A pair of spoons ………. their story ……. Another from Tony Goulding

These two spoons were part of a recent donation at the Oxfam shop. 

The spoons

As each had an intriguing set of marks my curiosity was so stimulated that I decided to investigate to see what I could discover of their history.

The oldest of the two is marked with the name of a Manchester Restaurant – The City Restaurant, New Brown Street and its proprietor, C.H. Ogden.

A couple of afternoons at Central Library perusing various directories revealed that Mr. Ogden operated a restaurant business, on New Brown Street, for a period of 15 years or so either side of the First World War.

Cannon Street/New Street, 1903

He first occupied 22a from around 1908/09 moving to 19a sometime during the war years.*
   
This spoon also carries the maker’s mark “J.& J.E.D.” is stamped as “Nickel Silver”.  Nickel silver is an alloy of copper, nickel, and zinc containing no actual silver. The metal can be polished to a silvery finish and was used largely to produce a much cheaper (imitative) alternative to silver tableware. As regards to the manufacturer I have not been able, yet, to trace the company which used the initials as described.
   
The use of higher quality cutlery and the fact that the spoon was stamped with the name of the restaurant and its owner suggests that Mr. Ogden may have been trying to attract a more affluent clientele.

Whatever the case it appears that he ran a lucrative business as by the mid-1920’s he was able to sell-up and move from Newton Heath to Oldham Road, Failsworth.

 Later, the 1939 Register shows Charles Harold and his wife Emma, ** living in retirement in a village in rural Denbighshire near Colwyn Bay.
   
The second spoon is of a later date being as it is stamped ‘E.R.’ with a crown above.
 It also carries the mark E.P.N.S. and the word “witness”. This word misled me to consider it signified a legal connection: on investigation, however, the word was only a trade name which by the time of this spoon’s manufacture belonged to Taylor Brothers of Sheffield. ***
     

New Street, 1903

The crown above E.R. is known as a monarch’s mark most likely representing the present Queen (although Edward VII or an extremely unlikely Edward VIII are other possibilities).

This mark may indicate that the spoon was used in some government department or other or it could be that the maker simply held a royal warrant. With no further evidence to hand the precise history of this artifact must remain unknown.

Pictures; the spoons, from the collection of Tony Goulding, Cannon St. /New Brown St. Corner 1903, Showing Wm. Prince, Woolen merchants 5, New Brown Street m 03564 and T.J. Seagrave, Mantle manufacturer, 8, New Brown Street, m 03563, and an earlier photograph, 1892  of New Brown St. / Cannon St. by S.L Coulthurst m00723, courtesy of Manchester Libraries, Information and Archives, Manchester City Council, http://images.manchester.gov.uk/index.php?session=pass
                                                           
Notes: -

New Brown Street/Cannon Street, 1892

*There is a long history of restaurants trading on New Brown Street. Richard Gould had by 1895 opened a “dining room” at 22A in premises he had previously used for his plumbing business. A 1903 directory shows this “dining room” then being run by Joseph William Field and it seems likely that it was from him that Mr. Ogden acquired the business. At this time (1909) 19A New Brown Street was occupied by a printer Charles H. Swindels. Then prior to becoming “The City Restaurant” was being used by an electric accessories manufacturing firm “General Accessories Ltd.”
       
In 1926, there were new residents Frank and Grace Kershaw, whilst the 1933 street directory shows the property as still being a “dining room” operated by Mrs. Margaret Bradley. As late as 1970 a Post Office Telephone Directory entry shows the business operating from 19A New Brown Street still trading as “The City Restaurant”

**Mr. Charles Harold Ogden married Emma Schofield at St. John the Evangelist Church, Failsworth on New Year’s Day, 1907.

***Prior to the 1920’s the “witness” trademark had been used by Needham, Veall, & Tyzack of Sheffield from 1889.