Hi,
Who is the maker H.F
I suppose the first question should be 'What is a maker?' There were makers of flatware blanks who got others to plate their products, makers of flatware blanks that supplied silver platers, makers of flatware blanks who supplied the wholesale trade, who in turn got others to plate, silver platers who outsourced the manufacture of blanks, those that made the complete products, and several other combinations.
In an unregulated industry the identification of plated products can be akin to chasing rainbows. Firms could change their marks at will, depending on who the customer was or wanted, some customers wanted their own marks applied, some were happy to have the original blank maker's mark applied. Firms changed ownership often, partners in, partners out. Their was little information regarding such marking recorded, sometimes we are lucky to find advertisements, catalogues, billheads etc. that illustrate the use of certain marks at certain times, but much of what we know is speculation and is worked out on the balance of probabilities, educated guesses, etc. Unfortunately some of this information, recorded over time, is incorrect, but when it is published in black and white, some people take it as gospel. The internet, of course, has compounded this problem.
So, to speculate the origin of this mark. The examples below show links to each other and are likely from one source. The only one's that can be identified with any degree of certainty are the fifth and sixth marks, that of Thomas Wilkinson & Co., who's business was based at the 'Pelican Works' at Birmingham. However, there is a second possibility, although a lot slimmer, that of Henry Fielding & Son, also of Birmingham, who registered a trade mark that included 'HF', a cross and a wheatsheaf. Both businesses were large concerns and prolific, but to me, the balance of probabilities is with Wilkinson.
Trev.