I have a silver name badge with a Chester hallmark of 1897 the makers mark is clear and reads S.B but I can't find a maker for Chester with these initials for 1897, there is one for Coventry though( Samuel Beaumont) with the right date.
Two images of a round, silver, container three inches across. Hallmark is Chester but the maker's mark looks like Marples & Co of Birmingham. Is this the correct maker for this 1909(?) Chester item?
Yes, Marples & Co is correct. They, like many other Birmingham silversmiths, registered marks at Chester as well as Birmingham, probably because Chester achieved a faster turn-round rate for hallmarking. The date of registration was 31 August 1907.