West Bromwich Presentation Trowel, 1861

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Presentation Trowel - Floral Handle with Triangular Blade - Birmingham 1861 by William Gough (Gough & Silvester) - 32cm long; 220 grams gross weight - SA/5543

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This is a large silver presentation trowel given for the founding of a school for the poor of West Bromwich in the West Midlands. It has a superb feel in the hand and has an excellent haft decorated with floral motifs on an architectural design, that is typical of the mid-Victorian period.The junction between the handle and blade is a particularly attractive feature. The blade is fully marked for a rarely found Birmingham maker and the haft has Sheffield marks for John Biggin - hafts were often bought in from specialist makers and separately marked - although made by two makers these two pieces were always intended to be together. The flat blade is engraved with the following inscription:-

 
"Presented By The Trustees Of The
West Bromwich Ragged Schools
To
Mrs Thomas Davis
Of The Hollies
On The Occasion Of Her Laying The
Foundation Stone
June 30th 1862"

 

Ragged schools were charitable organisations dedicated to the free education of destitute children in 19th-century Britain. The schools were developed in working-class districts of the rapidly expanding industrial towns. The West Bromwich ragged school was  opened by a body of trustees in a newly erected building in Moor Street in 1863. There was an infants' ragged school by 1868. In January 1871 the average attendance was 150.