FRANCIS R. MANTLE BOWDITCH (1916-2001)

Francis Bowditch's mother and later Bowditch himself ran an antique shop in The Cavendish Hotel, St James', probably established in the late 1960's, when the hotel re-opened. Bowditch sold his own extraordinary pieces in the shop during the 1970's after taking up silversmithing late in his career; he entered his first mark at the Goldsmith’s Company’s Assay Office on 22 September 1970, re-registered his mark in 1975 and there is no mention of his mark being re-entered in 1985, so it's likely that his production only spanned a decade or so.