Thomas Robinson I - A Not Often Seen Maker

[dognose]

A couple of examples of the work of the Gateshead silversmith Thomas Robinson I:









Large teaspoons, 5 5/8" (14cm) in length. Fiddle pattern. Assayed at Newcastle in 1832.

Thomas Robinson was the son of a Gateshead blacksmith also named Thomas Robinson, he was apprenticed to Robert Scott II for seven years as from the 8th August 1791. Robert Scott died in 1793 and Thomas Robinson completed his training under the guidence of Thomas Watson, and upon completion of his term is thought to have continued working for Watson as a journeyman until setting up business on his own account at Oakwellgate, High Street, Gateshead in 1826.

Although Thomas Robinson's career on his own account was fairly long at twenty years (1826-46), he only had 1400 ounces of silver assayed during that period.

Thomas Robinson I died at Oakwellgate on the 1st June 1853, aged 77 years. He served as Warden to the Newcastle Company on two occasions (1833/34, 1842/43).

Trev.

[user701]

Thank you for sharing the information and photos of the spoons Trev

[Essexboy Fisher]

Hello I thought I could add a couple of images to this post about this Gateshead based silversmith who only needed a quick hop across the river Tyne to the Northern, Newcastle bank to have his work assayed. Surprisingly, looking at Dognose's 1400 ozs silver assayed figure, he didn't seem to have gone very often. If he only made serving spoons that might have been less than 8oo items, about 40 a year for 20 years. However as shown by my spoon he did make some really little spoons. Mine, about 9.5 cms (3.75 inchs) long, is a salt spoon.



The maker's mark on this Newcastle spoon is the Thomas Robinson "TR" without a pellet between the letters. Referencing "silvermakersmarks.co.uk" an alternative "TR" mark with a pellet has been seen 1831-1836 but the without pellet has only been noted with an assay date 1826 and the date letter "M". Sadly the date letter on my spoon is rubbed although it does not look like an "M". The majority of Newcastle date letter "runs" used capital letters (not the last run before the Newcastle Assay Office closed) so I guessed the rubbed letter could be a "K" or an "R". I have a few Newcastle marks stored so I tried a comparison image.



It seems the "TR" without a pellet was used with a date letter "R", and assay date of 1831.

Fishless