Helen Ashton 
In Search of Ramsden and Car 

While looking into her genealogy, particularly the Cumberbatches from Barbados, Helen Ashton discovered the silversmith Omar Ramsden and his connection to her family.
Omar Ramsden and fellow Sheffield-born designer Alwyn Carr set up a partnership in 1898 moving to London to exploit the fashionable taste for handmade silver of the Arts and Crafts Movement and, with the help of skilled artisans, made articles adapted from Gothic and Renaissance designs with Celtic-style inscriptions, which became their trademark.
A fascinating story, painstakingly researched following one of the most successful silversmithing collaborations of the 20th century. Helen’s interest became a fascinating obsession, resulting in three years of research to find out about his family background in Sheffield and his long partnership.

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Helen Ashton spent her early childhood in the Welsh hills and Hay on Wye, before her family moved north to the green suburbs of Newcastle upon Tyne. While raising her family she taught school for several years, then had a successful career writing best-selling school text books on food and nutrition. She then studied art history with the Open University, obtaining a First Class Honours Degree, with a particular interest in early Italian painting.
While looking into her genealogy, particularly the Cumberbatches from Barbados, she discovered the silversmith Omar Ramsden’s connection to her family. Discovering his reputation for superb workmanship and his involvement in the world of Arts and Crafts, she delved deeper into his history. There was almost no published information about his life, in spite of the renown which his work had achieved. Her interest became a fascinating obsession, resulting in three years of research, finding out about his family background in Sheffield, his long partnership with Alwyn Carr