"JS" mark on London tankard - can anyone identify?

[mhofer]

Can anyone identify the maker's mark on this 1771 tankard?


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[Nippy]

Hi,
Try Grimwade p. 262 no. 3685. It shows as unidentified, but is also on a 1771 tankard.
Hope this helps.
Regards,
Sue
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[dognose]

Hi,

Sue's attribution looks good to me. (Welcome to the Forum Sue).

As for finding out who 'JS' was, leads us back to the old problem of the missing registers, this one was probably in the Largeworker's register 1758-1773.

Trev.
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[Nippy]

Hello, me again.

I've discovered that I have a pair of tongs with the same "JS" mark. The period of these would correspond to the 1771 date in Grimwade.




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[Tongtwister]

Hi,

Script "IS" makers marks on sugar tongs are a real problem (as are all "IS" marks - there's just so many of them!). I have seen a few & they are not all the same, but they are all very difficult to be certain about. As for John Swift, there seems to be a bit of confusion over father & son & I would also doubt that he made very many sugar tongs, given he was regsitered as a large-worker and plate-worker. Grimwade is also quite helpful in describing the type of work he did - would seem like a good guess for a tankard, but I'm not so sure about sugar tongs. If these 2 marks definitely are the same, then I would err towards Joseph Steward II - his dates are a bit better, (Swift was made free in 1725 & Steward some time around 1755). Can't say I'm convinced that these 2 marks are the same!

Grimwade also mentions tankards for Steward - although he only shows the script mark belonging to the father - Steward I - and he was even earlier than Swift!


Personally I would go for Swift for the tankard, but leave the attribution for the tongs as "open".

Definitely a tricky one - but would be very interesting to try to get something definite - it might also help me to attribute some of my tongs, that at the moment are all down as "best guesses".

Regards
Graham
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[buckler]

The IS marks are complicated by several bucklemakers marks, some in Grimwade in the bucklemaker section , some unrecorded. Also some may be SI of course. Another problem is IS over IB. This can be either James Stamp and John Baker or James Sutton and James Bult. Grimwade gives the former as with pellets , the latter without, but fails to mention that Stamp and Baker also registered one without pellets on 18th February 1768. So one without pellets can be either partnership and must be detemined by dating of the style. Caused me much grief until I discovered Grimwades omission.

I am inclined to agree with you that the tongs IS mark may not be the same as that on the tankard, although both are in four indented punches which may be indicative of a common maker. I cannot really contradict Nippy over this matter as I am currently sleeping with her .
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