It is probably identified correctly as the mark of Levesley Brothers of "Central Works", Sheffield. That said, I have recently come across an alternative candidate as the possible owner of that mark, "Lockwood Brothers" of Sheffield. "Rubbish" is what you are all thinking, or who are "Lockwood Brothers" and we haven't got any mention of them in our Forum's Silverplate reference section. No mention of them maybe, but could there be an image of a mark belonging to them show? "Lockwood Brothers" seemed to have existed.
Also they do have some "+"'s in their trade marking. "Lockwood Brothers" was a "period" in a long establish (1760's) Sheffield concern that started as file manufacturers and expanded to make a large number of "edge tool" products and included electroplated cutlery. The next image as you will work out is not actually tableware but the second one is of a spoon and the third a 21 cms long fork I just found.
This fork has a multitude of trade marking on but including an obvious "LB". There is a mark I believe to be "Monte Cristo" and a pictorial flightless type bird mark. I think the written mark is "Cristo" and not "Crisio" and the bird is a Rhea the South American flightless bird. References state that by 1862, according to "William Lockwood", one of the Lockwood Brothers, German counterfeiting of their South American export products had forced the company to adopt another mark: a Pampas rhea with the words ‘REAL KNIFE’ and ‘PAMPA’.
I have an image from taken from the fantastic Eileen Woodhead's Canadian "Base Metal" pdf of trade marks. It shows marks associated with "Lockwood Brothers".
We see the bird mark, the "+"'s including a Maltese cross as seen with the Levesley Brothers' mark but in the image for Lockwoods that cross is the associated "L" or the more interesting "L.Bros". There are also marks of "I.H.Sorby" another early Sheffield tool making concern. "Lockwoods" were first connected to Sorbys with a marriage and later commercially as Lockwoods & Sorby and then with John Sorby & Sons and then after 1844 Lockwood Brothers acquired the Sorby concern and marks. Arundel Street was the Sheffield address of the Lockwoods at that time but Sorby & Sons added a Spital Hill address.
Lockwoods was a big concern in the 1860's (500 workers) but by the early 20th century there was a down turn in fortunes. There were amalgamations first with "Sheffield Cutlery Manufacturers Ltd", a group of cutlery firms led by Needham, Veall & Tyzack and then with Joseph Elliot. The latter, in the 1920's, acquired Lockwoods' assets and marks and the "Sorby" marks were subsequently (1932) sold to Turner, Naylor & Co Ltd.
This cutlery box label kind of illustrates the story of the "marks must go on". A Lockwood Brothers label and trademark but an address "Granville Works" that was associated with Joseph Elliot.
I will go back now to my thoughts in my first paragraph with this image.
Our Forum Silverplate reference section lists these manufacturer's marks as a mark of Levesley Brothers but could they be the marks of Lockwood Brothers? Possibly the evidence is not strong for either firm but "L.Bros" is shown as a trademark in the Eileen Woodhead pdf.
Additionally, here is a photo of some other similar marks listed as "probably" the silver marks of Lockwood Brothers on http://www.silvermakersmarks.co.uk
They look a good match to me and at that time Levesley Brothers used a "TL" mark relating to a partner Thomas Levesley.
I hope a few more Forum members can add information, clarifications and views. While researching my idea I came across this last image, some Levesley Brothers' marks using the word "Forward" and a pictorial mark, a sea shell, similar to a whelk shell. Also here is a composite with examples of the generally accepted Levesley marks.
More detailed information concerning Brothers, Lockwood and Levesley, including family personnel and companies is available on the very useful website
https://www.hawleysheffieldknives.com/i ... l=a&step=1
I have shortened list of dated trade directory entries for both concerns if of any interest.
Eileen Woodhead's pdf is called "Trademarks On Base-Metal Tableware".
Towle Sterling USA did develop in 1971 a "Monte Cristo" cutlery pattern.
Fishless