| Mary Chawner | |
| Nationality: | English |
| Occupation: | Silversmith |
Mary Chawner, née Burwash, was an English silversmith.
Chawner was the daughter, sister, and wife of silversmiths;[1] her father was the watchcase maker William Burwash, and her husband, whom she married in 1816, was the spoonmaker William Chawner II.[2] The couple had a son, William, and a daughter, Mary Ann.[3] [4] The elder William died on 20 March 1834 and his widow registered her own mark on 14 April the same year; five new marks followed on 25 March 1835. Like her husband, Mary was a spoonmaker as well. She gave her address in London as 16 Hosier Lane.[2] Mary was overseeing the firm until the younger William could take over; however, upon finishing his apprenticeship in 1838, he embarked instead on a religious career. Consequently the business was left to George Adams, Mary Ann's husband. He entered partnership with his mother-in-law on 3 August 1840; on 23 November that year he took full leadership of the firm.[3]
Several pieces bearing the hallmark of Mary Chawner are in the collection of the National Museum of Women in the Arts. These include six William IV tablespoons, from 1835; a William IV fish slice, of the same year; a Victorian fish slice, of 1839; and two Victorian dinner forks, also from that year.[2]