Thanks very much Bryce!!!
I really had no idea Hounslow made these 'mortuaries' and if these collections have these so marked, then that is pretty resounding. I have associated Hounslow with hangers of course, with the many that are marked with the ME FECIT HOUNSLOE etc. and some of the known names.
As noted, Hounslow was taken by Cromwell, but several makers remained there while the others removed to remain suppliers to Royalists, primarily to Oxford.
As I had mentioned,I have a mortuary which is clearly Solingen with the ANDREA FERARA within the familiar 'sickle'marks and is from 1640s.
So then we return to this rather bizarre 'ANDREA FERARA' in Chinese 'chop' letters, on what we see now as a Hounslow blade.
Hounslow was known to produce maritime oriented hangers........could this be again aligned with influences from trade?
Again, tenuous of course,but why these unusual letters?
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