Indian Colonial Silver Marks I - Encyclopedia of Silver Marks, Hallmarks & Makers' Marks

Online Encyclopedia of Silver Marks, Hallmarks & Makers' Marks

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British Colonial Silver Marks ~ India

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Makers' Marks C - H ✵ L - W
	Indian Colonial Silver Marks In 1615, the British East India Company first gained a foothold in India, by the end of the 18th century they either ruled or held sway over the majority of lands on the Indian subcontinent. At this point, the British community; administrators, military men, traders and their employees, had swelled to the extent that it became lucrative for British born silversmiths to set up shop in the major cities of the colony. Some failed, others thrived to the point where they remained in business decades after India achieved its independence from the British Raj in 1947.

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• Much of the above information is derived from "The Makers of Indian Colonial Silver" by Wynyard Wilkinson (pub. 1987)
Firm	Maker's Mark	Location & Period	Comments
Charles, Nephew & Co. 9 Old Court House St.		Calcutta 1848-1870 Simla 1866-1870	Charles John Pittar, Parke Pittar Jr. and Thomas Powell. Retailing silversmiths, jewelers and watchmakers. Successors to Pittar & Co.
Cooke & Kelvey (Robert Thomas Cooke & Charles Kelvey) Old Court House St.		Calcutta founded 1857	c.1900, J. E. Calthrup & William Hill are noted as partners. The firm also had branches in London & Simla, currently active in Delhi. Indian owned since 1946
James Cox Popham's Broadway Esplanade (after 1822)		Madras 1801-1844	1806-1812 Johnson & Cox 1822 Cox, Johnson & Monin 1823-1825 Cox & Monin
Cropley & Co. Old Court House St.		Calcutta 1819-1825	James Pembroke Cropley, Thomas Thompson and/or Charles Dolton may have been partners.
C. Co. Ltd		.	.
Francis Dormieux & Co. 51 Theatre St.		Calcutta 1815-1821	Francis Dormieux & Francis Vrignon. Successors to John Hunt & Co.
Gordon & Lovell North Gate St.		Madras 1803-1807	George Gordon I, Francis Lovell & Robert Gordon II
George Gordon & Co. 18 Popham's Broadway		Madras 1821-1845	Founded by George Gordon II, Robert Gordon III, John Law & Andrew Barron
George Gordon & Co. with Peter & Alexander Orr 18 Popham's Broadway		Madras 1845-1848	Succeeded by Phillips & Co.
Hamilton & Co. 8 Old Court House St.		Calcutta 1811-1971	Robert Hamilton, Henry Glazbrook & James Glazbrook. Although his name was kept, Hamilton left the partnership in 1817. The firm went through an extraordinary fifteen more partner changes over the ensuing fifty years. Later branches in Bombay & Simla
John Hunt & Co. 51 Theatre St.		Calcutta 1808-1815	John Hunt & Thomas Thompson. TT was replaced by Charles Dolton in 1812. Succeeded by Dormieux & Co.