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Can anyone help me identify this makers mark. I think the tongs are dated c1780. They are marked in the bowls with the Lion Passant in one bowl and makers mark in the other. I'm not sure about the Lion - whether it is London, Exeter or Newcastle. I can't identify the mark IF.







Thanks in anticipation
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John Faux of London. First and second marks as smallworker in 1763. Third mark in partnership with George Love in 1764. Partnership recorded as bucklemakers in the Parliamentary Report of 1773. Partnership dissolved on death of Love in 1773 (PROB/11/993). Four subsequent marks as bucklemaker 1773 to 1784 on his own. Bankrupt 1786. His son Thomas Thames Faux was apprenticed to John Wren in 1776 and Heal records him as a partner in the early 1780's, although there appears to be no mark associated. Thomas died in 1802- recorded as "Keeper of a House for the Reception of Lunatics " in Bethnal Green. I do not know when John died as he left no will (probably had no money to leave !)
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Thats really helpful - Thanks very much. Its great to see John Faux's mark on tongs on his own, its much more common to see his mark with George Love.
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Faux and Love were working at the end period for cast / pierced tongs. As bucklemakers their business was mainly model/mould making for casting, and the finishing of castings and they would have made tongs as an extention of that . By the period of brightcut tongs Faux would have not used much brightcutting ( buckles were very rarely brightcut ) probably made far fewer tongs .than previously . By contrast I find very few Faux & Love buckles, but many Faux only examples.
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