John or Joseph Law?

[bernynhel]

I know John Law is IL, Joseph I.L, but the date code is 1838 and John Law is 1790 and Joseph registered 1824 so its possible that its John Law and the maker overlaps Joseph but I haven't been able to find examples of either maker to figure it out. Any help is appreciated, thanks. http://www.flickr.com/photos/crazeekilla/11006703175/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/crazeekilla/11006941293/

[silvermakersmarks]

In fact both John Law's and Joseph Law's marks are shown in the Sheffield Register(1) as [I·L]. The mark on your fruit knife seems to have escaped reference so it may not even be a Law mark. I have seen it on fruit knives dated between 1828 and 1830.

Phil

(1) Watson, B.W. - The Sheffield Assay Office Register, Wm Townsend & Sons, Sheffield, 1911

[dognose]

Hi,

Welcome to the Forum.

My initial thoughts were the same as Phil's, that the mark is not in the Sheffield Assay Office Register, but B.W. Watson in his preface to the book states "In some cases manufacturers have used the same design of mark for a long term of years and new entries have become necessary, from time to time, in consequence of the punches wearing out, or from other causes. Under circumstances such as these the original entry only has been given". So I presume that John Law did make a later entry without a pellet, or course it is always possible that on your example the punch became loaded with debris and the pellet not struck.

We have that mark attributed to John Law, see: http://www.925-1000.com/dlSheffield2.html#M

Simon Moore in his Cutlery for the Table notes John Law as a maker of folding fruit knives.

Trev.

[bernynhel]

In fact both John Law's and Joseph Law's marks are shown in the Sheffield Register(1) as [I·L]. The mark on your fruit knife seems to have escaped reference so it may not even be a Law mark. I have seen it on fruit knives dated between 1828 and 1830.

Phil

(1) Watson, B.W. - The Sheffield Assay Office Register, Wm Townsend & Sons, Sheffield, 1911

Checking the Sheffield Maker's Marks Menu on this site http://www.925-1000.com/dlSheffield2.html#M I see the mark [IL] for John Law, reg 1790 as well as the mark [I·L] for Joseph Law reg 1824. Am I interpreting something incorrectly? Or is there something else I am missing? Thanks again, for your insight and for your patience.

Bill

[bernynhel]

Hi,

Welcome to the Forum.

My initial thoughts were the same as Phil's, that the mark is not in the Sheffield Assay Office Register, but B.W. Watson in his preface to the book states "In some cases manufacturers have used the same design of mark for a long term of years and new entries have become necessary, from time to time, in consequence of the punches wearing out, or from other causes. Under circumstances such as these the original entry only has been given". So I presume that John Law did make a later entry without a pellet, or course it is always possible that on your example the punch became loaded with debris and the pellet not struck.

We have that mark attributed to John Law, see: http://www.925-1000.com/dlSheffield2.html#M

Simon Moore in his Cutery for the Table notes John Law as a maker of folding fruit knives.

Trev.

Checking the Sheffield Maker's Marks Menu on this site http://www.925-1000.com/dlSheffield2.html#M I see the mark [IL] for John Law, reg 1790 as well as the mark [I·L] for Joseph Law reg 1824. Am I interpreting something incorrectly? Or is there something else I am missing? Or is it that you mean that the marks do not appear in the actual published Sheffield Assay Office Register, of which I possess no copy and that their entry onto this website at the above location is due to the extensive scholarly research of the likes of B.W. Watson and Simon Moore as it finally occurs to me due to weakly firing synapses? Thanks again, for your insight and for your patience.

Bill

[bernynhel]

At dognose and silvermakersmarks: I see now the distinction between the actual published records of the Sheffield Assay Office Register and the Sheffield Maker's Mark Menu on this website. Thanks to you both for your insight assistance.

Bill