OLD ENGLISH PEWTER.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20989, 28 September 1931, Page 8

OLD ENGLISH PEWTER.

AN INTERESTING HISTORY.

CONTROL OF THE CRAFT.

An outline of the history of pewter in England, from the 11th century to the close of the 18th, when the manufacture of china ware became firmly established, was given by Mr. W. J. P. Hodgkins in the courso of a lecture at the War Memorial Museum yesterday. Mr. G. O'Halloran presided. The acquisition of old pewter was little practised by collectors until about 35 years ago, but an exhibition in London in 1904 gave great impetus to its collection, Mr. Hodgkins said. Prior to about 1900, old pewter had little or no value, and much was destroyed as rubbish by unthinking people, owing to it having been almost entirely supplanted for domestic use by china and metal-work. The manufacture of pewter was an extremely old industry, pieces having been made in China 2000 years ago, but as far as Western civilisation was concerned, pewter had its origin in England. Pewter was an alloy of two or more metals, with tin predominating, and specimens from different countries differed in composition. In England, the proportion of the various metals forming the alloy was regulated by the Worshipful Company of Pewterers, to ensuro sufficient wear in an article and to protect customers from adulteration and deterioration of the alloy. Pewter was first mentioned historically as being used in England in 1076, and Edward I. had a large pewter dinner service which lie held in high esteem, Mr. Hodgkins said. The regulation of the pewtfirer's craft was first codified by the Pewterers' Guild, formed in London in 1348, and the marking of pewter articles with the sign of the maker was made compulsory in London in 1503, and was enforced until tho beginning of the 19th century. The selling of pewter was very carefully supervised, and all work had to be sold by the maker in his own shop, or else by him in person at a fair or market. This was to enable searchers or inspectors to inspect all pewter more easily. Sonic idea of the magnitude of the pewterer's trade in England in the past might be gained from the fact that there wero 6141 known trade marks or "touches" of English, Scotch and Irish pewterers known to-day. All pewterers, as recently as early in the last century, were required to register their mark or "touch" with the Pewterers* Company, and tho marks were recorded on a large oblong plate of pewter known as a touchplato. The original plates wero destroyed in the Great Fire of London in 1666, but new ones were started directly order had been restored, and are still in tho possession of tho Pewterers' Company in London.