close

Thomas Whipham

( 1785 )

Son of William Whipham of Layton in the County of Bedford innkeeper, apprenticed to Thomas Farren 3 July 1728 on payment of £25. Free, 7 June 1737. First mark entered as largeworker, 20 June 1737. Address: Foster Lane. 'Goldsmith'. Second mark, 18 June 1739. Third mark, in partnership with William Williams I (also apprenticed to Farren in 1731), 1 May 1740, same address. 'Goldsmiths'. Livery, September 1746. Court, 1752. Moved to Ave Mary Lane, 23 July 1753. Fourth mark, in partnership with Charles Wright, 24 October 1757, same address. Warden 1765-7, and Prime Warden 1771. Appears alone as goldsmith, Fleet Street, in the Parl. Report list 1773, and was apparently still in business in 1780 when he purchased the church plate of Stoke Bruern, Northants, for £50.12s.8d., the new set having been made by his partner Wright in 1776. Heal records him as working silversmith, Foster Lane, 1737-9; Ave Mary Lane, 1751-6; and Grasshopper (No. 61) Fleet Street, 1760-84; with William Williams as plateworkers (Spread Eagle), Foster Lane, 1740-6; with Charles Wright as plateworkers, 9 Ave Mary Lane, 1757-75; and Whipham and Williams, goldsmiths, Angel and Crown, in Foster Lane, c.1760 (unpublished addenda). In 1743 Whipham entered the widow Ann Farren's mark on the death of Thomas Farren by power of attorney, and it seems probable that he was acting as Farren's executor. Whether he succeeded to the business is not apparent, but at least he did not move to Farren's address. It seems possible that his wife was a Farren, but his marriage has not been traced. Frances, daughter of Thomas and Frances Whipham, born 4, baptised 23 July 1741 at Christchurch, Newgate (incorporating St. Leonard, Foster Lane) is followed by Anne, daughter of the same, born 7, baptised 17 August 1742 at St.Michael le Quern (possibly named after her maternal grandmother, if the latter was indeed Ann Farren). Mary , another daughter, 1744, and Thomas 1747 at the same church. Frances Whipham, buried at St. Michael le Quern 19 August 1745, was presumably the eldest daughter. Whipham's obituary appeared in The Gentleman's Magazine: "Mr. Whipham senior formerly a silversmith Fleet Street at St. Alban's Died 27 August 1785' (page 748). His son Thomas appears to have been his successor, as Heal records Whipham and North, goldsmiths and jewellers, 61 Fleet Street, 1790-1802, but there is no evidence of his entering a seperate mark. Thomas junior was free by patrimony, 7 December 1768, Livery 1769, Court 1777, and Prime Warden 1790. He died 1815.