Coffee set; William Hutton & sons, Sheffield, England, c, 1900.

Coffee set; William Hutton & sons, Sheffield, England, c, 1900.
Sterling silver.
Measurements: 15 x 30 x 15 cm (larger); 10 x 13.5 x 8 cm (smaller).
Weight: 1190 g (x3).
Silver coffee set composed of coffee pot, creamer and sugar bowl. The pieces have the same ornamental pattern based on a gadrooned design on the body.
William Hutton & Sons were silversmiths who founded their firm in 1800 in Birmingham, who moved to Sheffield in 1832. William Hutton founded the firm and, on moving to Sheffield, they also became silversmiths, having licensed the electroplating technique from Elkingtons. This brought them great success from the outset. William's son, William Carr Hutton, continued the business after his father's death. He used the same trade name until 1864, when it was changed to William Hutton & Son (when William Carr's own son, Herbert Hutton, joined him). Upon William Carr's death in 1865, the firm's name changed again to William Hutton & Sons when Herbert's brothers (James and Robert) joined him. In 1863 they opened a London showroom in Holborn, which moved to Farringdon Road in 1891 and operated until 1918. In the late 19th century, the Huttons developed a new nickel alloy that was good for plating and became known as British Plate.