posted 01-04-2003 12:17 AM            

A reference such as Tere Hagan's "Silverplated Flatware - Revised Fourth Edition - An Identification and Value Guide" will allow you to identify the patterns and the year they were introduced.

Determining the actual age of each piece is far more difficult (or impossible) as most of these patterns were produced for an unknown number of years.

A knowledge of the maker's marks and trademarks, and which company (or companies) used them may also be useful in narrowing down the possible years in which a particular pattern was made. Dorothy Rainwater and Judy Redfield's "Encyclopedia of American Silver Manufacturers" is indispensable in this regard.

To answer your specific questions:

The 1847 Rogers Bros. Daffodil pattern was introduced in 1891. At that time, the 1847 Rogers Bros. trademark was owned by the Meriden Britannia Co.

Thornton Brothers (New York City) were established in 1877 and still in business in 1927. The Williams Bros. Mfg. Co. (Naubuc, Connecticut) was founded in 1880 and went out of business in 1950. You may find these patterns in the Hagan book, but without the Thornton or Williams names. Many of the silverplate patterns can be found with the names of platers, jobbers, or retailers marked on them instead of the actual manufacturer. Many are listed in the references above, some aren't.

If you can't identify your pieces using the above references, you can always post specific questions and photos on this forum.
Both of the above books are readily available and fairly inexpensive. Hope this helps!