Was Charles Joseph Beddoes really a silversmith?

[pillarboxred]

I am researching a piece of 1920s silver by Synyer and Beddoes of Birmingham. The hallmark dates to 1927 and the subject of the decoration is a "flapper" girl, so the date is not in doubt. 

One silver hallmark website says that the makers were Henry Synyer and Charles Joseph Beddoes but the only Charles Joseph Beddoes I can find was a soldier who died in France in 1916. All the other mentions of this person are on the websites of antiques dealers and auctioneers. I can't find the source of the reference site's information.

It's not very important but it shows how information which is probably wrong propagates across the world and in foreign languages.

[pillarboxred]

Here's the decorative panel. As I said, it is not the jewellery business or the date that is in question.

[melda58]

I am having trouble understanding your dilemma.  Every citation for Synyer and Beddoes that I see, including those of reputable auction houses, refers to Charles Joseph Beddoes along with Harry Snyner.  Are you expecting to find his name listed somewhere as a silversmith independently of the company's name?   Why would the citations not be accurate?

Rita

[argon38]

I think it is a simply a case of two different people with the same name. Pillarboxred is seeing these references to a Charles Joseph Beddoes who died in 1916, aged 29:

https://uniofglos.blog/specialcollections/ww1/charles-joseph-beddoes/ 

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/15942380/charles-joseph-beddoes 

Clearly, this individual cannot have been the same Charles Joseph Beddoes who entered into partnership with Harry Synyer in Birmingham in the late 1890s (unless he was aged 12 or so at the time):

https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=k5rrAAAAMAAJ&q=%22Synyer%22+%22Beddoes%22&dq=%22Synyer%22+%22Bed... 

[Anonymous]

The "flapper girl" might be better described as a fairy. Although, if you have wings you could reasonably be considered a flapper 😉

[melda58]

I don't think OP is trying to reconcile the two Charles'.   I interpreted OP's post as a question as to why the silversmith Charles is not mentioned somewhere as a silversmith outside of any mention of the company Synyer and Beddoes.  I don't see why he would be, since that is his claim to fame as partner in the company and there would be no reason to expect him to show up on the internet unlinked to Harry Synyer.   

I did a quick search for Harry Synyer and didn't find him cited independently of Charles Beddoes either.  

Rita

[maxine*j]

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@pillarboxred wrote:

...  the subject of the decoration is a "flapper" girl, so the date is not in doubt...

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Isn't that a fairy, with wings, and the usual sort of "flower petal" dress?

[maxine*j]

At the time I posted, not only did your post not show NONE of the others did.  Frustrating, these boards!   Anyhow, we're in agreement:  Fairy, not Flapper.  (Or, I suppose it could be a Flapper Fairy.)

[argon38]

He says:

"One silver hallmark website says that the makers were Henry Synyer and Charles Joseph Beddoes but the only Charles Joseph Beddoes I can find was a soldier who died in France in 1916."

So I believe some of the confusion, at least, is caused by the fact the soldier who died in 1916 had the same name as the silversmith.

[argon38]

As I read it, OP could find no source (other than internet sites) to confirm that the "Beddoes" of Synyer & Beddoes really was named Charles Joseph, and was wondering if this might be due to online confusion with the soldier who died in 1916. But I've pointed to a pre-internet (1987) book which also gives the silversmith's name as Charles Joseph. So the silver experts have not fallen victim to an internet myth here, as suspected by the OP.

[melda58]

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@argon38 wrote:

As I read it, OP could find no source (other than internet sites) to confirm that the "Beddoes" of Synyer & Beddoes really was named Charles Joseph, and was wondering if this might be due to online confusion with the soldier who died in 1916. But I've pointed to a pre-internet (1987) book which also gives the silversmith's name as Charles Joseph. So the silver experts have not fallen victim to an internet myth here, as suspected by the OP.

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Plus as I pointed out earlier, some very high end auction houses cite that name and I am quite sure they wouldn't do so unless the Beddoes was in fact named Charles Joseph. 

Rita