British? sheffield ? tea pot identification help

[frankstetson]

Would appreciate help IDing this tea pot. The lid hinges are external and the finial and handle are likely rosewood or mahogany. So far standard reference texts don't include this maker. Any information would be appreciated.

[2209patrick]

Looks like a British silverplate mark to me. Checked my books but could not find the manufacturer who used the AS & GR mark. The next S probably stands for Sheffield.

Pat.

[paulh]

Just a guess, but it could be Southern & Richardson.

Paul.

[frankstetson]

Can't find anything with searches on Richardson etc. Does anyone have the Sheffield Assay Office Register 1773-1907 to consult? thanks all for your assistance

[admin]

The Sheffield Assay office oversees sterling hallmarks, the trademarks used on silverplate are not their oversite. That said, here is their web address.
http://www.assayoffice.co.uk/default.asp?contentID=1

[2209patrick]

Don't know if that's Southern & Richardson's mark.
Located at Don Cutlery Works, Doncaster Street, Sheffield, England.
In business from 1863 to 1890. Began electroplating c.1872.

Pat.

[fwilson]

I can't help with the actual trademark on this piece but the copies I have of Southern & Richardson's catalogues which portray drawings of cutlery, teapots and other items show one of their trademarks to be a nest with eggs with the words 'Southern and Richardson Sheffield' or 'Don Cutlery Works Sheffield England' in some cases. This is shown mostly on their cutlery though, the teapots in the catalogue don't show a mark as such as presumably it would have been on the bottom of the item and therefore not represented. The catalogue has the firm down as established in 1828.

I do also know that the names of the founders of Southern and Richardson were Francis Southern and Samuel Richardson, so the initials shown above on this teapot don't fit with these. My interest in this comes from researching family history and discovering that Francis Southern and Samuel Richardson each married sisters of my 3x great-grandfather, rather than from any specific metal related knowledge. However, I thought I'd mention it in case it is of some help eliminating the firm as a possibility. Sorry it doesn't get any further to discovering who did make it.