Antique Georgian silver sugar tongs

Thomas Wallis II registered his first mark on 7th November 1778 as a plate-worker.  He had been apprenticed to Thomas Wallis I.  Curiously there is no evidence that the two were related.  Thomas Wallis II then entered four marks as a buckle-maker between 1780 and 1789 before entering another mark in 1791 as a plate-worker.  He entered several more marks before going into partnership with Jonathan Hayne in 1810.  Thomas Wallis II was a prolific maker of sugar tongs.  his mark is a very distinctive script "TW" in a rectangular punch.  Thomas Wallis II marks also very often have a journeyman's mark - these can be seen in the pictures below.

 

Thomas Wallis II is often confused with John Wren II.

 

Jackson's does not refer to Thomas Wallis II but shows a mark that looks very similar to Thomas Wallis's, attributing it to John Wren II with a question mark against it.  Grimwade records John Wren II as a spoon-maker and his mark very clearly has a pellet between the I and the W and the I actually looks like an I.  John Wren II was also earlier, his first mark was entered in 1777, and he was only known to be working until 1795.

 

I have never seen any sugar tongs made by John Wren II.

 

Click on any picture to enlarge

 

1778 - 1780     (this mark is from a pair of cast tongs, dated c1780).

1780 - 1784      (this mark is from bright cut tongs marked with the Lion Passant & maker's marks only, dated c1784).

1785 - 1786     (these marks are from tongs with the incuse duty mark).

1786 - 1790    

1791/92          

1792/93          

1793/94          

1794/95                 

1795/96                 

1796/97              

1797/98              

1798/99             

1799/1800      

1800/01             

1801/02          

1802/03          

1803/04          

1804/05              

1805/06                

1806/07                  

1807/08                  

1808/09