A Victorian silver claret jug, Reilly & Storer, London, 1846

In his article, ‘Thomas Hyde and his successors’ (The Silver Society Journal, no. 10, London, autumn 1998, pp. 16-19), Brian Beet was able to show that the firm of Reily & Storer, well-known to collectors as silver wine label manufacturers, traced its origins to the elder Thomas Hyde (1725-1805). The latter had served his apprenticeship from 1739 with John Harvey, one of the earliest silver wine label makers. Of Hyde’s two sons, the elder, also Thomas, predeceased his father; the younger, James, also a wine label maker, entered his first mark in 1777. James died in 1799 and in 1801 his widow, Mary Ann, married his former apprentice, John Samuel Reily (d. 1826) by whom she had two sons and two daughters, including Charles Reily (6 July 1803 – 2 May 1893). Mary Ann and Charles entered a joint mark on 31 May 1826. Following Mary’s retirement at the end of 1828 Charles Reily went into partnership with George Storer (9 February 1797 – 19 February 1888) and together they entered a joint mark on 1 January 1829.

As Mr. Beet states, by the first years of the 19^th century, the firm had diversified, producing not only wine labels, but a range of other smallwork, particularly snuff boxes. As Reily & Storer they expanded their production even further, such as making the Newcastle-upon-Tyne race cup of 1844, an equestrian group of two knights in armour. (Sotheby's, New York, 19 October 2017, lot 189)

Charles Reily and George Storer dissolved their partnership and wound-up the firm on 31 March 1852. (The London Gazette, London, 2 April 1852, p. 970b) Thereafter Storer retired to Sherington, Buckinghamshire, where he died at the age of 91, leaving effects to the value of £1,323 15s. Reily also lived to a great age, dying at his residence, The Priory, Nevill Park, Tunbridge Wells at the age of 89, leaving a remarkable fortune of £183,750 1s. 7d.