Thomas Liddiard only registered one mark, on 3^rd March 1770. Heal records him as a goldsmith and watchmaker and he is recorded as a silversmith when his sons enter St. Paul’s school in 1794. His eldest son was apprenticed to Thomas Daniel, which is another indication of a connection to the silversmith’s trade. These two pairs of tongs are both over-struck with his mark and they are both standard Hester Bateman style. It looks highly likely that he will have bought these from Hester Bateman and overstruck his own mark.

Yet another maker buying Hester Bateman sugar tongs??