If it’s British pewter you are interested in then the Society’s Database of Pewterers can help you to identify the maker of your pewter or find out about a pewterer.
Most of the information about known British and Irish pewterers is brought together into one easily-searchable place. It includes their marks, hallmarks, dates, locations, wares, family trees, published sources and other information. You can make comprehensive searches for names, marks, locations and wares, and extract information about a pewterer.
The Database was created by bringing together information that has been published in numerous sources over the last 100 years. It is now being expanded as a cooperative effort, with new marks and information coming in from members and the public all the time.
It currently has around 6400 marks and 15,500 pewterers. Compare that with the 2850 marks and 6150 pewterers in what had previously been the most comprehensive source available, Old Pewter by H H Cotterell and you will realise the extent of knowledge being developed.
Using the database
This illustrates the main types of search that can be made on the Database of Pewterers.
You can search even if your information is incomplete. For example, if you can only make out two hallmarks in a set of four, you can still search for them, or if you can only make out some letters in a name, you can still search for that combination of letters.
You can combine different kinds of search too. For example, you could search for all pewterers from York , and then search within those results for all York pewterers with the initials R L.
Download an example record from the society database.
Database statistics
Number of pewterers 17389
Number of touches/labels 5444
Number of touches/labels described 5286
Number of hallmarks 1275
Number of hallmarks described 1213
Number of sources 37661
Number of mark sources 5817
Pewterers with all records added 17194
Completed records checked 4088
Members only
To access the Database you will need to join the Society.
