James Vickers and Son

1889 'I have no desire to enter into a controversy as to who was the first person to introduce the manufacture of Britannia metal into Sheffield. The question, I fancy, would be almost as inexhaustible and as unsatisfactory as that of tbe introduction of electro-plating. But, perhaps, not much harm will be done if I say that a correspondent of mine takes exception to the statement made at the festivities in connection with the coming of age of Mr. Lennox Burton Dixon and Mr. Ernest Dixon Fawcett that Mr. James Dixon, the founder of the great works at Cornish place, was the first to begin the manufacture of articles made of Britannia metal, the date of this being given as 1804. The gentleman who writes to me thinks that the Sheffield Directory, of 1787, cannot have been consulted. If it were, he says, tbe names of several manufacturers of "white metal" articles would be found. - "white metal" being the old name for Britannia metal. He mentions one name specially, that of "James Vickers, white metal manufacturer, Garden walk," whose business has been carried on in continuous succession ever since by members of the Vickers and Stacey families.