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William Pitts

Son of Thomas Pitts I, apprenticed to his father of Air Street Piccadilly goldsmith, Citizen and Goldsmith 1 March 1769. Free, 3 November 1784. First mark entered as plateworker, 18 December 1781. Address: 17 St. Martin's Street, Leicester Fields. Second mark, 4 May 1786. Address: 26 Litchfield Street, Soho. Third mark, in partnership with Joseph Preedy, 11 January 1791, same address. Moved to 8 Newport Street, St. Ann's, 3 August 1795. Fourth mark, alone, 21 December 1799. Address: 15 Little Wild Street, Lincoln's Inn Fields. Fifth mark, 5 March 1806. Address: 14 James Street, Lambeth Marsh. His son, William, was apprenticed to his father 5 February 1806; the latter was then already at James Street, where he or William II was still in 1818 on the apprenticeship to him of John Childers, when Pitts was described as silversmith and chaser. Heal records all of the above addresses and dates up to 1800. In his production of epergnes and dessert baskets and stands, both alone and with Preedy, William Pitts shows himself specialising in exactly the same work as his father. In the Regency period he turned to the production of ornate cast candelabra in the neo-rococo style.