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tline3open  Grimwade -The Georgian Silver Makers Bible

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Author Topic:   Grimwade -The Georgian Silver Makers Bible
Clive E Taylor

Posts: 450
Registered: Jul 2000

iconnumber posted 09-01-2008 12:32 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Clive E Taylor     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Arthur G. Grimwade London Goldsmiths 1697 -1837. Their Marks and Lives.

Anyone researching, dealing in, or collecting English Silver of the Georgian period needs this book - which was out of print until recently.

It is now available from AMAZON.co.uk at £70. For some reason AMAZON.com does not list it. A review of this book appears on the AMAZON.co.uk site. Modesty prohibits me from naming the reviewer but please vote for me (sorry him) on the site.

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Clive E Taylor

Posts: 450
Registered: Jul 2000

iconnumber posted 10-26-2008 06:02 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Clive E Taylor     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I hope everybody who needs this bought it.

The price on Amazon is now £150

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Clive E Taylor

Posts: 450
Registered: Jul 2000

iconnumber posted 12-11-2008 02:52 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Clive E Taylor     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
The price has now reverted to £69.99

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swarter
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Registered: May 2003

iconnumber posted 12-12-2008 12:48 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for swarter     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
An indispensable resource for that time and place. Addall lists it tonight (11 Dec 08) at Amazon.co.uk at $103.59 USD, $113.92 with shipping (airmail) to the US; Amazon (US) price is $157.78, $161.77 with shipping (ground). US Media Mail is very slow (10-14 days) - it would come from England faster (5-7 days)!

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Clive E Taylor

Posts: 450
Registered: Jul 2000

iconnumber posted 12-12-2008 05:58 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Clive E Taylor     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
This book is one of the major keys to understanding Georgian silver and it’s significance cannot be overstated.

The current edition is the third, revised in 1990 .It seems unlikely to be further revised as Arthur Grimwade is dead – this book is his lasting monument. It is the best by far on London makers.

It is very important to read and understand the Introduction, especially the sections “The Registers” and “The Lives” to discover the natural limits of the information provided.

Virtually all the data on the lesser silversmiths (which includes bucklemakers) comes from the Registers of Goldsmiths Hall. Two of these registers are missing, the small workers marks of the 1739 to 1758 period, and the largeworkers of the 1758 to 1773 period. Although Grimwade was able to provide much information on the missing marks of the largeworkers, he was not able to do a great deal for the records of the smallworkers. Thus very little exists on smallworker marks registered in 1739 – 1758. It must also be remembered that a man whose mark was entered in say 1754 may never have entered any later marks, although he could still be working well into the 1760’s or early 1770’s. Another complication is that often silversmiths registered marks in both the smallworkers and the largeworkers books – often seemingly at random ! So we could have marks missing of silversmiths from 1739 –1773 in some cases.

So the missing data may well span many decades .

What is absolutely vital to remember is that when Grimwade says of a silversmith “First mark entered 1763 “ what he really means is “First mark in the surviving registers 1763” If the apprenticeship details are given , you can often make a judgement on the probable date of birth and hence working life, but often they are not available.

Many smallworkers almost certainly had their first marks in the lost 1739 –1758 register. So the smith above as “first mark entered 1763” may have had several previous marks in the lost 1739- 1756 register and be quite an old man in 1763.

Often the minor smiths only registered one punch, which either never wore out, or they never felt the need to register any new ones. Usually we often find a new punch being registered on change of address – but it may have been in use, unregistered, for some time before the move. The early smallworkers, especially bucklemakers, were very much the lower end of the silver world and I suspect were not keen on bureaucracy. I believe and have evidence that many marks were never submitted to Goldsmiths Hall. If a man's workmen were known to the Assay Office from regular visits, the staff would be very unlikely to check the mark on the items they brought for assay - despite Goldsmiths Hall claims to the contrary. Human nature does mot change.

Grimwade separates the marks registered by smiths as “bucklemaker” and some other minor categories in between 1773 and 1820 into separate sections, without illustration but gives no details in the main body of the biographies if they had only entered marks in the main categories. However the same smith may have other marks in earlier or later periods which are covered in the main body of the book., He may also have other marks entered as largeworker, smallworker, spoonmaker etc. It must be also remembered that Grimwade was perhaps not overcareful with the minor categories, especially the bucklemaker section as he did not consider it of great interest at the time. There is also the story of his cat.

He also had no easy access to probate details of silversmiths which provide some additional names and more details dates of deaths and relationships. Currently these are available on line at the PRO or as a WORD document register available free from myself (all faults included). For example an examination of the will of Samuel Cooke, silversmith, whose will, proved 1st February 1764, indicates the probable maker of SC marked buckles in the 1750 – 1764 period for whom Grimwade has no record. It also shows Elizabeth Cooke (Grimwade 552 & 3538) to be his widow. Grimade’s perfectly reasonable statement that Elizabeth Cooke “MAY have been the widow of Thomas Cooke II” has been used by at least one author to give her as the definite widow of Thomas – whose will, proven 16th December 1761, reveals totally different relationships. One being a very close friendship with his housekeeper.

These notes are not intended as a criticism of what is a truly great book.

It has very few errors, and few omissions.

But it’s limitations should be kept always in mind.

Another factor with Grimwade is more subtle. Anything written prior to the publication of the first edition in 1976, be it museum catalogue, book or article , lacked a vital tool and must be regarded as slightly suspect at best!

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doc

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Registered: Jul 2003

iconnumber posted 12-12-2008 08:59 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for doc     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Clive:

Thank you for your notes-I am printing this thread out and tucking it into my copy of Grimwade.

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Clive E Taylor

Posts: 450
Registered: Jul 2000

iconnumber posted 12-12-2008 02:50 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Clive E Taylor     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Thanks Doc.

The English Georgian silver dealers and collectors come, in my experience, in two grades, those that identify silver from Jackson's only and those that use Grimwade.

Those that use Jackson have a nice easy time - very seldom difficult to find a mark that roughly matches, but they are thus often very wrong!

The more experienced use Grimwade, but learn only gradually that one must tread carefully knowing the limitations. Its a wonderful tool but the silversmiths do not always obey the rules. And on smallworkers a 99% certainty is rare.

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salmoned

Posts: 336
Registered: Jan 2005

iconnumber posted 12-12-2008 08:00 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for salmoned     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I splurged for a copy. Thanks for the 'heads up'!

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doc

Posts: 730
Registered: Jul 2003

iconnumber posted 12-13-2008 11:25 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for doc     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Clive:

I know what you mean about Jackson vs. Grimwades. I used to be a Jacksonian, but once I splurged on Grimwades, I became a complete convert. It has allowed me to better catalog my London silver; Jacksons is now relegated to research of non-London makers, and to date identification, which I just have not been able to master by memory yet.

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Clive E Taylor

Posts: 450
Registered: Jul 2000

iconnumber posted 12-13-2008 02:11 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Clive E Taylor     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
There is just so much in Grimwade. Even the extracts of addresses are usefull.

Although often very obscure, most can be traced with either the A-Z of Regency London (not recommended as you need a magnifying glass and three aspirins) or the MOTCO CD.

For example, John Turner gave his address as

    "near the Nags Head, Hackney Road".
The map shows what looks like a little out of town industrial unit for goldsmith, far to the north of London. Well it was in 1799!

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Clive E Taylor

Posts: 450
Registered: Jul 2000

iconnumber posted 12-15-2008 05:54 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Clive E Taylor     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
My wife - who is a map freak - has just informed me that the NE - SW track is now called Goldsmiths Row, and the area marked Goldsmiths place s in 1799 is now Goldsmiths Square. It's only a minutes walk from the Regents Canal - which was not even planned in 1799.

[This message has been edited by Clive E Taylor (edited 12-17-2008).]

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agphile

Posts: 798
Registered: Apr 2008

iconnumber posted 12-16-2008 09:23 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for agphile     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Fascinating how footprints of the past remain. It look as if a little group of goldsmiths must have established themselves at a less expensive "out of town" location.

Presumably they were all suppliers to the trade rather than retailers.

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Clive E Taylor

Posts: 450
Registered: Jul 2000

iconnumber posted 12-16-2008 11:35 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Clive E Taylor     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Yes I doubt he sold much retail! I've seen less than ten buckles with IT marks (which also cover several other smiths) so I suspect he made for other people who got them assayed themselves.

Quite typical. There is an interesting Old Bailey case in May 1799.(t17990508- 49)

    LAVE COLEY - I am a silversmith;
    Q. Where do you live? -
    A. No. 3, Northampton-row
    Q. Are you in business for yourself? -
    A. Yes; I work for shops.
    Q. What shop? -
    A. Any shop that will buy my work.
    I sold some articles to my cousin, Mr. Coley, a silversmith, in Fetter-lane, about a fortnight ago.
    Q. What particular articles do you work? -
    A. In the small knee-buckle line; I have sold him dozens upon dozens.
    Q. And he is the only person that you can recollect? -
    A. I sell him a great many.
    Q. Any body else? -
    A. I sell to pawnbrokers and silversmiths shops promiscuously.
This guy has no entry in the Goldsmiths Hall registers but obviously was a knee buckle specialist! Interestingly Northampton Row. (D1/p04Bc)is in Clerkenwell (just outside the City ) and looks very much like the layout of Goldsmiths Place. Horwood is actually somewhat misleading in his delineation of buildings - he never examined the backs and they can be misleading. In both cases I suspect perhaps a shared furnace and forge was probably a feature.

As we often go past Turners site on the boat I'll see if any client would like to compare a copy of the old map with the current state of play.

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