ENGLISH ELECTROPLATE SILVER MARKS AND HALLMARKS OF ENGLISH SILVER PLATE

WITH THE ADDITION OF OTHER BRITISH, SCOTTISH AND IRISH MAKERS

created by Giorgio B. owner of www.silvercollection.it ©

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The two common forms of plated silver are Sheffield plate and silverplate/electroplate.
Sheffield Plate is a cheaper substitute for sterling, produced by fusing sheets of silver to the top and bottom of a sheet of copper or base metal. This 'silver sandwich' was then worked into finished pieces. At first it was only put on one side and later was on top and bottom.
Modern electroplating was invented by Italian chemist Luigi V. Brugnatelli in 1805. Brugnatelli used his colleague Alessandro Volta's invention of five years earlier, the voltaic pile, to facilitate the first electrodeposition. Unfortunately, Brugnatelli's inventions were repressed by the French Academy of Sciences and did not become used in general industry for the following thirty years.
Silver plate or electroplate is formed when a thin layer of pure or sterling silver is deposited electrolytically on the surface of a base metal. By 1839, scientists in Britain and Russia had independently devised metal deposition processes similar to Brugnatelli's for the copper electroplating of printing press plates.
Soon after, John Wright of Birmingham, England, discovered that potassium cyanide was a suitable electrolyte for gold and silver electroplating.
Wright's associates, George Elkington and Henry Elkington were awarded the first patents for electroplating in 1840. These two then founded the electroplating industry in Birmingham England from where it spread around the world.
Common base metals include copper, brass, nickel silver - an alloy of copper, zinc and nickel - and Britannia metal - a tin alloy with 5-10% antimony.
Electroplated materials are often stamped EPNS for electroplated nickel or silver, or EPBM for electroplated Britannia metal.

	WALKER & HALL Sheffield The business was established in Sheffield in 1845 by George Walker. Becoming an assistant of Dr. John Wright who had conducted important experiments on electroplating Walker secured the royalty of electroplating for Sheffield. The business was joined by Henry Hall and became in 1853 Walker & Hall. The factory was at Howard Street, Sheffield, while showrooms were opened in 45 Holbornn Viaduct, London. Branches were opened in Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Newcastle, Cardiff, Belfast, Hull, Bristol, Melbourne and Adelaide (Australia), Cape Town (South Africa). Walker & Hall was converted into a limited liability company in 1920 under the style Walker & Hall Ltd and combined in 1963 under the British Silverware Ltd with Mappin & Webb and Elkington & Co.
	GEORGE WATERHOUSE & CO Sheffield (possibly)
	WATSON & GILLIOTT Sheffield 23 Furnival St, 1897-1899 26 Eyre Lane, 1900-1940
	JAMES WEIR Glasgow Jewellers & silversmiths at Buchanan Street, Glasgow. The firm became J Weir Ltd after c1920
	GEORGE HENRY WHITTAKER Sheffield Active at Pool Square, Fargate (1881-1885), Westfield Terrace (1886-1891), Cavendish St. and 17-21 Convent Walk (1892-1908), Wheeldon St (1909-1911)
	THOMAS WHITE Birmingham Trade mark "The Squirrel"
	JOHN WIGFALL & CO Sheffield Active 1889-1911 at Auckland Works, 37 Eldon St, Sheffield
	HENRY WILKINSON & CO Sheffield The founder of the firm was J. Winter in 1760c. In 1829 the firm was active as Henry Wilkinson & Co and in 1872 was converted into a limited liability company under the style Henry Wilkinson & Co Ltd. In 1892 the firm was acquired by Walker & Hall.

	THOMAS WILKINSON & CO Birmingham -1846 - 1875 THOMAS WILKINSON & SONS Birmingham - 1875 Founded by Thomas Wilkinson in 1832. Active at Pelican Works with the trade mark 'Pelican Ware'. In 1840 the firm was active at High Street, Sheffield advertising as "By Special Appointment to Her Majesty". In 1932 the grandsons Arthur William and Francis Isaac sold the business to A.L. Davenport Ltd. Francis Isaac Wilkinson founded in 1934 F.I. Wilkinson & Sons Ltd.
	WILLIAMS (BIRMINGHAM) LTD Birmingham Tenby Street, Birmingham. Formerly W. Williams & Co, converted into a limited liability company in 1902 at Hockley Street, Birmingham. In 1912 the factory is listed at King Edward's Road, Birmingham.
	HENRY WILLIAMSON LTD London A business established in 1865 by Henry Williamson. The firm was converted into H. Williamson Ltd in 1892 absorbing in 1895 Errington Watch Co.
	MARK WILLIS Sheffield Active at Exchange Works, 56 Fargate (1872-1881)and Tudor Place (1882-1885). In 1886 the firm changed its style in Mark Willis & Son at 207 Rockingham St. Converted into a limited liability company in 1904. Out of business in 1918
	FREDERICK WILSON & CO Sheffield Active at Hatton Works, 32 Eyre St. (1882-1887) and 9-13 Cavendish St. (1888-1910). Formerly Wilson & Davis
	WILSON & GILL London Business established in 1892 by Samuel Wilson and Robert Valentine Gill at 134 Regent Street, London. Later the firm was transformed into Wilson & Gill Ltd and into Wilson & Gill (1971) Ltd.
	GEORGE WISH Sheffield George Wish was active in Sheffield (Denmark Works, Norfolk Lane) until 1877 trading with William Henry Sampson under the style Sampson & Wish. After the dissolution of the partnership with Sampson he continued the business at the same address moving in 1893 its Denmark Works to Burgess Street. In 1914 the business was converted into a limited liability company under the style of George Wish & Co Ltd.
	JOSEPH WOLSTENHOLME Sheffield (possibly) Active at Broad Street Park since 1824. Started electroplating in 1850. From 1857 the firm was manages by W.F. Wolstenholme (Joseph's son)
	HORACE WOODWARD & CO Birmingham The firm was established in mid 19th century by George Cartwright and Joseph Hirons under the style Cartwright & Hirons. In 1853 they were joined by Horace Woodward and the style changed to Cartwright, Hirons & Woodward. In 1859 the firm became Cartwright & Woodward and in 1865 the business was continued by Horace Woodward under the style Horace Woodward & Co. In 1893 the firm was converted into a limited liability company under the style Horace Woodward & Co Ltd. The company was acquired by Adie Brothers Ltd in 1919.
	THOMAS WOOLLEY Birmingham
	JOHN YATES & SONS Birmingham In a 1856 advertisement John Yates and Sons is described as active at Pritchet Street, Birmingham. Owner of ALBATA PLATE's patent. In 1858 Yohn Yates advertised as "Crown and Britannia Metal manufacturer, established in 1780, at 37-38 Coleshill Street, Birmingham",
	YEOMAN OF ENGLAND COMPANY Sawbridgeworth, Hertfordshire Business established 1897. Now a division of Douglas Pell Silverware (founded in 1972). Concentrates on making silver plated items, both in giftware and tableware. It is the silver giftware supplier to Harrods and other prestigious names world-wide, including Asprey & Garrard, Royal Palaces, Liberty, Fortnum & Mason, Goldsmiths.
	A & J ZIMMERMAN Birmingham Business established in 1879 by Arthur S. Zimmerman and John Ulric Zimmerman. In 1902 the firm was converted into a limited liability company under the style A&J Zimmerman Ltd, moving to 19 Regent Place, Birmingham

E.P.N.S. (Electroplated Nickel Silver) and EPBM (Electroplated Britannia Metal) are the most common names attributed to silver plate items. But many other names are used for silver plate:
EPWM - Electroplate on White Metal, EPC - Electroplate on Copper, Argentium Argentine Plate, Argentum, Ascetic B. B. S. Ltd, Ashberry, Austrian Silver, Brazilian Silver D&A Trademark of Daniel and Arter, Buxbridge - Trademark name of JT&Co., Electrum, Encore TT&Co Trademark of T. Turner, Exquisite, HH&S , I.XL Geo. Wostenholm & Son, Insignia Plate, JB&S EP A1, JD&S = John Dixon & Sons, K & TL , M&W Mappin and Webb, N.S. New Silver, Nevada Silver D&A Trademark of Daniel and Arter, Norwegian Silver; Trademark of WG&S, Pelican Silver JGNS, Potosi Silver N&S WP, RN&S EP Neill, Silverite = Trademark of W P & Co , Sonora Silver = Trademark of Walker and Hall, Spur Silver = Trademark of E B & Co for Edwin Blyde & Co, Stainless N. S., Stainless Nickel, Stainless Nickel Silver, Venetian Silver - Trademark of Deykin & Sons, WF&SS EP

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