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How to Identify A Real Antique

World's Most Intricate Memory Box?

A List of Silversmiths' Hallmarks & Silver Makers' Marks

Henry Wilkinson and Company Limited

The makers mark 'H.W. & Co. Ld.' (for Henry Wilkinson and Company Limited) was entered on 3rd October 1890. The background to the company is that their factory was located at Norfolk Street, Sheffield on 26th June 1857 with showrooms at 4 Bolt Court, Fleet Street, EC in 1891. The London premises were moved to Ely House, 13 Charterhouse Street, Holborn Circus EC on 7th November 1887. The first marks were entered at the London Assay Office on 23rd June 1857 by Henry Wilkinson and in 1872 the company was converted into a limited liability company, (therefore the Ld.) but in 1892 it went into liquidation and was acquired by Walker & Hall.

Wilkinson Hallmark on Silver Standish		Wilkinson Hallmark on Silver Salt

John Lambe (IL)

John Lambe was the son of Edward John Lambe, Goldsmith. He was apprenticed to Ebinezer Coker on 5th February 1755. His first recorded mark was entered on 8th February 1774 as a spoonmaker and his address was given as 97 Fetter Lane London. His second mark was entered on 25th August 1780 with his address given as 29 Fetter Lane London. Lambe entered a further ten marks between 15th February 1782 and 17th October 1791 and there are records that he was also a watchmaker whilst at 29 Fetter Street, but apparently this lasted only between 1783 and 1796. He had a brother George who was apprenticed to James Tookey but he does not appear to have entered any marks.

	J Lambe Hallmark on Silver Marrow Spoon

James William Johnson (JWJ)

The 'JWJ' mark was first registered with the London Assay Office in January 1885 but it was defaced on 18th March 1887. There was never a company per se called James Williams Johnson and as I have indicated, his entrance to the silversmith's world is fairly complicated. I am not therefore surprised that the client has had difficulty in finding out information. We first have to go back to c.1845 when George John Richards was recorded as operating a business at 261/2 (yes twenty six and a half!) Sekforde Street, Clerkenwell, London. Richards worked as a silversmith at that address from 1845 to 1850 and then moved to 35 Whiskin Street, Clerkenwell on 13th April 1849 with records indicating that he continued to operate there in 1851 and 1852. After 1852 he moved to 20 Red Lion Street, Clerkenwell where he was listed as a silver plate manufacturer between 1853 and 1857. On 13th July 1857, Richards was joined in his business by Edward Charles Brown and the company was listed as and operated under the name of Richards & Brown from 1857, although it is believed that Richards actually semi-retired on 30th March 1857. After Richards' full retirement Brown continued to trade alone at the same address and it is thought that Richards himself retired around the end of 1882. He died on 20th January 1883 leaving an estate worth some £14,698.15s.1d. It is on 12th December 1882, that James William Johnson arrives on the scene but he is in partnership with one Alfred Springthorpe and he may have bought the company but it continued trading as Johnson & Springthorpe until the partnership was dissolved on 17th January 1885. It should ne noted that partnerships in this era are not like modern day partnerships as they were more for convenience than anything else and could be very short lived (e.g. perhaps one partner was short of money to continue his trade and the second had the funds and once the business was back on an even footing then the 'funding' partner would take his profit and the partnership dissolved.) After the dissolution of the Johnson/Springthorpe partnership, Johnson continued trading on his own between 31st January 1885 and 18th March 1887 when he was joined by another partner, one Mathew William White and Johnson retired on 31st October 1887. The business continued under Johnson & White, as the successor to Richards & Brown, was recorded to be operating at the same address between 1886 and 1889 when the company closed. After this closure the premises were taken over by Ball & Furby who were listed in 1890 and 1891 as electroplaters (as opposed to silversmiths) which then became Edward Charles Furby in 1892, then Edward Charles Furby & Co. during 1893 - 1897 when they were listed as electro gilders By 1913 E. C. Furby & Co. were listed as nickel platers operating at 104 St John Street, Clerkenwell, London EC.

Sampson Mordan & Co Ltd

Sampson Mordan, Snr was born in 1790 and was apprenticed to the famous John Bramah who invented patent locks. Although his business was supposed to have been established in 1815 he did not patent his ever-pointed propelling pencil until 20th December 1822. He entered his first silver mark on 20th June 1823 and another with his partner Gabriel Riddle on 30th April 1824. Mordan and Riddle had their premises at 22 Castle Street, City Rd.,where S. Mordan & Co were first listed as "patent ever-pointed pencil and portable pen manufacturers." The partnership between Mordan and Riddle was dissolved on 20th December 1836 and the company continued to be run by Sampson Mordan himself. Mordan Snr died in 1843 and the business was taken over by his sons Sampson and Augustus. They were later joined by Edmund George Johnson and Zachariah Watkins who retired on 17th April 1879. Sampson Mordan Jnr retired to Paris died there on 9th May 1881 and his share of the business passed to Augustus. By 1890 Harry Lambert Symonds had joined the business as a partner and the company operated from 41 & 43 City Road London EC. In 1898 the company converted to a limited liability company and operated under the name S. Mordan & Co Ltd absorbing a smaller business of Johnson, Sons & Edmonds of 32 John Street Bedford Row, London, WC. The City Road Factory was rebuilt in 1900 and showrooms were opened at 9 & 11 Warwick Street, Regent Street, London W and after 1909 they moved to Belfast Chambers, 7 Beak Street, Regent Street, London W. In 1933 the company gave the distribution rights on their propelling pencil business (for which they were and are famous) to L. G. Sloan Ltd., The Pen Corner, 41 Kingsway London WC2. The company ceased trading in 1941 following destruction of their factory by enemy bombing and the patents were sold to Edward Baker. The company was put into voluntary liquidation in 1952. In addition to silver and gold pencils the company also produced a large range of wares, especially novelty items in both gold and silver They supplied silver articles to many retailers including Asprey & Sons & the Goldsmiths & Silversmiths Co. Ltd. The most recent and most detailed history of the company can be found in Edward Eldred's 'Sampson Mordan & Company' which is an illustrated leaflet produced in 1986.

Sampson Mordan Makers Mark on Silver Menu Holder	HallMarks Page1	Sampson Mordan Makers Mark on Silver Vesta Case
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