Francis Parsons earliest recording is in 1797, as was Stephen Crees, FP over SC, (Grimwade's No 3575).   They are recorded as working together between 1797 and 1800.  In the Exeter Assay books, Francis Parsons' first record of any work sent for assay was on 13th December 1797 when among other items, he sent in 8 pairs of tongs for assay.  Then, just 9 days later on 22nd December 1797, he sent in 6 pairs of tongs under the name Francis Parsons & Stephen Crees.  Parsons & Crees continued to send in work for assay on a regular basis thereafter, including sugar tongs.  On 26th January 1798, their entry in the Assay book changes to "Parsons & Co."  We don't know whether this is still just Parsons & Crees or whether others have become part of the company.  It would seem likely that it is still just Parsons & Crees as the items they sent for assay after that switch variously between  "Parsons & Crees" and "Parsons & Co.".  The likely answer is that Parsons had registered his company name & was still, at that time, just working with Crees.  The last entry for Parsons & Co. is on 25th March 1800, after that the entries revert to just Parsons.

It therefore means that Francis Parsons & Stephen Crees only worked together between 22nd December 1797 and 25th March 1800, a period of 2 years and 3 months, during which time they submitted 536 pairs of sugar tongs for assay (assuming that "Parsons & Co." were in fact "Parsons & Crees").

In 1797 & early 1798, they sent the following tongs for assay:

They also submitted gold rings for assay as both "Parsons & Co" on 12th May 1798 and as "Parsons & Crees" on 23rd July 1798.  Although there were some goldsmiths who did not work in silver and some silversmiths who did not work in gold, several silversmiths also sent in both gold and silver for assay at this time.

Click here to see some tongs by Francis Parsons alone

Click here to see some tongs by Francis Parsons & Joseph Goss

Click here to see some tongs by Francis Parsons & B Goss