W H (3 different marks) c1750 - perhaps William Harrison.

1700 - 1830

Moderators: MCB, buckler

Post Reply
buckler
moderator
Posts: 1075
Joined: Fri Apr 06, 2007 6:52 am
Location: England, Warwickshire

W H (3 different marks) c1750 - perhaps William Harrison.

Post by buckler »

.
From information given by William Winterbotham (an apprentice of Harrison) it appears that William Harrison was born around 1717, and started his business around 1748, taking over the premises of his old employer - who may have been his original master.
Grimwades entry stating that Harrison's master may have been James Steward is , according to a pencil note on the Goldsmiths Hall's copy, incorrect.

His master was almost certainly a member of another Company , from whom Harrison obtained his original freedom, although he was made a freeman of the Goldsmiths in August 1753 by redemption. He is recorded as taking two apprentices prior to 18 July 1758 when his first known registered mark, as smallworker at 38, Monkwell Street was entered.

That he had marks in the lost smallworkers register is thus very likely.

Below are given two possibilities

Image

This is on a small buckle , unmarked except for the incuse maker's mark, although from the style it is almost certainly English of the 1740 —1750.period. The design was I believe called "Rose and Diamond " pattern at the time. The chape may have been altered.
.

Image
.
Superficially this maker’s mark, found on a stock buckle with the London Lion of 1740 -1756 appears to be that of either William Homer or William Hunter. , However although being of the correct peroid both were largeworkers. and none of their marks fully match.

I believe this could well be one of Harrison’s.
Typically for a stock buckle there are two makers marks on the buckle - one on the frame and one on the chape. Equally typically, by Murphy's Law both are incomplete in the same area !
.
buckler
moderator
Posts: 1075
Joined: Fri Apr 06, 2007 6:52 am
Location: England, Warwickshire

Post by buckler »

.
I think this mark, found on a shoe buckle with the London Lion Passant Guardant of 1740 —1756 may well be another probable mark of William Harrison’s in the lost smallworkers register .

It’s similar to his first mark of 18 July 1758 in the new smallworkers register (Grimwade 3158), although that one is in a lobed oval.

Image

David Schosberg reports 17 pairs of sugar nips with Harrisons mark of 1758 on them, and one with a cursive script from the lost register. The latter may be a version of the cursive one in the original post above , although his has a pellet. Bucklemakers often made nips as they had both casting and chasing skill
David also gives another WH mark, on page 99 , which he attributes to William Holmes. It would not surprise me if this also could be a pre 1758 Harrison mark.
.
Post Reply

Return to “London Lost Registers & Unrecorded Marks”