MARKS - HALLMARKS - HISTORY The parents of Paul De Lamerie (Paul Souchay de la Merie and Constance le Roux) had fled from France to the Netherlands to escape from the religious persecutions following the revocation of the edict of Nantes by Louis XIV. Paul was born in the Netherlands (Hertogenbosch) in 1688 and in 1691 the family transferred to London. In 1703 Paul was apprenticed to Pierre Platel (a Huguenot silversmith) obtaining his freedom in 1712. Pierre Platel had great influence on the career of Paul de Lamerie from which he learnt the art of working in silver and gold and to him he owed in great measure his future fame. Paul de Lamerie entered his first mark at the Goldsmiths' Hall in 1712 (letters LA surmounted by a crown with a fleur-de-lis below, in the style current at the time among Parisian silversmiths). The first important piece of silver was made by De Lamerie in 1719 and was an oval wine-cistern for John Leveson-Gower, 1st Earl Gower. In 1720 De Lamerie received the first of a number of highly important commissions from the Czars of Russia (a wine-fountain). His wide clientele included English nobility (Countess of Berkeley, Viscount Tyrconnel, the Earl of Bristol, the Duke of Bedford) and upper class, including Prime Minister Sir Robert Walpole. Although De Lamerie presumably received a number of Royal commissions in the course of his career (was made goldsmith to the King in 1716), he was never appointed to the coveted post of Royal Goldsmith. The only documented commission by George II is a "Regium donum" to the Earl of Lincoln in 1750 as a gift at the christening of his child George. Besides his activity as manufacturing silversmith De Lamerie kept also a trading shop open to the public for buying and selling jewellery. Paul de Lamerie was made Liveryman of the Goldsmiths' Company in 1717, Assistant of the Court in 1731, 4th Warden in 1743, 3rd Warden in 1746 and 2nd Warden in 1747. He died in 1751. De Lamerie career can be divided into two halves. The first lasted for the duration of his first maker's mark from 1712 to 1732, when he worked mostly in the softer 'Britannia' standard of silver producing beautiful and essentially pieces in the simple baluster style much in vogue in that period. The second half of his career dates from 1732 to his death in 1751. In this period the ornate rococo style superseded the simpler 'Queen Anne' style providing De Lamerie lasting fame. In this activity he displayed the touch of a true master in the manner in which he played off the high relief of rococo with the softness of flat chasing. Although inspired by the work of other masters he was always able to maintain and express his own thoughts through his mastery of detail and craftsmanship. STERLING SILVER HALLMARKS
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Adie & Lovekin
Angell Family
Asprey & Co
Atkin Brothers
Barker Brothers
E.Barnard & Sons
Bateman Family
M. Baum
G. Benney
B.Blackburn
Boardman,Glossop & Co
M.Boulton
C.Boyton & Son
T.Bradbury & Sons
A.Browett
Chawner & Co
A.Clark Manufacturing Co
G.R.Collis & Co
Courtauld Family
Daniel & Arter
J.Deakin & Sons
S.Devlin
Deykin & Sons
J.Dixon & Sons
Dobson & Sons
Eley family
Elkington & Co
Emes family
Fattorini & Sons
Fox family
Garrard & Co
S.Godbehere
Goldsmiths & Silversmiths Co
H.Griffith & Sons
J.Grinsell & Sons
Hamilton & Inches
C.F.Hancock
Harrison Br. & Howson
Hawksworth Eyre & Co
Hayne & Cater
Hennell family
Holland Aldwinckle & Slater
Horton & Allday
Hukin & Heath
W.Hutton & Sons
G.Jamieson
Lambert & Co
P.deLamerie
Latham & Morton
Levi & Salaman
Lister & Sons
C.Maas & Co
Mappin & Webb
Martin Hall & Co
R.F.Mosley
H.G.Murphy
Pairpoint Brothers
H.H.Plante
T.Prime & Son
R.Pringle & Sons
O. Ramsden
Reid & Sons
Richards & Brown
Roberts & Belk
J.Round & Son
Sampson Mordan & Co
A.B.Savory & Sons
Sibray, Hall & Co
W & G Sissons
Smily Family
Spurrier
P.Storr
Tessiers Ltd
F.B.Thomas & Co
G.Unite & Sons
C.J.Vander
Wakely & Wheeler
Walker & Hall
D&J Wellby Ltd 
West & Son
H.Wilkinson & Co
J.Williams & Co
H.Woodward & Co
London
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Chester