The Silversmith in Eighteenth-Century Williamsburg An Account of His Life & Times, & of His Craft

In colonial Williamsburg the sound of hammer on silver echoed through a bustling market of fashion and function. Silversmiths such as James Craig, James Geddy the younger, and Patrick Beech filled the Virginia Gazette with lively notices promising imported jewelry, watches, and locally forged plate at “the newest fashions” and “lowest prices.” Their ads reveal a keen awareness of customer needs—quick service, generous credit for old metal, and even entertainment like lottery tickets. Together these craftsmen anchored the town’s social life, linking elite households with everyday merchants.

The book follows fifteen or sixteen artisans who practiced their trade in Williamsburg between 1699 and 1780, each blending silversmithing with jewelry, watch repair, or other crafts. Through newspaper excerpts, shop signs, and trade cards the narrative paints a vivid picture of colonial commerce, the flow of goods from London, and the competitive spirit that drove prices down. Listeners come away with a clear sense of how this seemingly modest profession helped shape the material culture of a city on the eve of revolution.