Pluro Silver Trade Name and "SL" Mark

[Essexboy Fisher]

Hello over the last 2 or 3 years I have been saving images of this "Pluro Silver" trade name with the hope of finding the associated originating concern (and my close family are suggesting I am a bit of a sad person for doing that).





My thoughts were that the "SL" in a "shield" mark could be a mark of a "version" of "George Shalford Lee" of Sheffield or perhaps a mark of "Suckling Ltd" of Sheffield. One of the saved images did have an unsubstantiated suggestion for another possible "SL", a "Sidney Latimer". You can see in the composite images some variations, including the "Electro Pluro" mark and the "SL & S" presumably a "and son" (or sons) marks.
Suckling Ltd is my least favourite option for Pluro Silver as the majority of Suckling's electroplate marks also have the "signpost" pictorial mark present. The "George Shalford Lee" concern was joined with Henry Wigful to become the large electroplating company of "Lee & Wigful, usual mark "L&W" and there is no mention of an "and son" version for Shadford Lee. Is "Pluro Silver" then a trade name of this "Sidney Latimer"?

Our Forum does have a reference to Sidney Latimer but with more information on a Latimer & Sons.

viewtopic.php?t=31210&start=40#p78934

A watchmaking/ jewellery/silversmithing business was founded by George Brown Latimer in 1850 and the firm were restyled as Latimer & Sons c.1890. Latimer & Sons entered their silver mark, 'L&SONS' contained within an oblong punch with clipped corners with several variations, with the Edinburgh Assay Office as from c.1895. There is no mention of the "S.Latimer" though. He was a likely 1 of the sons as indicated in the newspaper announcement below.

THE EDINBURGH GAZETTE, SEPTEMBER 1, 1899

THE Subscriber has retired from the Firm of LATIMER & SONS, Watchmakers and Jewellers, 143 and 145 Lothian Road, Edinburgh, as at 7th February 1898.
The Subscriber will carry on business on his own account as Goldsmith and Jeweller under the style "SYDNEY LATIMER " at premises No. 70 George Street, Edinburgh.

SYDNEY P. LATIMER.

Edinburgh, 1st September 1899.

Here we have that "SL" possible retailer of "Pluro Silver" and a Post Office Edinburgh and Leith directory entry for 1907-1908 could be more evidence for being a possible retailer of cutlery.

LATIMER, SYDNEY, gold and silversmith, jeweller, chronometer clock and watch-maker, optician, and dealer in choice china and I'urios (curios?)
70 George street; house, 23 Moriiingside park



This Sydney Latimer did enter a silver mark with the Edinburgh Assay Office registered 1905 address George Street & Lothian Road, also with the Birmingham office used 1925..1936 (address George Street & Lothian Road) and the Chester office (address George Street & Lothian Road), registered May 1929. The "in a shield" mark was the same in the 3 centres and does not appear totally unfamiliar.



My evidence for Sidney Latimer and Pluro Silver is not irrefutable so can the Forum offer anymore information for or against? I know there is still no reference for "and sons", but biologically often it is possible occurrence.

"Latimers" extra notes.

Here are possible interesting "Latimer" entries from that 1907-1908 Post Office directory for Edinburgh and Leith.

GENERAL DIRECTORY.

LATIMER & SONS, wholesale and manufacturing watchmakers, jewellers, gold and silver smiths, opticians, and wholesale watch material dealers,
143, 145, and 147 Lolihian road (Lothian Road?)

Latimer, George Brown, goldsmith [of L.. & Sous), Bellvvooil, 13 Forbes road

LATIMER, SYDNEY, gold and silversmith, jeweller, chronometer clock and watchmaker, optician, and dealer in choice china and I'urios (curios?),
70 George street; house, 23 Moriiingside park

In the 1909 Chester Assay Office entry for "Latimer & Sons" George Brown Latimer is described as Sole Partner. His private residence was recorded by the Chester Assay Office as Bellwood, 13, Forbes Road, Edinburgh. The firm of Latimer & Sons were thought to have been in business at least until the mid 1920's. There is a reference that George Brown Latimer died in 1924 but what can be concluded when the Sidney Latimer assay office addresses all quote "Lothian Road" in addition to "George street"?

Fishless

[Essexboy Found]

Hello again, 2 years on. I was very recently researching a "S&P" electroplate manufacturer and surprisingly saw an in print reference to "Pluro Silver". The book in question was "E.R.Matheau-Raven's", "Sheffield Electroplated Wares 1836-1943". Shown there was information on a1894-1910 concern "Stevenson & Law" with addresses first in Orchard Lane and later in Carver Street. The company marks are shown as "Pluro Silver" and a SL&S shield mark like the shield mark carried by the lower set of marks in my first image in this post (see also below).
I am no more convinced by this suggestion than my own suggestion. Why would a “S&L” company use “SL” or in the suggested case, use “SL&S”. As I said before, having sons does happen, but why suggest the company is “Stevenson Law” instead of Stevenson & Law. Does anyone have snippets of information that back up this attribution



The lower mark in the above composite image is more what I would have expected as a Stevenson & Law mark. It even has the “S” in a shield to suggest a Sheffield manufacturer. It is in fact a mark suggested as belonging to “Stevenson & Law” elsewhere. Anymore observations or comments?

We do not appear to have any posts on the Forum referencing Sheffield’s Stevenson & Law. The “Stevenson” bit relates to Job Stevenson, maybe better known from the silversmithing division of the concern that had a “J.S” mark registered (1896) at the Sheffield Assay Office and seen on various types of items up to 1932. The “Law” bit I found a little difficult to pin down, but possibly a “John Thomas Law” who had Sheffield trade directory entries as “Manager” in the 1st decade of the 20th century. Anybody know different or more?

Below are some trade listings for “S&L “.

White's Directory of Sheffield & Rotherham, 1901
.....................................Stevenson & Law, silversmiths & general electro-plate manufacturers, 103 & 105 Carver Street
ELECTRO-PLATED & NICKEL SILVER WARE MANFRS.
.....................................Stevenson & Law, 103 & 105 Carver St. S

White's Directory of Sheffield & Rotherham, 1905
ELECTRO-PLATED & NICKEL SILVER WARE MANUFACTURER
....................................Stevenson & Law, 103 & 105 Carver St. S

White's Directory of Sheffield & Rotherham, 1911
SILVERSMITHS-MANUFACTURING.
...................................Stevenson & Law, I03 & I05 Carver St. S

Fishless

[SHAVER]

Hi,
Just to add a bit more information on your search for PLURO SILVER and SL, I have recently acquired a cut throat razor called ‘PLURO’ REGISTERED on the shank with the letters SL on the reverse, plus WARRANTED HOLLOW GROUND GERMANY.
I, too, can’t find any further information but I thought that this information might be of interest to you.

[Essexboy Found]

Hello Shaver, welcome to the Forum. A good input, "Germany". Unless the "Pluro" name has been developed independently in Germany it suggests to me a retailer's trademark, rather than a maker's trademark. We will still need to search for the insight that gives that break through.

Fishless

[Essexboy Found]

Hello, after “Shaver’s” post noting the” Pluro” marked German razor, an “SL” dealer/ retailer confirmed the search area for me and Samuel Lesser and Samuel Lesser & Sons became my speculative candidate for using that ”Pluro” mark. We have got 2 Forum references on that concern. One relates to a Birmingham hallmark, for Samuel Lesser & Sons Ltd and the 2nd relating to a winding up meeting on 31st August 1928 of the same concern at a London Houndsditch address, recorded in The London Gazette.

viewtopic.php?p=111780&hilit=lesser+lon ... SONS%20Ltd.

Here is a further salient point. "It is thought that the business continued as S. lesser and Sons (1928) Ltd.", and we know it did continue from hallmarked silver 1931/32 and maybe this below.



Is the telegram address “Pluresser”, of significance?

Houndsditch had been the address of Samuel Lesser at least from 1884 but the Samuel Lesser concern’s business description has been varied according to trade directories.

......................1884 Business Directory of London, Part 1 [Alphabetical Section]
............................................Lesser Samuel Birmingham &c warehouseman 24 Houndsditch E

......................1895 Post Office London Directory, [Part 3 Commercial & Professional Directory]
.............................................Lesser Samuel Birmingham warehouse, 24 Houndsditch E

......................1899 Post Office London Directory, [Part 2 Street Directory]
............................................Lesser Saml. Birmingham. Waremn, 24 Houndsditch E

Note this 1899 London Post Office trades directory listing. "Birmingham & Sheffield Warehouses"



.....................1914 Post Office London Directory, 1914. [Part 2 Street Directory]
..........................................Lesser S. & Sons Ltd. fancy goods importers, 23, '24. 25, 26 & 27 Houndsditch E

Appearing from about this period as it carries the “& Sons Ltd” mark, is this price list for mirrors, pictures and overmantels



Now the most important bit of information I collected. This is an auction house listing with the below description.

“Pluro Silver Plate and Cutlery Works, S Lessor & Sons, Sheffield 1927 Catalogue - Catalogue of Electro Plate Cabinets Goods, Canteens, Cut Glass Etc. A large format 106 page catalogue Cutlery, Tea and Coffee Services, Cruets Muffin Dishes of every description and many other items, all illustrated with details and prices.”



Samuel Lesser’s concern was definitely associated with Pluro Silver and even after WWII, they were still associated but not with the Houndsditch address (from Graces Guide).

1949 British Industries Fair
LESSER, S., & Sons (1928), Ltd. Olympia, Ground Floor, Stand No. H.48I
Town Hall Buildings, Mare Street, Hackney, London, E.8. West End Showrooms : 3-5, Swallow Place, Hanover Square, London, W.l. Teleph Amherst 6321.—Sole Agents for '‘. Pluro ” Electro Plated Ware. (British Jewellers' Association Composite Stand}.

Fishless