A rather interesting item to share with you all

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piette
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Joined: Fri Nov 26, 2010 5:51 pm
Location: London, United Kingdom

A rather interesting item to share with you all

Post by piette »

Hi,
Here is a very interesting item from my collection... I have only seen this and one other like it.
It is a silver mounted cowrie shell snuff box.
Maker: Thomas Watson
Date: 1803
Assay: Newcastle

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Regards,
Piette
dognose
Site Admin
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Joined: Thu Dec 29, 2005 12:53 pm
Location: England

Re: A rather interesting item to share with you all

Post by dognose »

Hi Piette,

Many thanks for sharing this piece with us.

In case you are not aware, here are a few notes on Thomas Watson. He was the son of Joseph Watson, a clogmaker of Low Moat, Northumberland. Thomas was apprenticed to William Stalker for a period of eight years as from 1st January 1783, unfortunately Stalker had to retire the following year, probably because of ill health and Thomas elected to complete his term with Robert Scott. He was granted his Freedom on the 4th February 1793 and his working period was from 1793 until the end of 1845. He was Warden of the Newcastle Company twenty-nine times and was known to have taken on fourteen apprentices over the years. He died on Christmas Eve 1845, eight days after his last assay. He was survived by his wife, Jane, who died 14th January 1848.

Below is an advertisement from Thomas Watson published in the same year as your piece was assayed.

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Thomas Watson - Newcastle - 1803

Advertisement source: The Newcastle Courant, Saturday 12th March 1803.

Regards Trev.
user701
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Joined: Mon Nov 23, 2009 4:21 pm
Location: UK

Re: A rather interesting item to share with you all

Post by user701 »

Many thanks for sharing, interesting and very nice item.

Also thank you Dognose for the information, also very interesting
piette
contributor
Posts: 203
Joined: Fri Nov 26, 2010 5:51 pm
Location: London, United Kingdom

Re: A rather interesting item to share with you all

Post by piette »

Thank you for this information Dognose. It is very interesting.
I did not know this about Watson.

I very much like Thomas Watsons pieces - I live in Durham, so not far from where they originated :-)
It is almost like having a little piece of local history, in my opinion.

I will be sure to share any more interesting and unusual items that I come accross.

Regards,
Piette
MCB
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Re: A rather interesting item to share with you all

Post by MCB »

Hello Piette and Trev

To be strictly correct the absence of a date letter on the box means the assay year isn't necessarily 1803 as in the engraving. We know from other examples that an inscription can be made many years after the assay year. Here however we seem to be fortunate in that the shapes of the standard and duty marks in combination appear to me to point to assay in the period 1800-4.

Regards
Mike
dognose
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Joined: Thu Dec 29, 2005 12:53 pm
Location: England

Re: A rather interesting item to share with you all

Post by dognose »

Hi All,

I've added the details of Thomas Watson's fourteen apprentices to the 'Some Known Journeyman Silversmiths' post in Contributors' Notes.

See: http://www.925-1000.com/forum/viewtopic ... 774#p53774" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Regards Trev.
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