Hersey & Son

Mills & Hersey

Michael Hersey began an apprenticeship in 1954 aged 15 as a silver spinner at William Comyns & Sons Limited, in Soho, London. He later joined C.J. Vander Limited, which at the time was England's most preeminent Silversmith firm. Buying himself a spinning lathe, he later set up as a Silversmith under his own name, working from his garage at his home in New Malden, Surrey. As the business expanded, he moved the business to new workshop in Clerkenwell Green, London, home to many small silversmiths' workshops. In 1971 he joined with David Mills and opened a workshop in Clerkenwell. They supplied the retail jewellery trade with spun sterling silver items such as candlesticks, napkin rings and wine coasters. Continuing expansion of the business lead to their move in 1974 from Clerkenwell to Church Street, Twickenham, Middlesex and their first combined manufacturing premises and retail shop.

M C Hersey & Son

Michael's son Stewart joined the firm in 1981 after training as a silversmith at the Sir John Cass College, London Guildhall University and as an apprentice under Grant Macdonald. In 1983 David Mills left the company and in 1985 the firm changed its name to M C Hersey & Son and in 1987 the business moved once again to larger premises in Teddington, Middlesex. In 2016 Stewart became a Freeman of the Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths.