posted 01-26-2006 04:22 AM            

First the easy one: the cusped mark you describe is William Eaton (2), presumed by Fallon to be the son of William Eaton (1). This mark was entered in 1828 with several similar marks being entered until 1840.

Now it gets interesting... There were 2 William Eleys (father and son) as well as 2 William Eatons. Fallon's first WE is William Eley (1) entered as a "small worker" in 1778 and in 1785 as a buckle maker. In 1790 his mark is shown in an oval punch with crimped edges and in 1797 he entered into partnership with William Fearn. He died in 1824.

Meanwhile William Eaton (1) entered his WE mark as a buckle maker in 1781, 1784, 1786 and 1801. Both Eaton's and Eley's marks are plain WE without a stop or pellet between the letters.

William Eaton (2) entered his first mark in 1813 as a plate worker. The W and E have a pellet between them. He entered a mark in 1824 with a stop between the W and the E and then a further mark in 1825 with neither stop nor pellet.

William Eley (2) had meanwhile succeeded his father in the partnership with William Fearn and then entered into a short-lived partnership with his brothers Charles and Henry. He set up on his own in 1825 when his mark is shown as a script WE. This became a plain WE in June 1826 and then in December 1826 he entered a new mark in which the W and E are sloping. I believe, though, that he may have continued to use the script WE.

So to summarise:

WE 1778 to 1780: William Eley (1)

WE 1781 to 1789: William Eley (1) or William Eaton (1)

WE 1790 to 1812: William Eaton (1)

W.E 1813 to 1824: William Eaton (2)

WE 1825: William Eaton (2)

WE 1826: probably William Eaton (2), but possibly William Eley (2)

WE 1827 to 1828: William Eaton (2)

OK so far? Unfortunately there is a further complication. Jackson's shows a W.E mark for a William Elliott, entered in 1813; and I have also seen a WE attributed to William Edwards who is mentioned by neither Jackson's nor Fallon.