Martin, Hall & Co

Martin, Hall & Co – were Sheffield based manufacturing silversmiths and electroplated manufacturers and silver, plated and steel cutlers.

The firm started in 1820 with the partnership of Henry Wilkinson and John Roberts, trading as Wilkinson & Roberts. Wilkinson left in 1846 and Roberts went into partnership with his former apprentice Ebenezer Hall becoming Roberts & Hall.

Richard Martin and Joshua Hall (brother of Ebenezer) joined the partnership in 1854 and the firm became Martin, Hall & Co, converting to a limited company in 1866.

With a factory in Sheffield, they went on to open showrooms in London, Birmingham, Glasgow and Sydney. As well as producing sterling silver and electroplated wares, they also had a successful much cheaper line of products produced in their patented white metal called “Martinoid” an alloy of white metals made to look like sterling silver but with no meltdown value.

They exhibited at the Great Exhibition in 1851, the International Exhibition in 1862, the Sydney Exhibition in 1879, the Melbourne Exhibition in 1881 and the British Industries Fair in 1915.

It is not clear whether the business was sold to Frank Cobb & Co in 1932 or went into liquidation in 1936 when it was delisted.