Edinburgh 1815 MORTON AW

carlislepaul · Post by **carlislepaul** » Thu Apr 08, 2010 12:37 pm

My research leads me to believe this is Andrew Wilkie and MORTON is a retailer. I am aware of a MORTON AE (Andrew Edmonstoun) spoon.

Jackson only has one AW in the Scottish section, Alex Wotherspoon of Glasgow which is why I think a Bonhams catalogue of 2002 attributed this mark to Robert Morton & Alex Wotherspoon.

Can anybody give any further information on this mark.

Regards

Paul
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MCB · Post by **MCB** » Mon Apr 12, 2010 11:56 am

Hello Paul,

Edinburgh AO at http://www.incorporationofgoldsmiths.co.uk" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; gives Robert Morton's dates as 1799-1830 and say he was a jeweller. There is no record of his registering a maker's mark.
Andrew Wilkie's dates are given as 1811-62 and in the notes for him there are three images of marks said to possibly be his. One of them is quite similar to that on the spoon. Importantly also recorded in the notes is the suggestion that Morton retailed Wilkie's work.
Edinburgh AO do not mention a mark registered by Morton and Wilkie together nor Morton with Wotherspoon.
It seems the Sotherby catalogue is simply a recognition that there were two marks on the article for sale being that of Morton and another (AW) they attributed to Wotherspoon. More likely is that the AW mark Sotherby's saw and you have here is Wilkie's.

Regards,
Mike
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carlislepaul · Post by **carlislepaul** » Mon Apr 12, 2010 1:55 pm

Mike

Thank you.

I must admit I did look at the Edinburgh Assay site but now realise I had failed to follow all of the trails and could have answered my own question.

A lesson to be learnt but hopefully the information is of interest to others.

Regards

Paul
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