7     How Silver Toys Were Made

 

 

 

T

he silversmiths in those far off days were not blessed with the tools and facilities they enjoy today. There was no electic light; all they had was candle power and later oil lamps. The buildings didn’t have large windows where they worked, and many of the silversmiths had poor eyesight. Yet they managed to produce a complete range of duplicated miniatures. It is difficult to imagine how it was possible for them to hold them as some of the components were so minute. The majority of toys they made were manufactured from thin sheets of silver; small intricate and ornamental pieces were cast and then soldered on.

The final shaping of the tiny components was finished by hand. The toy was only completed when the craftsman had checked it carefully for faults, and polished it to perfection and to his complete satisfaction. Foot-operated lathe turning was available during the seventeenth to eighteenth centuries, so it is reasonable to assume that hollow, round tubular shapes such as candlesticks would be turned in the lathe, cut to length, and other fittings soldered on. Legs of tables could be turned or cast, then finished by hand.

Hand raising was a skill used by the silversmiths. This was a process done with the help of the lathe. The flat plate metal was spun on the lathe and pressure applied to form the flat plate into a bowl shape. It would then be hand-worked from there. George Middleton (1660–1745) was an outstanding English silversmith in his day. He made beds and chairs in the style of those of the Charles II period. Isaac Malyn was skilled at making toy gate leg tables. The tiny gate legs were cast and hand-finished before fitting. Many of the silversmiths specialised in a particular toy or parts of them.

In the Westbrook baby house, in the Victoria & Albert Museum, London, can be found today many examples of toys made by famous silversmiths of the day. The marks on them attribute them to the individual craftsmen who made them. Tiny fireplace sets by George Middleton complete with tongs, firedogs and fender, shovel and poker. Not all the silver toys in the Westbrook baby house are made by the same person. John Deards of Fleet Street (early 18th c–1731) contributed several examples of his work. There is a grate complete with fireback on which the maker’s mark can be seen. These initials can also be found on six plates and a mug attributed to him.

Also in the Westbrook house can be seen the work of John Clifton, another artistic silversmith in his day. Again, there is a complete hearth and grate, including all the accessories for keeping a fire going. There are two chairs on which can be found the marks of Mathew Maddon who lived in Lombard Street, London. He registered his work in the Assay Office in 1696.

Thomas Evesdon, another great toymaker of his time, contributed a three-legged silver pot, which was made in 1713. The maker’s mark, as it became known, was another addition to the hallmarks required by law to help prevent fraud. In many cases only the maker’s mark is visible. This does not always mean that the piece was made by him, but that it is attributed to his workshop. Some toys were so tiny that they might only have the maker’s mark on them, and some were excused having any hallmarks because they were so minute, and the impress marks could damage a delicate piece of silver.

Another fine distinguished silversmith was Augustus Courtauld. He registered his mark in 1708 at the London Assay Office, and opened his workshop in Church Street, St Martin’s Lane. He was another very fine maker of toys, and produced them in an enormous quantity, considering the limitations imposed by working conditions on silversmiths in those days.

He specialised in the production of toys though his high output meant he had to take on another full-time assistant whose work was of an equally high standard. After 1740 he no longer fully hallmarked his work, but resorted to using only his initials AC, which was his registered silvermark. These can be found stamped two or three times on pieces of his work.

 The production of silver toys peaked in the eighteenth century. David Clayton, who only made silver toys, specialised in this field. His work was of such high standard that it was always in great demand and the quality of his work was unsurpassed, except for the work of George Manjoy, a silversmith who was a lot older than Clayton. There is no doubt that David Clayton was the most outstanding toy manufacturer in his day.

The demand for miniature toys made of silver was such that many silversmiths made the manufacture of them an important part of their trade. David Clayton made nothing else. Another silversmith was John Sotro, a craftsman whose work was in great demand in the years 1720 to approximately 1750. He advertised on his business card the fact that toymaking was a large part of his trade. The card read:

 

 

Goldsmith and Toyman making all sorts of toys at reasonable rates

 

 

In Bath, Cheltenham and several other spas where wealthy people came to take the water, there were retailers of silver toys. One such retailer was Deards, though it is probable that the goods were manufactured in London by the same company who were silversmiths.

The Deards were a popular family of silversmiths in London. A large part of their trade was the manufacture of good quality toys. A succession of family members were engaged in the manufacture of miniature silver toys. John Deards, the man who started the business, died in 1731 and worked in Fleet Street.

Another toymaker whose work was respected was Paul Daniel Chevinex (he registered his mark with the Society of Goldsmiths in  1730). He not only made toys out of silver, but would completely furnish a customer’s doll’s house in silver toys the way they wanted it.

Entered in Sir Ambrose Heal’s London Goldsmiths4 are listed the goldsmiths of London and there are about 7000 names, However, there are only 30 described as ‘toymen’. This is despite the fact that toys were very sought after. The skill in making them was limited to the specialists. Any toys one might find with hallmarks of George II – or even better George I – should be treasured as they are rare and very valuable.


4 Sir Ambrose Heal (1972) The London Goldsmiths, 1200–1800; The London Goldsmiths, 1200-1800; a Record of the Names and Addresses of the Craftsmen, Their Shop Signs and Trade-Cards. Published Under the Patronage of the Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths of London. Newton Abbot: David & Charles.