My thesis is entitled Dublin’s Huguenot Goldsmiths and it will explore the contribution of the Huguenots to the design, development and manufacture of silver in Ireland in the period 1690—1740.
It is estimated that approximately 10,000 Huguenots settled in Ireland in the late 17th century. In genealogical, economic, social and design historical studies it is universally acknowledged that these refugees contributed greatly to their adopted nations on a disproportionate level. This is particularly evident in goldsmithing. While a significant amount of secondary literature has focused on the designs and craftsmanship of English Huguenot goldsmiths such as Paul de Lamerie, David Willaume and many others, the dearth of information on Dublin (and Ireland’s) Huguenot goldsmiths is conspicuous. This is despite the fact that there are over 110 Irish Huguenot goldsmiths listed in Jackson’s index to goldsmiths and their marks. Many more besides have been unrecorded. From my own survey of the names of the freemen and quarter-brothers of Dublin’s goldsmiths’ guild, one example reveals that in 1703 there were a total of 60 freemen of which 10 have French surnames and out of 54 quarter-brothers there are 11 French names. Do these numbers reflect corresponding outputs of silver?
In my research, through documentary and object analysis, I will consider the extent to which the Huguenots contributed to the goldsmiths’ guild and to the design and manufacture of silver in this period. Because of the multi-facetedness of the subject, and indeed, of the refugee community itself, significant questions, with their methodological ramifications, have played a big role in the content and structure of this thesis. Would an investigation of a particular dynasty (parish and apprentice records reveal a significant amount of intermarriage and tight-knit workshops) of Huguenot goldsmiths prove the most fruitful way of illustrating the role of the community in the period? Can this in turn reveal more about workshop practice? How mobile were the Huguenot goldsmiths? Does the plethora of Huguenot quarter-brothers and journeymen reveal anything on the transmission of silver designs and craftsmanship techniques? To what extent did the quarter-brothers contribute to this and to the Huguenot role in Dublin’s silver in general?