Pewter is an alloy of tin, the fourth most valuable metal, and small quantities of other metals, which give strength to the final product. Around the 2nd century AD, the Romans introduced pewter to Britain.
There are references to pewter and pewterers from the 11th century onwards but it was in the 14th, 15th and 16th centurires that pewter became widely used, and the formation of the pewterers trade guilds in London (1348), York (1498) and Edninburgh (1496) gave the craft official standing. The Worshipful Company of Pewterers was granted a Royal Charter by Edward IV in 1473. This charter allowed the Company to set and enforce standards and to regulate the pewter trade throughout England. With its charm of colour, feel and elegance, pewter was, with very few exceptions the domestic ware of choice throughout the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries. The plain, solid and clean lines of the resulting pieces has resulted in enormous interest and high prices for antique pewter.
At the end of the 18th century the development in Sheffield of new manufacturing techniques, saw a revival of pewter’s fortunes, linked to the aspirations of the developing middle classes. The manufacture of pewter products was revolutionised by James Vickers in 1769 when he introduced a new alloy mix of pewter to the metal working skills found in his native Sheffield.
Once more pewter manufacture was a prosperous and thriving industry, these same traditional skills and the same lead-free alloy have been used to make our product today.