside, London.

He was a signatory as "working goldsmith" to the petition complaining of the competition of "necessitous strangers" (the Huguenot silversmiths), December 1711. He also signed against assaying work of foreigners not having served seven years apprenticeship, February 1716.

The baptism and/or burials of eight sons and daughters of Thomas and Sarah Parr are recorded in the registers of St Matthew, Friday Street, between 1703 and 1713 and two further sons at St Vedast, Foster Lane, 1716 and 1718.

Thomas Parr’s own burial, however, appears to be unrecorded in either of these registers. He had died by 20 June 1728 when his widow Sarah entered her mark.

Thomas Parr

Antique Silver George I Britannia Tea Caddy made in 1715

This prestigious firm of manufacturing silversmiths was originally established by William Comyns in c. 1859 when he purchased the business of Robert Tagg, an outworker of Rundell, Bridge &amp; Co.

William Comyns, silversmith, subsequently moved to 1 Percy Mews, Rathbone Place, then to 16 Silver Street, Golden Square, Soho, and to Beak Street, Regent Street. Additional premises were taken from c. 1903 at 54 Marshall Street, Soho.

The firm became William Comyns &amp; Son in c. 1885 when sons Charles and Richard were admitted to the partnership. William Comyns died in January 1916. The business became William Comyn &amp; Sons Ltd in 1930, with R.H. Comyns as permanent governing director.

In 1953, the company was purchased by Bernard Copping and is now one of the few surviving manufacturing silversmiths in London, with premises at Comyns House, Tower Street, London, WC2.

Richard Comyns

Hallmarked Silver Tea Caddy made in 1928

Our antique sterling silver teaware includes a beautiful selection of tea sets, tea and coffee pots, cream jugs and sugar bowls.

Antique Tea Caddies

Antique Tea Caddies

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