Lee & Wigfull English Sterling Silver 1902 Edwardian Bread Dish / Basket

Lee & Wigfull sterling silver bread dish or basket, made in Sheffield, England in 1902 (Edwardian era), beautifully adorned with raised floral and natural motifs, standing on 4 feet. It measures 11 1/8'' in length by 8 3/4'' in width by 2 7/8'' in height, weighs 17.8 troy ounces, and bears hallmarks as shown. 

Lee & Wifgfull, which manufactured silver, electro-plate, Britannia wares and cutlery, was apparently founded in 1871, when it was listed at Charlotte Street Works, with George Shadford Lee as the senior partner.  The other partner was Henry (‘Harry’) Wigfull (1845-1908).  In 1877, Lee & Wigfull registered the silver mark ‘GSL/HW’ from John Street Works, Highfield.  Two years later, the Lee & Wigfull partnership ended, and Henry Wigfull registered his own silver mark ‘HW’, with the name of the business unchanged.  In 1881, Henry employed 50 men and 50 women at Stag Works in John Street.  In 1899, Lee & Wigfull had a capital of £50,000.  The firm had a London office at Holborn Viaduct, and exported to Australia.  In 1880, Lee & Wigfull was awarded a first-class award at the Melbourne International Exhibition.  By the 1890s, the firm had agencies in Melbourne, Sydney, and Dunedin (New Zealand).

Henry Wigfull died in 1908. His sons Benjamin Taylor Wigfull and William Henry Wigfull continued the business, alongside Richard Bannister Wigfull (1868-1941).  R. B. Wigfull had spent twenty-three years with the firm, when he established a jewelry business in Plymouth.  He was regarded as an authority on silverware and antiques.  

Lee & Wigfull’s London showroom was acquired by Cooper Bros in 1941.  Lee & Wigfull continued in John Street after the Second World War, when the family interest had apparently lapsed. 

Please feel free to ask us any questions, and please see our other listings. We hand polish all items before shipping them out, but if there is interest for a professional polishing and/or engraving removal, we can take care of that for an additional charge and with delayed shipping.