A history of Alwright & Marshall Silversmiths on Fade Street
Written by An unassuming entrance door on Fade Street leads into Alwright & Marshall, one of Dublin’s oldest businesses and Ireland’s last surviving Irish silversmiths of their type.
Circa 1870 Wakeley & Wheeler a London Silversmiths opened a factory at 13 & 14 Fade Street, as a new build this premises was fitted out with the latest equipment of the day and employed approx 40 silversmiths to produce hand made Irish silverware.
In 1916 West of Grafton Street took an interest and the company was renamed West Wakeley & Wheeler. Fast-forward to 1922 and Wakeley and Wheeler transferred the business to West & Son who ran the company for 7 years before West sold the company in 1929 to John Alwright and Jock Marshall. Mr Alwright was a silversmith who had worked in the company since 1890 and Mr. Marshall was a silver chaser who had worked since 1895. Together they formed Alwright & Marshall Ltd. and the company continues to trade under this name today.
With a crafted history of 137 years of bespoke silversmithing in Dublin Alwright & Marshall are the only company of its type remaining in the 32 counties.
The main business of the company has been the manufacture of hand made & crafted sterling silver tableware pieces, tea sets, candle sticks, dishes, bowls, condiments and all items related to table top and dining requirements.
Examples of Irish silver are highly sort after worldwide, antique shops always carry a range of Irish silverware bearing the mark of Irish silversmiths as far back as 1600.
The Dublin Assay Office was formed in 1637, all silver manufacturers have by law to register there makers punch with the Assay Office and all items of gold & silver they make have to be submitted for testing to ensure that it conforms the correct standards, they then strike the appropriate hallmark.
As this process is carried out independently from the manufacturing company it provides unique customer protection.
Alwright & Marshall have produced many pieces for heads of state and the church over the years. Special commissions have always been a large part of the company’s work, pieces made to customers own specifications such as the Cross of Cong Monstrance for Archbishop Mannix of Australia in the 1950s and a Cross of Cong Processional Cross which now resides in the Smithsonian Institute in the USA. Tea Sets and table top pieces for Presidents, and the gentry of Ireland.
You can find Alwright & Marshall at 14 Fade Street in our Creative Quarter, DublinTown.
