A set of four Victorian enamelled silver salts and four salt spoons, Thomas Smiley, London, 1874

Thomas Smily (17 April 1827 – 19 April 1918) and William Robert Smily (6 December 1818 – 24 May 1858) were sons of William Smily (1796 – 9 September 1865), all of whom were working silversmiths with various premises in and around the City of London and clerks enwell. William Smily was somet.mes manager of the silver factory of A.B. Savory & Sons, the old-established goldsmiths, watchmakers, jewellers, &c. of Cornhill. In 1852 W. R. Smily, who had had a large exhibit at the Great Exhibition of 1851, took over the business of Charles Lias (4 September 1796 – 19 November 1855), silver spoon and fork maker and manufacturing silversmith, at 65 Crown Street (later re-named 5 Sun Street), Finsbury Square. Although Smily died suddenly in 1858 the business was continued in his name by his brother, Thomas, who entered his first marks on 10 July 1858 (Culme, nos. 14146-14148). An advertisement for the firm listed, 'A large Stock of Tea and Coffee Services, Salvers, Cups, Tankards, Claret Jugs, Epergnes and Candelabra, Cake Baskets, Inkstand, Cruet Frames, Toast Racks, Salt Cellars, Children's Can, Spoons, Forks, and all other Articles of Plate always on hand.' (The Goldsmith, London, 1 March 1869, p. ii) Thomas Smily, who retired in 1883 and went to Canada where he died at the age of 91, sold his business to Edwin Charles Purdie (31 October 1841 – 6 March 1920).

Dobson of Piccadilly, the once well-known retail gold and silversmith of Piccadilly and later 110 New Bond Street, London, was founded in or before 1814 by Thomas Wilkinson. About 1845 the latter's son, John, went into business with Henry Holmes Dobson (3 July 1826 - 30 January 1886) until the dissolution of their partnership on 1 January 1851. (The London Gazette, London, 10 January 1851, p. 69) Thereafter Dobson's was continued with various members of the Dobson family until closing, probably in 1914.