R. Hodd and Son Silversmiths and electroplaters

[Gareth Harris]

I noticed that you have a mark for Richard Hodd and son in your on line silver plate makers marks. Our workshop is in part of two buildings in Hatton Garden, nos. 30 and 31 that were occupied by Hodd and son. I might be able to add a little more information to your dates for the company. We bought the last 9 years of Hodds 150 year lease from the Cordwainers Company (the London gild of shoemakers) in 1981. So that pushes Hodds dates back to 1840. They had one employee left, Tom Saddler, who was in his seventies, who had joined the firm when he was fourteen. He was employed as a polisher, mostly re polishing antique silver. All Hodds drop presses and dies were still there, but had not been used since the late 1970s. They had survived for many years refurbishing antiques, the London trade having been hit badly by purchase tax of up to 150% on new silverware, but none on antique silver, imposed after the second world war. They had quite a trade in 'electrifying' silver candelabra with ceramic bulb holders to take electric light bulbs.
This was a sad end to a firm that had once employed 200 silversmiths, 60 of whom, according to Tom were chasers.
They had another mark, that of Minerva, the Greek goddess of industry. Their two substantial buildings on Hatton Garden were known as Minerva Works.
If it is of any interest to your members, we have reproduced a 'To Let' sign for 31 Hatton Garden that dates to c1840, which is still in the building, on our website, smithandharris.com, or google Smith and Harris manufacturing silversmiths. It relates to John Edward Terrey another silversmith who had by then occupied our workshop for thirty years. Before that he had been in business with Samuel Hennell , of the famous silversmithing family who trace their ancestry back to Hugenot silversmiths of the early 18th century. Their joint mark was SH over IT -J for John being written as an I in the 18th and early 19 centuries. This mark is much loved by the antique trade for the smile it brings to the face of anyone reading it.

[dognose]

Hi Gareth,

Welcome to the Forum.

Many thanks for posting this interesting information. Richard Hodd & Son, I believe, started life as Goodfellow, Tilley & Hodd (Thomas Hutchinson Goodfellow, William Evans Tilley, and Richard Hodd. Tilley left the partnership in 1854 (to join Samuel Goodby, as Tilley & Goodby, 6, Kirby Street, Hatton Garden) and the firm was then styled Goodfellow & Hodd. Goodfellow left the partnership in 1860 and Hodd traded alone until 1862 when he was joined in partnership with William Linley and Richard Hodd junior.

This business was originally based at 31, Hatton Garden and in c.1865 the premises were extended to include the adjoining 30, Hatton Garden and christened the Minerva Works c.1878, the firm was now known as Richard Hodd & Son.

The above information was taken from John Culme's 'Directory of Gold & Silversmiths'

Is there any other evidence of Hodd's occupation of the premises? If so we would dearly like to hear of it, if any of the old equipment survives we would be keen to see some photos. Also it would be good to record the history of Smith & Harris.

Regards Trev.

[dognose]

Details of a knife cleaning machine manufactured by Richard Hodd & Sons:



A NEW SYSTEM OF KNIFE CLEANING.

Nearly three years since, Messrs. Hodd & Son, of the Minerva Works, Hatton Garden, introduced a new and simple system of cleaning knives, which is fast becoming popular, and promises to secure for itself a permanent footing in the household. At the Royal Agricultural Society's show at Kilburn, in July 1879, Messrs. Hodd & Son's machines, worked by boys who had never before seen them, cleaned the whole of the knives used in the principal refreshment department day by day, amounting to many thousands, and gained a most gratifying testimonial from Messrs. Roberts, the contractors, as to the excellent manner in which the work was done. The first machine patented by the firm was named the ' Lady Help'; this was followed by a second called the 'Despatch', having one or two little improvements, and recently a' trio' has been completed by the introduction of a third, which they have christened the 'Perfection', and of which we append an engraving. The main principle is the same in all three, that is to say, the knives are all cleaned by passing them through two rollers, though there are small differences in detail in each. Taking the one we illustrate as an example, we may say that it occupies a space of only about 7 1/2 inches square, and is screwed on to the dresser or any convenient place in the kitchen. The frame is of iron, and the rollers are of the best vulcanised india rubber, underneath them being a shallow trough in which the knife-cleaning powder is placed. This is caught up by the bottom roller in its revolutions and carried back to the top one in a similar manner, the knife is placed between the rollers, the handles turned, and with a few revolutions, and drawing he knife backwards and forwards during the operaion, it is effectively cleaned. The rollers are regulated by a screw at each end, but they do not touch each other, so that there is an entire absence of fiction between them. The important points claimed by Messrs. Hodd and Son's system is that it does ot wear away the knives, that the machine itself is aImost indestructible, that it is much lower in price than a good rotary machine, and that it will, although cleaning only one knife at a time, do its work as rapidly, and that it is free from the constant expense entailed by using the rotary machine. One striking feature in this system we have yet to name. It is well known that apart from the rapid wearing away of knives cleaned by the rotary machine, they have not had bright appearance, which is not the most pleasing to the eye. In the 'Perfection' and its sister machines, after a few cleanings, a brilliant polish put upon them which is permanent, and gives them a very close resemblance in colour to silver. One instance is known to us in which the machine has been in use for three years; has cost nothing for repair, and is practically as good as the first day was made; while the knives cleaned by it are scaresly reduced in size, though in daily wear.

Source: The Sanitary Record - March 1881




R. Hodd & Son - London - 1880


R. Hodd & Son - London - 1883

Trev.

[dognose]

The Naval Jubilee Memorial

There are now on view at Messrs. Hodd and Son's, Minerva Works, 30 and 31, Hatton Garden, the silver models of her Majesty's ships Britannia and Victoria, to be presented to her in commemoration of her jubilee. As thus represented these two vessels are respectively typical of the highest form of naval construction at the beginning of the Queen's reign, in 1837, and in the Jubilee year. The details of the work all exhibit minute accuracy and exquisite finish. The models will be on view from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. up to the 10th of November.

Source: The Watchmaker, Jeweller and Silversmith - 1st November 1888


H.M.S. Victoria, Jubilee offering of the Royal Navy and Royal Marines to H.M. the Queen, 1837-1887

The Victoria is 34 ins. long, and has been made from a set of very exact and detailed drawings specially prepared for the purpose to the same scale as for the old three-decker, and supplied by Sir Wm. G. Armstrong, Mitchell & Co., so that complete accuracy has been ensured for the myriad details of this huge, complicated ironclad, with her revolving turret and its guns, her electric search light towers, the flying bridge, anchors and boats, of which there are 13, four being steamers and nine rowing boats. The 56 ft. torpedo boat with which she is furnished, weighs in the model about 2 1/4 troy Ounces. The huge Inglefield anchor weighing several tons, would not be much too large in the model for a scarf pin, and yet every joint of it will move. The eight Nordenfelt guns, carriages and all, can be stood upon a florin, and weigh under half an ounce, and yet are made up of 118 separate pieces of silver. Each of the accommodation ladders Is composed of 41 pieces. There are 136 stanchions to hold the rails round the sides of the ship, each with three holes drilled in it no larger than 1/150 part of an inch, and the whole weighing 5/8 of an ounce. These details of some of the parts comprising these two models will serve to show the minuteness of the work when such large objects as war ships and their fittings have to be reduced to model sizes. Altogether the two models have been built up of about 9,000 pieces, every one made to measurement. To fit these together about 5,000 separate solderings have had to be made, each time heating the parts to red heat, and something like 7,000 holes have had to be drilled.
Both ships to complete required something like 200 working drawings, to the scale of 1/10 of an inch to the foot, and had to be specially made of the different parts of the two ships, so as to ensure accuracy of form and proportion.

The work was entirely carried out by R. Hodd & Son, at Minerva Works, 30 & 31, Hatton Garden, E.C.

Source: Official Catalogue & Guide - London Naval exhibition - 1891

Trev.

[dognose]

Examples of the work and mark of John Edward Terrey:










IET - London - 1822


IET

Trev.

[dognose]

PARTNERSHIPS DISSOLVED

T.H. Goodfellow, W.E. Tilley, and R. Hodd, Hatton-garden, manufacturers of electro-plated wares.

Source: The Standard - 4th March 1854

Trev.