Digbeth pewter firm: By Royal Appointment to King Henry VIII

Jun 29 2009 by Jon Griffin, Birmingham Post

MANUFACTURING

A tiny Birmingham company is turning back the clock 500 years – by royal appointment to the memory of Britain’s most famous king.

Half a millennium on from Henry VIII’s accession to the throne, Digbeth-based A E Williams is playing a key role in a special memorial exhibition at Hampton Court Palace.

The firm, the oldest family-run pewtersmiths in the world, has supplied more than 500 pieces of pewter for the Henry VIII exhibition at the palace to mark the 500th anniversary of the beginning of his reign.

The firm won the contract ­after being approached earlier this year by Hampton Court project manager Marc Meltonville, who had first contacted the pewtersmiths in 2006 to help restore the historic kitchens.

Sam Williams, son of partner David Williams who runs the firm with fellow partner Stephen Johnson, said: “Since 2006 we have supplied more than 800 pieces of pewter into Hampton Court, all of which are on display. We are very proud to be the supplier and it’s nice that people still want materials that are made in Britain.

“Earlier this year we were re-approached by Marc to again reproduce 16th century pewter to decorate the King’s top table in the Great Hall at Hampton Court Palace.

“The pewter can be seen on display at the Hall until the end of August and guests are invited to take up their place on the Royal throne and have their picture taken.”

He said AE Williams was proud to be playing a key role in re-creating the early 16th century atmosphere of the historic rooms where the tyrant King first held court.

“They continued to be used as Royal Court kitchens for 200 years until 1737, feeding the tables of Tudor, Stuart and Georgian monarchs and their many courtiers.

“The kitchens proved the ideal home to all the serving dishes, bowls, spoons and drinking jugs that a great hall serving 600 needs.

“The pieces created were made using traditional methods exact to those found 500 years ago. Large plates known as chargers, used for holding the boar’s head, were gravity cast from antique bronze models dated 1729.”

AE Williams dates back to 1779 and has also supplied pewter materials for a range of blockbuster films, including ­Braveheart, Titanic and Harry Potter.

With a workforce of 20, Mr Williams said the company was the only firm of its kind in the world still using traditional centuries-old hand-cast pewter production methods.