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William Devenport, Silversmith
- Thread starter davidtimm
- Start date
brummy-lad
master brummie
thats great jan...i thought there could be a headstone and wondered if wife alice was buried with william...
lyn
Pedrocut
Master Barmmie
This is the description of the beginning of the Company according to the site highlighted by Superdad, The Vintage Compact Shop…..Silversmith William Devenport & Son A Brief History.
“The origins of the esteemed maker known as William Devenport began in early Victorian England in 1837. The firm was founded by Joseph Whitton after whom it was named. When William Devenport became a partner it was styled as Whitton & Devenport. Later on this jewellery concern was known as William Devenport and when his son joined the firm, William restyled the business name to William Devenport & Son.”
THIS IS MISSLEADING .
Both William Devenport and Joseph Whitten existed as two long-established firms before entering into a partnership for a period, and then separating. This is not the history of one firm evolving into another.
The contemporary evidence suggests that this account is an oversimplification and is, in important respects, incorrect.
William Devenport and Joseph Whitten were both operating as established Birmingham jewellers and manufacturers long before entering into partnership. Directories show Joseph Whitten trading as a jeweller in Church Street by 1839, later in Spencer Street, while William Devenport had an established gilt toy manufacturing business from at least the late 1830s. They were therefore not the successive stages of a single business.
The London Gazette records the dissolution of the partnership between Joseph Whitten and William Devenport with effect from 31 December 1880. Significantly, Joseph Whitten continued to trade independently as a jeweller in Spencer Street after the partnership ended, appearing in Kelly’s Directory as late as 1888.
“The origins of the esteemed maker known as William Devenport began in early Victorian England in 1837. The firm was founded by Joseph Whitton after whom it was named. When William Devenport became a partner it was styled as Whitton & Devenport. Later on this jewellery concern was known as William Devenport and when his son joined the firm, William restyled the business name to William Devenport & Son.”
THIS IS MISSLEADING .
Both William Devenport and Joseph Whitten existed as two long-established firms before entering into a partnership for a period, and then separating. This is not the history of one firm evolving into another.
The contemporary evidence suggests that this account is an oversimplification and is, in important respects, incorrect.
William Devenport and Joseph Whitten were both operating as established Birmingham jewellers and manufacturers long before entering into partnership. Directories show Joseph Whitten trading as a jeweller in Church Street by 1839, later in Spencer Street, while William Devenport had an established gilt toy manufacturing business from at least the late 1830s. They were therefore not the successive stages of a single business.
The London Gazette records the dissolution of the partnership between Joseph Whitten and William Devenport with effect from 31 December 1880. Significantly, Joseph Whitten continued to trade independently as a jeweller in Spencer Street after the partnership ended, appearing in Kelly’s Directory as late as 1888.