help on makers mark

[boneheaddread]

Hi , another detecting find , I have been told this is a silver clog fastener , but I can not find out the maker TA ??? thanks john

[buckler]

Mark could be that of Thomas Arnold, who entered a mark as a smallworker in London in 1770. Listed in the Parliamentary report of 1773 as a smallworker. Both the above give him at London Wall, where he entered a third mark in 1775. Appears to have moved to 21 Aldersgate Street by April 1776 where he entered another smallworkers mark. I have seen no references to him as a bucklemaker, but many smallworks made or marked a few buckles.
Usually these clasps come in two pieces, a male and like this one a female part. Normally found as pairs they were certainly in use as shoe/clog clasps in the Victorian period. I've seen them described as book clasps and a larger version as stock clasps.
The only specific bucklemaker I know of with the initials TA is Thomas Adcock who was registered as a voter at Cecil Court in 1784 and 1788, but I have no record of him ever registering a mark for silver, although his neighbour , Robert Dennison and later his son Anderson Robert Dennison were noted silver bucklemakers.

My guess is probably Arnold as the mark and period look right. Certainly the assay mark appears to be London 1756 -1784

[dognose]

Is there any posibility that it could be the mark of Thomas Ayres? He entered a mark as a bucklemaker on the 16th February 1786, or would that be too late?

Trev.

[buckler]

Hi Trev
Actually Ayres was my first thought, but this clasp has no duty mark and so I rejected him. Wrong !

Although most of these clasps I've seen have the makers mark and a date letter on one of the pair (the male or female) and the makers mark , Lion and Duty mark on the other( the other of the sexes) , I've found one with a Lion and makers mark on one, and a Duty mark, makers mark and date letter on the other.

So I think you are right, we cannot discount Thomas Ayres as too late. Admittedly Grimwade only gives him with a cut cornered mark , and this looks square cornered, but I've known Grimwade be in error - and silversmiths not to register all their punches!

[dognose]

Should it turn out that it is Thomas Ayres, this topic has an illustration of his establishment and a link to his Trade Card:

viewtopic.php?f=38&t=19110

John, can you post a photo of the front of the clip? Just so we can see what it looks like from that side.

Trev.

[boneheaddread]

Hi , here is the other side , and thanks for all the info , john

[buckler]

Thanks for the image .
Looks as if it could well be post duty, so Thomas Ayres is still a suspect !