Or Is It ?

[RichardB]

eBay mystery.

EXQUISITE WILLIAM IV NOVELTY BOOK VINAIGRETTE

IT HAS THE FULL HALLMARK FOR 1831 AND IS MADE BY ATKIN & OXLEY OF SHEFFIELD

it says.

However, SRO has the following :

Oxley ATKIN & Co. gold, silver & plated table, dessert, fruit & pen knife mfrs etc 43 Howard Street (White's 1833)

which is correct ?

[Kalfred]

Hello, a few weekends ago I was looking at the online images of mixed silver lots shown for an upcoming auction. One mixed lot had a stand out dessert/ table knife in it. Luckily there was an extra larger image of the blade with a hallmark on.

 

The hallmark contains a figural crown to indicate hallmarking at Sheffield and the A&O makers mark was familiar to me as the mark of Atkin & Oxley, who were Henry Atkin and John Oxley, Sheffield silversmiths from the first half of the 19th century. The lower case "r" dates the knife to 1837.

I expected to see on the Forum plenty of posts relating to "Atkin & Oxley" but I found just this one from more than10 years ago. It was un-replied to, and maybe unloved, but It has had 1.1K viewings. It asks the question, is "Atkin & Oxley" of Sheffield, the "Oxley Atkin & Co" listed by SRO. I am not totally sure what "SRO" refers to, the "Sheffield Records Office or the Sheffield Assay Office (SAO)? Possibly the "Atkin & Oxley" complication stems from precursor concerns the pair were in. 
                 From the  General & Commercial Directory of Sheffield, 1825, the entry was:
Law and Oxley, (late John Law and Sons,) manufacturers of silver and plated dessert and fruit knives, pearl buttons;.&c. 100, Eyre st. .

However a silver mark registered in Oct 1824 at Eyre st. was for: 
            Joseph Law, John Oxley & Henry Atkin. (Plate workers). The mark was "LL" and has been seen  on "Fork, fruit knife, knife blade" with the items noted 1823..1826.

This Joseph Law, John Oxley & Henry Atkin Sheffield mark on a fork shows lower  case "d" for 1827.
That maker's mark was cancelled Apr 1829 but also in Apr 1829  "A&O" was registered to Henry Atkin & John Oxley at Eyre Street, Sheffield, and "A&O" has been noted on "fruit knife and cutlery" from 1828..1839. The reason for the "LL" cancellation could be explained by this London Gazette entry.

Here are some more1820's-1830's trade directory entries .
                         Pigot & Co.'s Directory of Ches, Cumb ..., 1828-29. [Part 2: Notts - Yorks & N Wales]
Law, Atkin & Oxley (& manufacturers of gold and silver desert knives and fo1ks} 100 Eyre st
They are also listed separately as table knife manufacturers, pearl cutters and workers, silver and plated manufacturers and as cutlery dealers but not specifically as manufacturers.
                        The 1833 History & Directory of Sheffield, Rotherham :
Atkin, Oxley, & Co. gold, silver, & plated table, dessert, fruit, & pen knife mfrs. pearl workers, &i. 43, Howard street
Atkin Henry, cutlery mfr.; h. Shrewsbury cottage, Duke st. P.
Oxley John, silver & plated cutlery mfr. ; h.43, Howard street
Note the listings say that  John Oxley lives at the Atkin, Oxley, & Co, works address of 43, Howard street.

The 1841 Pigot & Co.'s Directory of Yorks, Leics ..., shows Atkin, Oxley & Co. are at 36 Howard St  with about the same range of productions but are extra described as "merchants and manufacturers", further explained on the next entry.
Table knife Manufacturers . (Marked thus • are Manufacturers of Silver and Plated on Steel Fruit and Dessert Knives and Forks.) 
                       •Atkin, Oxley & Co.   36 Howard st 

Not long after this trade entry Henry Atkin and John Oxley "seem" to have gone on separate paths. John Oxley in April 1841 registered his own mark "I.O" with the Sheffield Assay Office, the address being Charles Street, Sheffield, as a plate worker. Items noted as made by John Oxley have been "fish server, fruit knife, knife blade" made 1844..1864. He did in fact have 2, marginally different "I.O" marks.

  This above is a John Oxley mark with "A" for 1844
             Slater's Directories of Important English Towns, 1847 could have confirmation of the split.
Merchants, Factors and Manufacturers 
                            Atkin Henry, 32 Howard st
Table knife Manufacturers (Marked thus * are Manufacturers of  Silver and Plated on Steel Fruit and Dessert Knives and Forks) 
                            *Atkin Henry, 36 Howard st        *Oxley John, 12  Charles st
Pen & Pocket Knife Manufacturers. 
                             Oxley John, 12 Charles st 
The next entry from the same "Slater's" however, needs an explanation.
Haft & Scale Cutters and Dealers. (See also Haft and Scale Pressers and Dealers.) 
                             Atkin, Oxley & Co. (pearl), Howard st

Did both new firms need a supply of mother of pearl so they kept an interest in said production? In the 1852 Gazetteer & General Directory of Sheffield, John Oxley,12 Charles Street has a listing as "Pearl Cutters". That same trade directory listed "Henry Atkin & Co" at 32 Howard st.

If you are still reading, here are a couple more images. First with a 1855 hallmark is a mother of pearl, silver bladed fruit knife.

 

Now another Atkin & Oxley hallmark on a dessert knife blade with a date letter "S" for 1838 (William IV head present).
 

Some loose ends now.

The 2013 instigation of this post was the silver vinaigrette said to be made by Atkin&Oxley. There are no images of the item's hallmarks to be reviewed to confirm that maker. It is possible it was correctly identified but that partnership are not well known as makers of such items.  

Atkin, Oxley & Co were part of a continuing silver/silver plating dynasty. The succession runs:
Thomas Law (& Co.) ca. 1750-1775
John Law [& Sons] 1775-1824
Law, Atkin & Oxley 1824-1829
Atkin, Oxley & Co. 1829-1840
Henry Atkin & Co. 1840-1853
In 1853 it became the prolific Atkin Bros. Ltd, closing circa 1960.

In the early trade directories there are entries for another John Oxley, a shoe, bread, and butcher knife and steel manufacturer but at 18 Hollis Croft (History & Directory of Sheffield, Rotherham 1833). This became the firm of George & James Oxley at 77 Hollis Croft and later James Oxley at Garden Street.

 
Kalfred

[tozzin]

I cant find any info on them as partners only these separate ones.

1862 Directory

Atkin Frank Shaw, silver plate ware mnfr. 1 Howard street
(Atkin Bros.); h Belmont, Norfolk road i
Atkin George, surgeon (Hunter & Atkin); 87 ~ West street h 25 Howard street 
Atkin George David, table blade forger, 88 · 123 Rockingham street

--------------------------

John, Oxley 12 Charles st
Parkin and Marshall, 23Furnival street
Roberts John &Sons, Tower,Pye bank

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Cutters-Pearl

 Oxley John, 12 Charles St 

---------------------------------

1852 Directory

Atkin Henry and Co. gold, silver, and plate cutlery manufacturers,32 Howard street; house 10 Eyre street

Oxley John, gold, silver, & plated cutlery manfr. 12 Charles street