17th Century Newcastle Goldsmiths
Their Work and Times
William Bayrheed
1600, Mazer
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William Robinson
1635, The first documented mark
Being far from London the Newcastle goldsmiths were independent and they self-regulated the quality of their work. This was unacceptable for the London Goldsmiths Company who were ever vigilant trying to maintain and enforce standards throughout the kingdom. Enforcement was no small task but in 1635 two London wardens (Richard Taylor and Francis Chapman) made the effort and wrote in their report that ‘after a tedious journey of Seaven days ridinge 220 miles Northward came unto the Towne of Newcastle afore said where at this present is held a Comon ffayer.’ When they reached Newcastle the wardens found substandard pieces in the shops of Francis Hall, William Robinson I, Thomas Bishop and William Luck. All pieces were seized and broken and they issued fines; William Robinson receiving the heaviest penalty because he was promoting himself as a practising goldsmith. The wardens recorded Robinsons’ mark (WR and a rose) and it is the first documented mark of a Newcastle goldsmith. The image is of a 1655 spoon that may have been by William Robinson (V&A)
John Wilkinson
1664, Ecclesiastical Cup
A new era after the Restoration released a desire to replenish lost silver for churches and households. Some of the early pieces by John Wilkinson (free 1658) have survived including Communion cups and a tankard, all from c.1664. Wilkinson used the lion sinister as his mark and the Communion cup is marked with four of these marks, maybe his attempt to increase stature by similarity with the sterling silver mark. As trade improved from stability and an improving economy fourteen goldsmiths joined the Associated Company between 1656 and 1697.
William Ramsay
1665 Porringer
The earliest civic record of horse racing in Newcastle is 1632 and like the rest of the country almost every village had their own race. It was a part of the social life of the 17th Century and the races provided regular work for the goldsmiths making trophies. A silver-gilt porringer (1665) by William Ramsay is chased with flower head ornament and has scroll handles and an inscription ‘From Asby Maske on St Mark Day - 1669 - the swiftest horse bought this way’. William Ramsay was the first to join the Associated Company in 1656 but admitted by personal freedom, unable to offer apprentices freedom by servitude. This unusual restriction may be because as son-in-law of William Robinson (who received a fine by the London Wardens) he was the guardian of Robinson’s son after his father's death in 1654.
William Ramsay
1670, Peg Tankard
The Newcastle trade included sailings across the North Sea and the local silver designs were influenced by Scandinavian and Baltic countries. The peg tankard was popular in Newcastle for more than one hundred years with a design that is a combination of Scandinavian and English features. They are large with a substantial body supported by three hollow-ball pomegranate feet with leaf terminals and a matching thumb piece. The flattened lid, a return to an earlier style, has no lip and the rounded edge meets the body when closed. An example (shown) in the Victoria & Albert Museum by William Ramsay circa.1670 is different with a thumbpiece of entwined dolphins and parcel-gilt decoration.
Eli Bilton
1692, Tumbler
Everyday pieces provide an insight into 17th Century life; the humble tumbler, also known as a tumbler-cup or tumbler-bowl dates from Charles II and became popular in the late 17th Century. The distinguishing feature relates to its heavy rounded base and thinner sides allowing it to resume an upright position when knocked; useful when travelling by coach. A 1692 example by Eli Bilton has a mid-band of punched decoration with chased spiral gadroons to provide decoration and strength to the wall. The tumbler is marked on the base by two ‘EB’ makers marks and two Newcastle three-castle marks.
Francis Batty
1695, Chocolate Pot
The goldsmiths, although working some distance from the capital, made fashionable silver suggesting a sophistication to understand national trends; helped by regular coach journeys and shipping to London. Francis Batty made one of the first chocolate pots in England - it is a superb example. Made c.1695 this chocolate pot is based on the style of a chinese ginger jar with plain form and wood scroll side handle.
Eli Bilton
1696-1700, Self Certifying
Eli Bilton also continued to self-certify and in blatant violation of the law he marked a Ladies Tankard five times with his name punch and no other marks. While this style of marking would have been acceptable prior to 1696 the Bilton ‘Bi’ mark is from 1700-01. He must have known that silver laws were enforced with brutal vigour since in nearby York the goldsmith Arthur Mangy was hanged in 1696 for coin clipping. Bilton must have felt secure in self-certifying the tankard and selling ‘on commission’ to by-pass the law.
Thomas Hewitson
1697, Flagon
The good times with decades of growth after the Restoration stalled for the Newcastle goldsmiths with the introduction of the Britannia Silver Standard Act (1696). This specified a higher quality of silver, required the goldsmith to register a new mark and gave London the sole right of assay. This brought hardship and inconvenience and the most attractive option for the Newcastle goldsmiths was to ignore the rules; and that’s what they did, continuing to mark their silver the old way. Two communion flagons bearing only the mark of Thomas Hewitson and the three-castle mark for Newcastle are engraved for the Chapel of All Saints, December 25th 1697 and 1698.
Eli Bilton
1698 Trefid Spoons
Eli Bilton is also the maker of a matched pair of trefid spoons that are both inscribed with the initials G/I*I then marked twice ‘EB’ and twice with the three-castle mark. Regular use of these everyday utensils has required one bowl to be shortened to maintain a firm lip edge.
Augustine Floate
1698 Inspection by the London Goldsmiths Company
The London Goldsmiths Company suspected the provincial goldsmiths were ignoring the new law and took action. In 1698-99 five goldsmiths - Augustine Floate, John Hewitt, William Ramsay II, Robert Shrive and of course Eli Bilton - were summoned and fined. It must have been embarrassing for Augustine Floate who was a member of the London Company. The son of a Sussex yeoman he served an eight year apprenticeship from 1664 with John Cruttall and moved north about 1681. One of the few surviving pieces by Floate is a c.1690 tankard marked with a goat's head representing the location of his Gateshead shop on the Tyne bridge. The bridge across the Tyne was one of only two of medieval form (the other being London bridge) with houses and shops built on top. In choosing this location Floate would know the Gateshead side of the bridge was owned and maintained by the Bishop of Durham and outside the jurisdiction of the Newcastle Company.