A fairly inconspicuous oval enamel comes to life with its background history, lot 213 this Sunday - apols but for some reason the letter y seems to be missing from the history text:

1824 Business established formerlyy Edward Hill and Co

1853 Partnership and name change. '...the Partnership lately subsisting between the late Edward Hill and the undersigned, Henry Smith (Managing Partner), in the business of Iron Manufacturers, carried on at the Brierley Hill Iron Works, in the parish of Dudley, in the county of Worcester, under the style or firm of Edward Hill and Company, was dissolved and determined by the death of the said Edward Hill, on the 13th day of September instant; and that the business will, as from that day, be continued by Mrs. Emma Hill, his Widow, and the said Henry Smith, under the style or firm of Hill and Smith...'

1856 Mention. Hill and Smith of the Brierley Hill Ironworks.

1860 Exhibited patented harrows, cultivators, chaff-cutting Machinea, and fiels gates

1909 Incorporated as a Limited Company

1922 Constructional steel and iron work, bridges, girders, iron buildings, architectural wrought metal work, iron fencing, gates, railings forgings and castings.

"Hill and Smith is famous for supplying many miles of fencing for Queen Victoria, Ornamental Gates and parapet railing for the Royal House of Siam; work on the Sydney Harbour Bridge; the Royal Dockyard at Simonstown; South Africa, and gates at Hong Kong market and the European Club, Shanghai.

The company has also been responsible for structural steel work, often for whole factories, warehouses, iron-houses, market roofs, railway station roofs, footbridges and walkways, including the dome steelwork at Birmingham Universityy.