New Research Source for English Silver - SMP Silver Salon Forums

SM Publications

Silver Salon Forums - The premier site for discussing Silver.

SMP | Silver Salon Forums | SSF - Guidelines | SSF - FAQ | Silver Sales

In this Forum we discuss the silver of the United Kingdom, as well as British Colonial silver and Old Sheffield Plate.

Past British - Irish Sterling topics/threads worth a look.

How to Post Photos

Want to be a Moderator?

SMP Silver Salon Forums
tline

British / Irish Sterling
tline3

New Research Source for English Silver

profile | register | preferences | faq | search

SSFFriend: Email This Page to Someone!

next newest topic | next oldest topic

Author

Topic: New Research Source for English Silver

Clive E Taylor

Posts: 450
Registered: Jul 2000

posted 11-12-2006 09:38 AM

Another on line resource for research is now up and running at

The UK Gazettes

The London, Edinburgh, and Belfast Gazettes are the official newspapers of record in the United Kingdom and include official notices relating to State, Parliament, Planning, Transport, Public Finance, etc. Dispatches from the Napoleonic Wars are a prime historical source

Since 1666 the London Gazette in particular has always been the official goverment and judicial publication of record and announcement.

For silverphiles the bankruptcy notices are a most important feature, giving a great deal more information on the careers of many silversmiths than the standard works.
In addition some partnership details, mainly dissolutions are recorded. The occasional lawyers requests for details of next of kin can also give clues as to deaths.

Currently the period 1752 � 1979 is, more or less, available . It seems uncertain if the pre 1752 will ever be covered.
Coverage tends to be a bit spotty for two reasons. Firstly I think some issues are missing. Secondly the search function is based on OCR (optical character recognition) and if the original document text is unclear the the search will not find it. The system is very good in that a search for "Parsons" will find "Parfons" but if the original is smudged and looks like "Parfuns" it may not report it .
As it reports medal awards and all sorts of information of interest to genealogists the system is very overloaded and so it is usually either slow, very slow, or stationary.

The rewards are there though.

Silver bucklemakers whose bankruptcies are recorded include :

William Allen (in the Fleet Prison!) (1772)
Thomas Wilkinson (1772)
John Bennet (1777)
John Faux (1786)
Thomas Nash (1789)
James Sutton (1789)
Thomas Eustace of Exeter (1789)
James Bult (1792)
John Cook Pettit (1792)
Thomas Kirkham (1792)
Thomas Wright (1792)
William Lycett (1792)
William Ballantine (1800)

Some survived their bankruptcy - others like John Faux appeared not to do so. The clustering around the 1786- 1792 period is noticeable - this is the period of mass decline of shoe buckle fashion.

Another interesting notice is that of the most fashionable jeweller in London, Thomas Gray, in 1789. "that he must beg Leave to decline all Orders upon Credit in future and deal only for ready Money "
I am not surprised at this. Among the papers in the Royal Archives at Windsor Castle is an account rendered indicating that around 1788 the Prince of Wales owed him for three years goods, totalling over �21,000.
Some problems are eternal.

More details of online research sources soon !

My thanks to Scott for tidying up my rather amateur presentation

[This message has been edited by Clive E Taylor (edited 11-15-2006).]

IP: Logged

All times are ET	next newest topic \| next oldest topic
Administrative Options: Close Topic \| Archive/Move \| Delete Topic
	Hop to:

Ultimate Bulletin Board 5.46a

^1. Public Silver Forums (open Free membership) - anyone with a valid e-mail address may register. Once you have received your Silver Salon Forum password, and then if you abide by the Silver Salon Forum Guidelines, you may start a thread or post a reply in the New Members' Forum. New Members who show a continued willingness to participate, to completely read and abide by the Guidelines will be allowed to post to the Member Public Forums.
Click here to Register for a Free password

^2. Private Silver Salon Forums (invitational or $ donation membership) - The Private Silver Salon Forums require registration and special authorization to view, search, start a thread or to post a reply. Special authorization can be obtained in one of several ways: by Invitation; Annual $ Donation; or via Special Limited Membership. For more details click here (under development).

^3. Administrative/Special Private Forums (special membership required) - These forums are reserved for special subjects or administrative discussion. These forums are not open to the public and require special authorization to view or post.

| Home | Order | The Guide to Evaluating Gold & Silver Objects | The Book of Silver