The Monmouth inquirer. [volume] (Freehold, N.J.) 1865-1933, 1924-11-20
Ye Olde Pewter and
PeWierer's Touch Marks
A Lost Art.

Some of our readers who claimed
they enjoyed our articles on glass have
requested us to write on pewter and we
submit the following brief article on
this ancient metal.
/ After wood, came copper, bronze
and pewter.
4 Pewter is an amalgam that has
varied at different times, the metals
used being lead, tin, copper and zinc
and in lesser degree bismuth, silver
and anthony, the commoner vessels
having greater proportion Of
lead.
Cornwall, England, was the chief
mining place and in even ancient Rome
were found samples not unlike the
English pewters, mostly gold and
silver plated, and particles of this
plate still cling to the articles, altbo
ct her parts exhibit a very black
surface the result of the intense heat
/ in plating.
The pewterers craft in England re-
ceived its first charter in 1348, but
we have seen pewter marked much
earlier (Roman) One thousand and
tUOA4ty~t 1t10 bOAAlO AANA ACNA SSs0OAA
which appeared to us as old. The
first mention of Church pewter in
England is 1874. Most of these have
pewterers touch marks sometimes
around the rim, but the names OK
the makers have been lost in the OBJ.
security of the ages.
In 1903 it was made compulsory to
mark all pewter and from that time
Onward" markers marks were stamp
ed upon these wares, so that they
could be traced and the makers OF In
ferior goods detected.
Pewter was made to a considerable
extent in London, Exeter, York and
Bristol, England, and also in capital
towns of Scotland and Ireland and
IN the early history of America in Phil
adeIphia. New York, and Boston. from
about 1850 to 1850, when Britannia
seemed to take it's place. Some OF the
pewter from these American cities
are also stamped with the English
foreign mark which indicates that at
least some stamped pewter articles were
never made in this country.
The touch-marks are indications of
places of manufacture and also the |
men who made the ware. The" Rose"
pewter mark Oondon) has always |
been in great demand and is easily |
by the crowned rose em-
blem. 1t is also found on the old
French, Scotch and some Dutch pew
ter.
The Edinburgh f'touch" was three
cornered castle, the irish the harp,
manufactured in Dublin.
The Portcullis is well known
mark seen on pewter made IN England
in the 18th Century. At that time it
was generally one mark only, the
Makers, but IN earlier times there were
generally small touch" marks used on
either side OF the makers initials, and
these little marks closely resemble the
marks on old silver.
No wedding outfit was complete in the
early times without the bride receiving
a ''garnish" of pewter plates, ~ OF
es Oh of the three sizes, and platters and
there was no house with any pretensions
that did not have shining pewter on the
plate stand, side table and on the
mantels. If they were we'll kept and In
good order these were indications OF
a well-kept house and the thoroughness
and carefulness of a well-bred mistress.
Pewter was used for almost every ta-
BILE and kitchen utensil except knives
and forks, the latter being compares
lively recent article. There were
platters or chargers, plates, cups, sau.
GERS, spoons, cup plates and butters
dishes, sugar trays and bowls, shakers,
porringsr sets, boats, pitchers, basins;
bleeding basins, sauce salt and pepper
floats, tea caddies, egg cHps, cruets, tea
and coffee pots, foot warmers, snuff
boxes. snuff spoons, weights, &c.
In 1921 the English Parliament to
encourage the pewterers trade sup
pressed the buying Of old tin, old sill
yer ssand pewter and made it compute
sorry to use new tin and lead for the
of pewter and that wine
and spirits sold In taverns should be
In vessels of pewter and
the mugs were accordingly made with |
the measure stamped on the rim.
Both tall pillar and dished cham |
Der oandle-sticks, as well as sperm |
oil lamps and side-lamps, some swing |
ing one and some two ways, for boats, !
were made of pewter,
IN CHURCHES, sc.
In churches and other ecclesiastical |
edifices it became in very early times |
the most popular metal and alongside Of /
gold and silver pieces. A pewter plate,
one Of the set given by Queen Anne,
Is still used as an aims basin at Christ |
P. t. Church, Shrewsbury. N. j., and
The Knowlton p. e. Church, near
Newark, at one time possessed an all
most complete set There were large !
and small fiagons and plates or patens.
The early cups or challces varied in
size but those now preserved are the /
size of the ordinary pewter cups. with
d plain tall foot, some of them having
false bottoms at the top and bottom OF
foot. These cups were OF the type still |
known in Scotland as Presbyterian,
cups, the bowls being almost straight.
ALI these pewter communion sets
was perfectly plain metal, without any
Townsend q Compton, in one eyal
and London In the other, seems to be (
The most numerous specimens to be |
found IN this locality. There are four