For nearly fifty years Alex Neish has sought to keep the best of British pewter in the United Kingdom by buying it in the sale rooms. A graduate of the University of Edinburgh, he has identified the Stirling Smith Art Gallery and Museum as the ideal home for his collection.

It includes many exquisite, rare pieces, such as a rose water dish made by Richard Weir of Edinburgh for King James VI’s palace of Holyrood c1600.

Rose water dish

Due to redevelopment work at the museum it will not be possible for the complete collection to be on display for some time. A good selection, will go on display in Stirling next week and is expected to be available to visitors until at least 2013.

The collection is housed in the former District Court at 23 Spittal Street, which will be open initially on Saturdays 1-4 pm and Sundays 2-4.30 pm. There may be additional opening hours, so if you are planning a visit, you can telephone the Stirling Smith on 01786 471917 (+44 1786 471917 from overseas) for up-to-date information.

• Visitors leaflet (.pdf format, 5.7Mb)
• Stirling Smith Art Gallery and Museum website

Although the City of London had been ravaged both by the plague in 1665 and the Great Fire which had begun on the 2nd September 1666, The Worshipful Company of Pewterers were not slow in resuming business as usual. From the Court Books their makeshift headquarters was the Mitre Tavern at Aldgate and the first entry after the fire is dated 18th September 1666. Throughout 1667 the rubble was being cleared, new streets were lined out, the Fire Court Judges worked tirelessly to settle disputes to enable people to rebuild with both speed and fairness, but still at the end of that year only 150 houses had been rebuilt.

However, in 1675 within 10 years of that fateful September day, the Company Searchers were able to record in great detail the various wares found on the premises of their members and will fine or confiscate those wares which did not meet the expected standard. There was a great diversity in the range of wares produced, some of the terms very familiar to us, others less so. What is an Ephraim? It came in various sizes, some of those listed being half pint, pint, three pints, two quarts and three quarts, but what did one look like? There does not appear to have been a Mr. Ephraim. It has been suggested it had handles and a cover. What also is a claret cup and how does it differ from other styles? Aqua vitae bottles and glasses, but what do they look like to contain their precious contents? Thurdendales still pose a question. Was it so called because of its capacity, or to describe its distinctive twin banded body style? Chapnetts (from the French chopinette) is a little easier, as the dictionary describes it as a vessell holding half a pint or less.

Of the 36 pewterers searched, many included other pewterers’ items in their stock. The Southwark pewterers included William White and Lawrence Warren. Charles Halifax, Joseph Pratt and James Bullevant were probably also working in Southwark. One presumes it was a philanthropic gesture to sell the wares of those less fortunate who had not yet been able to re-establish themselves, rather than just a way of attracting a larger clientele, as of course, Southwark had not been devastated in the fire, lying safely on the southern bank of the Thames. However, in just 10 years after the Great Fire all this was to change as on the 26th May 1676 Southwark itself had a devastating fire with 20 people killed and 500 houses destroyed. Were then the roles reversed and the former saviours then aided by those they had previously helped?

The other clusters of locations searched included Bishopsgate on the far eastern side of the city, where even to this day a 17th century house survives from pre-fire days. Now called the Hoop and Grapes it is just within the city limits at Aldgate and is scheduled as an ancient monument thought to be the oldest licensed house in London and dating back to the 13th century. It survived the Great Fire by about 50 yards. Mostly of wood and plaster, it leans east, its floors slope and is a reminder of all that was lost in the city. Sadly, never open at the weekend.

St. Sepulchre’s, Newgate was the other location visited by the Searchers at this time. The church was speedily rebuilt after the fire and amongst the trades of its former parishioners, pewterers feature prominently, records existing from 1662.

By the time of the later searches in 1689, 1690, 1691 and 1692, the majority of pewterers appear to be selling mainly their own wares. This would seem to indicate that those pewterers previously having lost their own place of business had now re-established themselves. A notable exception to this is Mr. Philemon Angel whose premises still include the items of many other pewterers and the searchers conduct four searches of his premises in 1689, three in 1690/1 tailing off to two searches in 1691/2.

The 17th century was a time of change. Women in their own right begin to appear in the yeomanry records, perhaps the first being Elizabeth Witter in 1693/4. The widow Ann Inwood is also appearing in the records of the company on a regular basis and then there is the female partnership of Katherine and Mary Taylor, little about them is known but their names are there in the records.

Wriggle work plates

The 18th Century dawned and for London this was a comparatively peaceful time. The elegant Spire Flagon appeared, so also, for a short while, in limited numbers, did the Dutch influenced wriggle work plate with its tulips and birds but the most popular style of flatware for this century was the plain rim. The pewterers’ trade was brisk and their numbers swelled, but with the advent of china in the 1780’s, gradually the pewterers trade declined.

However, we are fortunate that a wealth of elegant and diverse pewter from these centuries still exists, to grace both our museums and our homes.

The capacities are given in millilitres (or cc – they’re the same thing). Vessel capacities are rarely 100% accurate, but most will be within a tolerance of -2% to +5% of the standard and the ‘range’ shows this tolerance.

* In Ireland, often called a noggin or naggin

Because of the tolerances one cannot always determine which capacity standard was used. For example, it is impossible to say whether a measure with a capacity of 580 ml is Imperial, Old English Ale or even Winchester standard. To confuse matters still further, some of the pre-1826 standards varied in different parts of the country, so a measure might have been made to a standard but still fall outside the tolerance ranges indicated above. There were other standards as well, many of them local, but pewter measures using them are rarely encountered.

Here is the same information in fluid ounces.
This table doesn’t include the ranges, but it is important to bear them in mind.

Why you should join the Pewter Society

The Pewter Society consists of individuals, museums, academic institutions and historical societies from around the world, all interested in antique pewter, its makers and all aspects of its historical context. It is above all, a society of collectors, who come from all walks of life and whose interests cover the whole range of pewter wares.

What does the Pewter Society offer that you cannot obtain online or through other sources? A lot!

The Pewter Society Database of British & Irish makers and their marks is the most comprehensive record of its type. It supercedes all printed publications on the subject, is being constantly updated and it is only available to members! Carry the Database around with you via your mobile phone when visiting auctions, antiques fairs and antique shops.

The Pewter Society Journal is an internationally recognised publication produced twice a year containing articles on latest research by members and other aspects of antique pewter. Available only to members.

A biannual Pewter Society Newsletter with reports on meetings auctions, society activities and lighter articles from members.

Three meetings a year, including an AGM at Pewterers’ Hall in London and weekend meetings at locations across the country. Here you have the opportunity to listen to talks on a variety of subjects, view and handle lots of pewter and talk on an informal basis with other members, all happy to share their knowledge.

At the two main meetings, you can also buy and sell pewter and related books in the Society members’ auction.

Study visits to museums, etc. to view and handle reserve collections – visits have included The Fitzwilliam in Cambridge, the Mary Rose in Portsmouth and the V&A in London

Membership is the very best way to increase your knowledge and enjoyment of antique pewter.

And all this for just £35 a year for full membership*

*Full joint membership for two at the same address £40 pa. Membership fee does not include meeting costs. Associate Membership £30 pa (cannot attend meetings)

From mediaeval times the activities of the craft and trade guilds, such as that of the pewterers, were inextricably linked to the life and economy of the town or city. It was almost impossible to set up in a craft or trade in a city without becoming a freeman (or free burgess) of that city.

Admission to the freedom of the city was possible in 4 ways:

1. By being the son of a free burgess.
2. By marrying the widow or daughter of a free burgess.
3. By serving an apprenticeship with a master who was a free burgess.
4. By redemption, that is by paying a “fine” to buy the privilege.

The most common of these 4 ways to freedom was by apprenticeship to a master. The apprenticeship was normally for 7 years, and boys would typically be 14 or 15 years old when they started their apprenticeship. No-one could become a free burgess until they were at least 21. The master would teach the apprentice about the “mysteries” of his craft, and he was responsible for providing food and lodgings for the apprentice who would normally live with the master and his family. For his part, the apprentice (quoting an 18th century indenture) had to “behave himself in all things, as well in words and deeds” and specifically he was “not to frequent taverns, play at dice, commit fornication, or contract matrimony”.

If his master died, the apprentice would be turned over to another master to complete his apprenticeship. But sometimes, in these circumstances, an apprentice was allowed to complete the apprenticeship whilst still working for the master’s widow who was keeping the business going. Occasionally, if it was mutually agreed, the apprentice could be turned over to another master, even though his original master was still alive.

An apprentice would usually take up his freedom shortly after successfully completing his apprenticeship. Not all apprenticeships were completed, for various reasons, but most were.

It was clearly important that the municipal authorities kept an accurate record of apprenticeships, and of those who took their freedoms. These records still exist in many towns and cities, and provide a valuable resource for the study of the trades, and commercial and business history, of the locality.

The old master/ apprentice system continued more-or-less unchanged until the mid or late 18th century. By this time the restrictions on trading in a city were starting to disappear and the value of being a freeman was starting to decline, and some apprentices did not bother to take up their freedoms after the apprenticeship was finished. However there was still some importance attached to being a freeman, and this was because only freemen were able to vote and elect Members of Parliament. This all changed with the Great Reform Act of 1832. But until then a huge rush of new freemen can be found in the records, just before the time of a parliamentary election. It is quite possible that the fees for these freedoms were being paid by one or other of the parliamentary candidates!

The 1832 Reform Act, with changes in voting qualifications, and the Municipal Corporations Act of 1835, which greatly changed the constitution of boroughs and cities, saw the end of the period when having a freedom carried any practical advantage. The master/ apprentice arrangement continued but, from then on, becoming the freeman of a city was used for ceremonial purposes only.

Further reading

Guilds, Society and Economy in London 1450 – 1800. Edited by Ian Anders Gadd and Patrick Wallis. Centre for Metropolitan Studies, 2002. This contains a number of essays, including one by the late Dr Ron Homer – The Pewterers’ Company’s Country Searches and the Company’s Regulation of Prices.

It is the proportion of the diameter occupied by the rim, or in mathematical terms:
2 x rim width ÷ overall diameter, expressed as a percentage.

Anything below 32% is not considered a broad rim. Above this, the terms semi-broad, broad and ultra-broad are generally used as follows:

• 32% to 36.9% semi-broad rim
• 37% to 41.9% broad rim
• 42% or above ultra-broad rim

Because area is proportional to the square of diameter, on an ultra-broad rim plate or dish over two-thirds of the surface area is taken up with the rim. Even a semi-broad rim occupies over half the total surface area.