"Chandless" Spoon with Pictorial Marks

[Essexboy Found]

Hello, I have not been in this bit of the Forum lately and I have had to change my name in the meantime as well. I copied an image of a spoon mark a while ago, but last week I got round to researching it. I could not find it in our reference section USA or Canadian, or on the Forum itself. Also not found in the huge “Silversmiths & Related Craftsmen” list. Then I had a bit of luck in my searching and this publication came into view and with it came a “marks” description.

THE WALPOLE SOCIETY

A LIST OF EARLY AMERICAN SILVERSMITHS AND THEIR MARKS

BY HOLLIS FRENCH

1917

........Chandless, William New York, N. Y. w. 1846 (w = working)

................[mark] Capital C with pseudo hallmarks




I think that is fairly close to my image, would you not think?

Fishless

[Traintime]

Listed by Thorn in 1949 on page 48 for New York in 1846, but displaying no known mark sample still at that time. Has anyone offered anything in the meantime? Could this be the William Chandless mentioned as apprenticed to his sister’s husband in the Grimwade entries (back in 1822)…perhaps emigrating to New York?

[Traintime]

Down Under repository of William Chandless (UK & US) biographical with samples: https://www.colacfamilyhistory.org.au/a ... biography/

[Traintime]

NY Directory (city) circa 1838 (per G-books) with William Chandless address listed: https://books.google.com/books?id=7DBEA ... rk&f=false

[Essexboy Found]

Thank you Traintime for the “resounding” confirmation of my thoughts on the Chandless mark! At least we now have an image to discuss. If it was the same William Chandless silversmithing in New York and London, this must have been one of the earliest trans-Atlantic businesses. It is not like there was a Concorde to rush him across the pond in a day, though I did see online that one of the first steamship liners, the Great Western, in 1838, could cross the Atlantic in 15.5 days.1838 was the year there was a silversmith “William Chandless” at 267 Spring, in that “Longworth's American Almanac, New York Register, and City Directory” you referenced.

Looking at silvermakersmarks.co.uk, it seems there were 3 slightly different maker’s marks registered by a “William Chandless”, with the London Assay Office. The dates were 1832, 1841 and 1851 but the dates of items, noted, as made by him are very scanty. They are 1832, 1840 and 1858 so could he not have been working permanently in London, between the registration dates? Possibly a trawl of a few London trade directories could be needed.

Fishless

[Essexboy Found]

I followed my own suggestion but did not find an entry for William Chandless in the "Post Office London Directory, 1841. [Part 1: Street, Commercial, & Trades Directories) as a silversmith or goldsmith or jewellers but in the "1852 Post Office London Directory (Small Edition)" I did find a likely candidate:

“Chandless Wm.silv.knife,fk.&spoon ma.2Newcastle pl.Clkwl“.

I translate this as William Chandless, silver knife, fork & spoon maker at 2 Newcastle Place, Clerkenwell.

These were the only directories, for the in question time period, I had access to.

Fishless

[dragonflywink]

From McGrew's 'Manufacturers' Marks on American Coin Silver' (2004):




~Cheryl

[Traintime]

Great work, Cheryl. And we might as well add this link to Eaton info. with wife (née Chandless) as it’s all the family stuff: https://www.925-1000.com/forum/viewtopi ... ss#p105940

[dragonflywink]

Have very little time right now, but concerning the 'Gilbert-Cunningham/Cooper Complex', Philo B. Gilbert partnered with Daniel Cunningham in 1838 as 'Gilbert & Cunningham' at 8 Cortlandt St, NYC, in 1839 they moved to 106 Reade St., in 1841 they changed the firm name to 'Cunningham, Gilbert & Co.' and moved to 102 Reade St., in 1842 they split and Gilbert partnered with his brother-in-law James C. Everett as 'Gilbert & Everett' at 102 Reade St., and Francis W. Cooper was also at 102 Reade St. in the 1840s, possibly with Gilbert.

Here is the page 58 referenced from McGrew's 'Manufacturers' Marks on American Coin Silver' (2004):



~Cheryl