George Wickes — Complete Guide to the Silversmith

George Wickes (1698–1761) is the founding figure of what became Garrard & Co, the Crown Jewellers — making him the patriarch of the longest continuous luxury silversmithing dynasty in British history. As Goldsmith to Frederick Prince of Wales (son of George II), Wickes was at the centre of English court patronage in the 1730s and 1740s. His work defines the best of English early Rococo silver — heavy gauge, exuberant cast ornament, shells, scrolls and naturalistic detail executed with total mastery. A genuine Wickes piece is among the most sought-after of all Georgian silver.

Biography

George Wickes was born in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, in 1698, the son of a local craftsman family. He trained as a silversmith in London, registered his first maker's mark at Goldsmiths' Hall in 1720, and established himself at the sign of the King's Arms on Panton Street, near Haymarket — in the heart of fashionable London.

His royal appointment as Goldsmith to Frederick, Prince of Wales came in the early 1730s and transformed his business. Frederick's household was one of the great cultural and social patronage centres of Georgian England, and Wickes produced an extraordinary sequence of important silver for the Prince and his circle over nearly two decades. The shop accounts for this period (like Wakelin's Gentlemen's Ledgers later) survive and allow detailed attribution.

Wickes took Samuel Netherton into partnership in 1747, forming Wickes & Netherton. He retired in 1759, passing the business to his apprentice Edward Wakelin — who in turn passed it to Tayler and Garrard. The Wickes → Wakelin → Garrard succession is direct and unbroken.

Maker's Marks

• GW in a cartouche (registered 1720) — earliest mark.
• GW in a shaped punch, various forms — used through the 1720s–1740s solo work.
• W&N (Wickes & Netherton) (registered 1747) — partnership mark used 1747–1759.

All genuine pieces carry full London hallmarks: leopard's head, lion passant, date letter. Pieces date 1720–1759; none carry the sovereign's head duty mark (not introduced until 1784).

The Wickes signature: heavy cast shells, gadrooning and scrollwork — English Rococo at its most assured.

Style

Wickes worked primarily in the English Rococo idiom — the native English interpretation of the French Rococo that arrived via the Huguenot craftsmen (de Lamerie, Crespin) in the 1710s–1720s. Wickes's Rococo is slightly more restrained than de Lamerie at his most exuberant, but no less competent. Key characteristics:

• Heavy gauge — Wickes made for royal and aristocratic clients who expected maximum metal weight and permanence.
• Cast shells and gadrooning — applied borders and feet with shell-and-scroll or gadrooned profiles are a consistent Wickes signature.
• Flying scroll handles — the high-arching scroll handle on sauce boats and jugs, often with a shaped thumb rest at the top, is particularly associated with Wickes.
• Applied armorials — most important Wickes pieces carry engraved or applied royal or aristocratic arms.

Key Piece Types

• Candlesticks — Wickes candlesticks, particularly pairs and sets of four, are landmark pieces. Cast bases with shell and scroll ornament, knopped stems, detachable nozzles.
• Sauce boats — high cast quality, flying scroll handles, shell-decorated feet.
• Tureens and covers — grand Rococo forms for dining service.
• Salvers and waiters — shell-and-scroll borders, applied arms.
• Epergnes — centrepiece stands with detachable baskets, some of the most complex pieces in Wickes's output.
• Toilet services — complete dressing table sets in fitted cases, for royal and aristocratic ladies.

London hallmarks: maker's mark, leopard's head, lion passant, date letter — the full 18th century sequence.

Values at Auction

Wickes silver commands the very highest prices in Georgian silver:

• Small pieces (salts, ladles, small waiters) — £3,000–£20,000
• Mid-scale pieces (sauce boats, teapots, single candlesticks) — £20,000–£100,000
• Major pieces (pairs/sets of candlesticks, tureens, epergnes, toilet services) — £100,000–£1,000,000+
• Documented royal provenance (Frederick Prince of Wales pieces) — multiple of the above

Pitfalls

• GW mark confusion — other makers shared GW initials. The exact punch cartouche shape and date letter combination are essential for correct attribution.
• Wickes & Netherton vs solo Wickes — both are equally valuable; the W&N mark simply indicates 1747–1759.
• Later engraving — arms sometimes added in the 19th century to increase a plain piece's apparent importance. Style of engraving should match the date.
• Royal provenance claims — always verify against the surviving shop accounts before attributing a piece specifically to a royal commission.