Makers' Marks W

(c) Vin Callcut 2002-2021.

Small extracts can be used with acknowledgements to 'Oldcopper.org' website.

Helpful comments are very welcome.

Wafax.

Hugh Wallis.

E V Wilkes.

WMF.

Wolverhampton Makers.

Wright and Butler.

   
w g W and G unknown mark with symbol of blacksmiths hammer.  Unknown mark found under a spirit kettle.
   
jw s

 J W & S    Unknown mark found on the edge of a domestic copper copper - possible answer from Neil Harris.   'Jesse Webb was a coppersmith in Ancoats, Manchester. Jesse Webb started in partnership with a Francis Smith, forming "Smith & Webb" in the 1840s.

He later hooked up with his brother-in-law and formed "Webb & Paterson". Then from the 1860s he went it alone, at Store Street in Ancoats. I am not aware if there was a company name at this point, but his sons Jesse (b1845) and Thomas (b1848) were also coppersmiths. It is possible that they went under the name of Jesse Webb & Sons (JW & S) from the late 1860s till Jesse's death in 1872. The business ran until about 1916, and in later life was named "Store Street Copper Works" and "JT Webb" / "JT Webb & Co." We know they did pans, candlesticks for a local church, brass castings for Belle Vue Gardens, brewing equipment for Ancoats pubs, and much else as well.'  (Thanks to Neil Harris)

   
  Wafax (Wades of Halifax), mark on pancake copper hot water bottle.
   
wagner

Christian Wagner, West Germany.  'This German company was run by my father and forefathers from 1524(!) until 1995.  The hammer inside the "W" is the traditional mark of the company.  Starting from coppersmith craftsmen, in the 1900's the company was transformed to an industrial enterprise, based in Esslingen am Neckar near Stuttgart in South Germany.

Besides the traditional copperware, the company was famous for professional kitchenware of unique quality.

   
wagner In the 1990's, when more and more cheap kitchenware from far east came onto the market, this company had to give up, as so many other traditional brands and companies.  The picture shows Christian Wagner, who was coppersmith in the 19th century and gave the company its name.' (ack: Reinhard Wagner)  See also: German Copper
   
waldow

 B Waldow, Brooklyn, N.Y., cookware manufacturers, now Hammersmith Copper of 40, Park Street, Brooklyn, NY 11206. (ack:  Jeff Herkes).

Now Brooklyn Kitchen, (was 616, Lorimer Street, Brooklyn, NY 11211, now 100 Frost St. NY 11211  USA)

   
waldron Philip B Waldron Co Ltd, King's Road, Tyseley, Birmingham, first listed in Kelly 1944; also in 1946 & 1948. Brand Name of ‘Dron Wal’. (Notes and photo from Adrian Lanchester-Hale.) see Garden Sprayers website.
   
walker Walker, London, makers of bell gauges for measuring knitting needles.  They were amongst some who used an archer in their trade mark.
   
walk hall  Walker and Hall, 9-15 Howard Street, Sheffield, Est. 1845 and made EPNS and electro-bronzed flatware and tableware. The 'Flag' trademark was registered in 1861.  In 1963 Walker & Hall combined with Mappin & Webb and Elkington to form British Silverware Ltd., which lasted until 1971. Walker & Hall was later revived as a retail firm.
   
jw b Joseph Walker & Co., Regent Parade, Birmingham, by 1923 at Augusta Works, Warstone Lane, Birmingham, brassfounders, castings, syringes, stampings, trivets and plate stands,  door curtain portieres, lock furniture,JW/B trademark.  This design was registered in 1908.
jw 2 This raised mark on a cast trivet, similar marks are found under their candlesticks.
jw b 2 Mark stamped into a nickel-plated brass coin holder.
   
wallis Hugh Wallis, coppersmith (1871-1944) Hugh Wallis.
   
walton   Fred Walton & Co., Wolverhampton,  mainly concerned with japanned wares until 1883 when they were taken over by John Marston.   This mark is under a brass jug of a circular shape that was also marketed by Orme Evans after they had taken over John Marston.
   
   T B,  Bridgwater, brassfoundry for skillets., etc, 18th century.
   
waters Clive Waters, brassfounder in Birmingham until c1910.  The mark is on the underside of a superbly cast brass card tray that also carries the 1897 Design Registration number of 327976.
waters2  
cw This mark found under another pressed brass ashtray, possibly an earlier version.
   
waters

James Y Watkins & Son 16 Catherine Street are listed in the 1857 New York Business Directory . The son was James Y Jr.  At that time they were tinware manufacturers and importers and dealers in hardware, Britannia ware, cutlery, tea trays &c.  (Thanks to Pat Dolan and John Mason of Lexington, Ky.)

   
weba Weba, Webaware, Trade Marks of  Gomm Manufacturing Co., Ltd., 56 Hockley Hill, Birmingham B 18. 
   
wednesbury Wednesbury Copper Tube Co, Bilston, Wolverhampton. Founded by Glynn Bros of Birmingham and joined by Fred Wallis in 1904 who initiated the move to Bilston to form Wednesbury Tube as founder members of the Glynwed Group. Since 1997 a subsidary of Mueller Industries as also is Yorkshire Copper Tube. (Info from their website.)
   
Weeda Copperworks, Ulverston, Tasmania, Australia. Closed August 2011.
   
weid Weidlich Brothers Mfg. Company, Bridgeport, Connecticut.  During the early 1900's, they made art metalware, frequently gilded. 
   
wellens Wellens Ware mid 20th century hand wrought trays.  More information welcome.
wellens  
   
west bend WB - West Bend Co., Wisconsin started making products in aluminium in 1911 but introduced products made of copper in 1933 to help them survive the depression.   Now owned by Focus Products Group.  This 'WB' mark found under a copper kettle.
   
wiener   L.W. mark of Louis Wiener, inventor of a patented coffee percolator with an 1898 design registration and patent number.  This item was made by F & R Fischer.   (Thanks to Alastair Lamont). Sometimes assumed to be from Lee and Wilkes.
   
mears Whitechapel Bell Foundry, London.  'Mears' is one of the many marks used since the foundry was established in 1570.
Whitechapel

 

Whitechapel bellfoundry

whitehouse George Whitehouse Ltd., Bamford Tube Works, Cheapside and Vaughton Works, William Edward Street, Birmingham. Brass Cased Tubes, 1926 advertisement.
   
whittle Charles H Whittle of Church Street, Lancaster.  Mark under a small brass pot.
   
wigorn Wigorn Crafts Ltd, making reproduction copperware 1976-1997, subsidiary of Kingsley Enamels Limited, The Craft Centre, Shaw Lane, Stoke Prior, Bromsgrove. UK Trademark No 1057797, filed 22nd Jan 1976, expired 24th July 1997 after which the company set up Moorcroft Enamels and moved to Sandbach Road, Stoke on Trent.  Incidentally the word  'Wigorn' is short for 'Wigorniensis' derived from Latin meaning 'of Worcester'.
wigorn2 This mark under a kettle.
   
wilkes Wilkes, Edward Villers and Lee and Wilkes and John Wilkes and Mapplebeck.  extra page: E V Wilkes.
   
wilkins C. E. Wilkins, Bartholomew Row, Birmingham.  This mark found on a large brass jug and also under a brass promotional pressed brass ash tray. 
   
williams   Williams Bros & Co. of River St., Deritend, Birmingham, brassfoundry and fittings. Their Trade Mark was the dagger with their 'WB'initials across the bar seen to the right of the illustration from the base of a candlestick.  Founded pre-1894, they later became part of Williams Brothers and Piggott Ltd. of Midland Tube Mills and Brassfoundry, Herbert Road,  Small Heath, Birmingham, brassfoundry specialists and shop display fittings.
   
  Willis and Bates, Vapalux Brand. Lamp Makers.
   
bratt   BW   unknown mark under a four pint hot water can.  Clive Greathurst identifies it as A Bratt & Sons of Wolverhampton.  Hence the 'B' over the 'W'. Marks Br-Bz,
   
stanley works SW see Stanley Works, New Britain Connecticut.  Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia, High quality reproductions made from 1936, see Virginia Metalcrafters after 1951.Marks u-v.
   
Wilson Henry Wilson and Co Ltd, Cornhill, Liverpool, founded 1840, kitchen supplies especially for passenger ships. Now PO Box 6, Kirkby, Liverpool L33 7UJ. The White Star Line was founded in 1845 by Henry Wilson and John Pilkington but a bank failure in 1867 forced it into bankruptcy.
   
wilton Wilton Metal Works Company, this mark found under a pair of die cast candlesticks.    Wilton Brass Company.
   
  Winfield Bros. Ltd., 58 Tower St., Birmingham, metalworkers. (Kelly 1936)
   
winfield

R W Winfields , Winfields Rolling Mills Ltd, founded in 1829 in Cambridge St. to Broad Street site in  Birmingham, now the site of the International Convention Centre. 

Set up rolling mill in Icknield Port Road.  Manufactured of rolled metal, wire, gas fittings, brass foundry, lighting, beds, chandeliers and brass chains.  Exhibited at Great Exhibition 1851.   Manufacture of finished products ceased in 1900 but the rolling mill was taken over by ICI Metals Ltd. Records for 1824 to 1977 are at Birmingham City Archives. 

This mark is found on the leaves of a foliate lighting decoration.

   
winn Charles Winn and Company Limited, Saint Thomas Works, Granville Street,  and Borad Street, Birmingham,  engineers and brassfounders.  Initially plumbers brass work, beer engines, gas and steam fittings.  Later they specialised in valves and fire-fighting equipment. This is mark under a well made heavy bowl with lid. 
winn This Winn mark is under a cast brass vase.  The registration number dates the design to 1908. Registered Designs.
   
winward   Winward & Co. Ltd., Bryant Street, Birmingham, B18 4BJ, metal spinnings and pressings, still in business making copper and brass decorative hollowware.
   
wippell J. Wippell & Co. Ltd of Exeter & London, a mark found under a pair of very elegant tall cast brass vases.  They still specialise in ecclesiastical supplies.
   
  The Witter family including Walter George Witter (1863-1928), Arthur Witter (1861-1940)and Marian Gaskell (1866-1935)  gave rise to 'The Ickleford Industries of Applied Art'c1904. In 1923 the copper and brass work was taken over by two of their apprentices, Francis Olney and Tom Newbury as 'Olney and Newbury Limited. The Witter Collection.
   
wmf WMF (Würtemburgische Machin Fabrik), founded c1850 and famous for art metalware, still making cookware.  A variety of marks have been used during their 150 years of production. This is the early ostrich mark. For others see page for wmf.
   
wolverine Wolverine Brass Works, founded in 1898 at Grand Rapids,  Michigan,  home of many copper craftsmen.  They make plumbing tube and fittings.  Now at: Wolverine Brass, Inc., 2951 Hwy. 501 E Conway, South Carolina, SC 29526
   
woodmet Woodmet, Globe Lane, Dukinfield, Cheshire, England, c1945-1970s, paper label under a heavy cast dish. 
   
fw F W & Co.  unknown marking found on a copper jelly mould.  Possibly early F W Woolworth & Co. ?
   
  Wright & Butler, 390, New John St. W.  Birmingham, oil lamps.  By 1913 they had been taken over by Falk Veritas of London. Lamp Makers.
   
jw   'JW' in a shield, John Wright, Ignis Works, Oxford Street, Birmingham, brass and iron fenders, fire irons and firedogs.  This mark on the blade of a Victorian fire iron set.  (Advert 1886 Ironmongers' Diary)
   
ws WS unknown mark on base of hand made jug.  Information will be very welcome - this has been up for ten years without any ideas!

 

Wümak - Wűrtembergische Metallmanufaktur Adolf Knecht G.m.b.H, established 1899. Cannstadt, Stuttgart, Germany.  Since 1933 they have specialised in paper oil filters for the automotive industry. German Copper.

 

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