SHEFFIELD PLATE is the term applied to articles pro duced from copper and coated with silver by the process of fusion History.—About the year 1742 Thomas Boulsover, a Sheffield cutler, while undertaking repairs to the haft of a knife observed that by the application of heat a piece of silver and the copper to which it accidentally adhered had become fused and could be dealt with as one metal and that the two metals behaved as one when subjected to hammering. This caused him to experiment, with the result that he eventually produced buttons and boxes with a copper foundation coated with sil ver which had the appearance of being made entirely of the more precious metal. Joseph Hancock, who served his appren ticeship with a relative of the inventor, realized the wider possibilities of the discovery and was the first to apply the process to making saucepans, coffee-pots, candlesticks and other large articles for domestic service, closely resembling in their detail hall-marked silver specimens.
These pioneers were soon followed by other cutlers who added the production of Sheffield Plate to their other undertak ings. Two factors were necessary for the complete success of the new invention, viz., capital and skilled labour. The money required was readily obtained locally, but the highly trained assistance of London silversmiths was also essential and ulti mately when their services were enlisted the success of the undertaking was as sured.
The excellent appearance and relative cheapness of these plated productions caused a widespread demand. Henry Tudor (see Plate, fig. 3), a local gentleman, having realized the great possibilities of the in vention, appears to have been the first to seek the assistance of a London silversmith, and about the year 1760 entered into part nership with Thomas Leader, and as Tudor and Leader they founded the first Sheffield plate and silver manufactory on an extensive scale. Boulsover apparently did not embark on this new phase of the industry, but turned to the rolling of metals, still however, carrying on his lucrative plated button manufactory.
Hancock appears to have carried on the making of Sheffield Plate from about the year 1750 until 1765. He then interested himself chiefly in the production of plated materials required by manufacturers of the finished articles. Originally beaten out into
sheets by hand the fused metal was subsequently manipulated by rollers turned by hand ; the application of horse and water power followed, and eventually steam was employed to drive the mills.
The establishment of Leader in Sheffield raised the artistic standard of the craft, and from being content at first to copy contemporary London-made silver the Sheffield Plate workers soon evolved a style of their own and found much inspiration in the work of the brothers Adam and John Flaxman, particularly in the construction of candlesticks. So cunningly devised were some of their productions and so peculiarly marked (Plate, figs. 3-10) that in the year 1773, the London silversmiths were success ful in obtaining an injunction restraining the Sheffield plate makers from using marks on their wares.
Prominent amongst men of local origin who assisted in the advancement of design and workmanship in this new craft, and who themselves built up lucrative businesses, were John Winter (Plate, fig. 9), Thomas Law (Plate, fig. 2), Richard Morton and Joseph Ashforth, whose marks are still to be found on Old Shef field Plate made previous to 1773.
By the year 1784, after much agitation the Sheffield platers were authorized to use marks once again, but it was enacted that such marks should bear the name of the maker together with a distinctive device not used for silver. About the year 1790 the most prominent manufacturers and designers were Samuel Roberts, Nathaniel Smith, Daniel Holy, the Watsons, Bradburys and Creswicks. Birmingham played but a small part in the earlier history of the trade, being represented practically by one man, Matthew Boulton. Though his workmanship, in association with his partner John Fothergill, is excellent and dates from the period 176o, he had many other interests, and articles made by him from fused plate of the first period are somewhat scarce. In the early part of the 19th century he and his successors carried on an increasing business, and their device, the sun, is still to be found on many old Sheffield specimens.