Hersey & Son
Corporate brand
UnclaimedHersey & Son is a British silversmith and jewellery-industry supplier known for hand-crafted sterling-silver gifts, tableware, presentation pieces and Armada dishes.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
Hersey & Son is a British silversmithing business associated with the manufacture of sterling-silver gifts, tableware and presentation objects. Its origins lie in the professional career of Michael Hersey, who began training in London in the 1950s as a silver spinner. He first apprenticed at William Comyns & Sons in Soho in 1954, later worked at C. J. Vander, and subsequently established an independent workshop under his own name. The business initially operated from a garage at Hersey's home in New Malden, Surrey, before moving to Clerkenwell Green, a London area historically associated with small silversmithing workshops. In 1971, Michael Hersey formed a partnership with David Mills, creating Mills & Hersey. The firm supplied the retail jewellery trade with spun sterling-silver articles, including candlesticks, napkin rings and wine coasters. Expansion led to a move in 1974 from Clerkenwell to Church Street in Twickenham, where the partners combined manufacturing facilities with a retail shop. This combination reflected the company's dual role as a maker and trade supplier. Michael Hersey's son Stewart joined the business in 1981 after studying silversmithing at Sir John Cass College and completing further apprenticeship training under Grant Macdonald. David Mills left the company in 1983, and the business adopted the name M C Hersey & Son in 1985. It moved to larger premises in Teddington in 1987. Stewart Hersey later received recognition within the London goldsmithing tradition when he became a Freeman of the Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths in 2016. The company is particularly associated with Armada dishes, substantial silver presentation pieces that can serve as sporting trophies or commemorative awards for long service, retirement and other institutional occasions. Its commission work has included trophies for the 2011 Transatlantic Race and a special Armada dish produced in 2010 for the Joint Assay Offices Committee. The company's pieces carry London assay marks and, depending on the period, different sponsor's marks identifying the maker. These include M&H from 1971 to 1983, an M over CH mark in a trefoil from 1983 to 2007, and SH in a chamfered square from 2007 onward. Hersey & Son has adapted its traditional manufacturing and trade-supply model to changes in jewellery retail. In 2007 it launched a website intended to make ordering easier for trade customers. As independent jewellery shops declined and department stores shifted toward other product categories, the website also became a way for individual shoppers to find traditional silver gifts. The business sells through its own online presence and third-party platforms, including Not On The High Street, while retaining its identity as a London-based silversmithing firm. It is also a member of the National Association of Jewellers.
History
Michael Hersey entered the London silversmithing trade as a teenager, beginning an apprenticeship at William Comyns & Sons in 1954. He later worked for C. J. Vander, an established English silversmithing firm, before buying a spinning lathe and setting up independently. His first independent premises were modest, consisting of a workshop in the garage of his New Malden home. As demand grew, the operation moved to Clerkenwell Green, then a significant centre for small specialist workshops. In 1971 Hersey joined David Mills to establish Mills & Hersey. The partnership concentrated on spun sterling-silver goods for jewellery retailers and related trade customers. Its range included practical and decorative articles such as candlesticks, napkin rings and wine coasters. Continued growth prompted a move in 1974 to Church Street in Twickenham. The new site combined manufacturing space with the firm's first retail shop, allowing the company to serve both trade buyers and consumers. The next major transition came through the involvement of Michael Hersey's son, Stewart. Stewart joined in 1981 after formal silversmithing education at Sir John Cass College and practical training under Grant Macdonald. David Mills departed in 1983, after which the firm changed its name to M C Hersey & Son in 1985. In 1987 it moved to larger premises in Teddington, Middlesex. The name Hersey & Son is now used as the public-facing identity of the business. The firm has retained a strong connection to traditional British hallmarking. Its silver production has historically been assayed in London through the Goldsmiths' Company assay system. Sponsor's marks changed as the business evolved: M&H was used from 1971 to 1983, an M over CH mark in a trefoil from 1983 to 2007, and an SH mark in a chamfered square from 2007. Stewart Hersey became a Freeman of the Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths in 2016, adding a formal professional distinction to the family's continuing involvement in the craft. Armada dishes became one of the company's most recognizable specialist products. These large silver dishes are suitable for presentation, commemorative and trophy purposes. Hersey & Son has produced them for sporting events and institutional occasions, including trophies commissioned for the 2011 Transatlantic Race. A separate 2010 commission for the Joint Assay Offices Committee was made as a unique presentation piece for its retiring chairman and carried assay marks representing London, Birmingham, Sheffield and Scotland. The business responded to structural changes in the jewellery trade by introducing an online ordering website in 2007. The site was initially intended to simplify trade ordering, but it also helped the company reach consumers as traditional jewellery shops closed and department stores reduced their emphasis on conventional silver gifts. Online sales through the company's own site and third-party platforms became an important route to market. Despite this change in distribution, the company's identity remains rooted in small-scale British silversmithing and the production of durable, formal silver objects.
- 2016
Stewart Hersey becomes a Freeman of the Goldsmiths
[1]Stewart Hersey became a Freeman of the Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths.
- 2011
Transatlantic Race trophy commission
[1]Hersey & Son produced Armada-dish trophies in three sizes for winners and placing yachts in the Transatlantic Race.
- 2010
Unique Armada dish commissioned
[1]The company made a special Armada dish for the Joint Assay Offices Committee as a presentation to retiring chairman Richard Vanderpump.
- 2007
Online ordering website launched
[1]Hersey & Son introduced a website to support trade ordering and later expanded its direct-to-consumer reach.
- 1987
Move to larger Teddington premises
[1]The company relocated to larger premises in Teddington, Middlesex.
- 1985
Name changes to M C Hersey & Son
[1]The firm adopted the M C Hersey & Son name following Mills's departure.
- 1983
David Mills leaves the business
[1]David Mills departed, marking the end of the original partnership and the beginning of the family-led phase.
- 1981
Stewart Hersey joins the firm
[1]Michael Hersey's son Stewart joined after silversmithing studies and further apprenticeship training.
- 1974
Move to Twickenham premises
[1]The business moved from Clerkenwell to Church Street in Twickenham and opened combined manufacturing and retail premises.
- 1971
Mills & Hersey is established
[1]Michael Hersey and David Mills founded the partnership that became the modern Hersey & Son business.
Products and positioning
A heritage British silversmith serving jewellery retailers, institutions and individual customers with traditionally made sterling-silver gifts, tableware and bespoke presentation pieces.
Presentation silver and trophies
Armada dishes
Large sterling-silver presentation dishes associated with the company's specialist commission work. They are used as sporting trophies and as formal gifts marking retirement, long service or institutional occasions. Hersey has produced both standard and unique versions, including dishes made for the Transatlantic Race and for the Joint Assay Offices Committee.
Silverware
Sterling-silver tableware
Traditional silver household and entertaining pieces supplied to the jewellery trade. Documented examples include candlesticks, napkin rings and wine coasters, reflecting the company's long-standing focus on practical and decorative spun sterling-silver goods.
Gifts and presentation objects
Silver gifts and commemorative pieces
A range of sterling-silver gifts and formal objects sold through trade retailers, the company website and third-party online platforms. The assortment serves customers seeking traditional silver presents that have become less widely available through high-street jewellery shops and department stores.
Brand decisions
2007
Adopt online ordering and direct digital salesStrategyBackground
The company needed to make trade ordering easier while the traditional jewellery-retail and department-store channels for silver gifts were contracting.
Action taken
Hersey & Son launched its own website for trade customers and subsequently used it, alongside third-party platforms, to reach individual shoppers.
Aftermath
Internet sales became an important part of the business and helped maintain access to customers looking for traditional silver gifts.
Sources2 sources
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