Exeter Maker

[Granmaa]

Does anyone know who this Exeter maker is? Found on a pair of c.1800 tongs.

Miles

[paulh]

Hello Miles,

Richard Rendall shows a very similar mark to this as Joseph Freeman of Plymouth. The spoon from which this mark was recorded is in the Royal Albert Museum, Exeter. Dated around 1758.

Paul.

[Granmaa]

Hi Paul,

Thank you for that. Is Richard Rendall an author? Which book did you find this in?

Miles

[paulh]

Hello Miles,

The reference work by Richard S. Rendell seems to be an unpublished compilation of West Country marks compiled in 1979. I have had a copy it for so long that I am not even sure where I got it from.

The picture below is how he records Joseph Freeman’s mark.

Paul.

[MCB]

Hello Miles,

Jackson's page 304 has Freeman active from 1753-78. The tongs could well be a little earlier than you thought.

Regards,
Mike

[Granmaa]

Hi Paul and Mike,

I'm not convinced by the Freeman mark. His working dates also make it very unlikely. These are the other marks found on the tongs; definitely post 1784, and, if my Exeter Timeline is correct, probably made between 1805 and 1809.
If I knew what the second letter was it would be much easier. If it is a P then John E. Pye might be a possibility. First and last mentioned in 1806.

Miles

[paulh]

Hello Miles,

The plot thickens it seems! I notice on the second picture that there is a duty mark and a sterling lion. It might just be due to a distortion on the photograph, but I would have expected a more rectangular shield for the lion. Is it possible that they may be from somewhere other than Exeter?


Paul.

[Granmaa]

Hi Paul,

These lions are quite common on Exeter silver. I mentioned them in my article on the hallmarking of Exeter small spoons and tongs.

http://www.925-1000.com/a_exeterlions.html

Miles

[MCB]

Hello Miles,
A browse through Jackson's looking at Georgian script capital P suggests this one isn't.
The more I look at the second letter the more it looks like a script capital S. The down stroke within the bottom circle could be the tail of the letter S carried over part of the J and almost right round. What's not correct though for an S is the small up stroke to the right below the top loop. Could this just be an imperfection do you think?
Jackson's page 305 shows there was a John Sweet active in Exeter 1791-1823.
Mike

[Granmaa]

My photo was taken in the harsh artificial lighting of a Portobello arcade. On Saturday I'll buy the tongs and post a better picture for us to examine.
I do think S is quite likely.

Miles

[antiquum obitens]

The script conjoined mark is definitely 'JG' and may relate to a member of the Goss family. I have noted it on at least two other pairs of sugar tongs.

[Granmaa]

Hello and welcome to the forum.

If it is a G then presumably that would be Joseph Goss, and a variation on his usual Roman capital mark.

Miles