Francis Higgins

Francis Higgins was a leading silversmith of the mid-Victorian era in England. Francis Higgins & Son rose to great prominence for the quality and ingenuity of their silverware and, as specialist spoon and fork makers, regarded as one of the most important firms of Victorian silversmiths specialising in this field.

Much of Francis Higgins' work was for some of the finest retailers of the time, including Hunt & Roskell and R & S Garrard & Co; both royal silversmiths to The Crown. Francis Higgins' creative ingenuity and craftsmanship were recognised by contemporary society and art critics alike, and in 1848 The Art Union praised the firm's production as "remarkable for their elegant simplicity, or elaborate and rich workmanship".

Francis Higgins' business as a silversmith is presumed to have begun in 1782, but it has been suggested that the firm was founded from 1817 when, on 31 October his son, Francis Higgins' Junior, entered his first mark. After a less than successful solo venture of his own, Francis Higgins' Junior rejoined his father as a partner around 1868, at which date the business became Francis Higgins & Son. Their partnership resulted, not only in a particular concern for high quality objects, but the pair also pioneered new silversmithing machinery and advanced tools, some of which were designed by Higgins Junior himself.