• Born: 1837, Newport RI
• Marriage (1): Ellen Francis Munroe on 8 Feb 1858 in Boston MA
• Died: 5 Jan 1905, Providence RI

  General notes:

Silversmith

  Events in his life were:

• He worked in 1854-1860 as a silversmith in Attleboro MA for the firm of TIFFT & WHITING.

• He appeared on the 1855 census taken at Attleboro MA, listed as a silversmith.

• He appeared on the 1860 census taken at Attleboro MA, listed as a silversmith.

• He worked in 1861 as a silversmith in Providence RI for the firm of GORHAM & Co.

• He worked circa 1865-1903 as a silversmith in Providence RI for the firm of FESSEDEN & Co.

• He appeared on the 1870 census taken at Providence RI, listed as a silversmith.

• He appeared on the 1880 census taken at Providence RI, listed as a silversmith.

• He was issued design patent number 24,572 on 20 Aug 1895
  
  SILAS H. MANCHESTER, OP PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND, ASSIGNOR TO FESSENDEN & CO., OF SAME PLACE.
  
  DESIGN FOR A HANDLE FOR SPOONS.
  
  SPECIFICATION forming part of Design No. 24,572, dated August 20, 1895.
  Application filed July 11,1895, Serial No, 555,665, Term of patent 7 years,
  
  To all whom it may concern:
  Be it known that I, Silas H. Manchester, of Providence, in the county of Providence and State of Rhode Island, have invented and produced a new and original Design for the Handles of Spoons and Similar Articles, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming part thereof.
  The drawing is a representation of a handle attached to the bowl portion of a spoon and illustrating my new design, the tine portion of a fork being shown in dotted lines.
  The leading features of my new design consist in the succession of curves which gradually increase the width of the handle toward the upper end, together with surface ornamentation, to accentuate the outline curves into ornaments, with the lower scrolled ornament having a foliated finial and the upper pendent flower, and resting on the name-panel.
  In the drawing, 5 represents the neck of the handle, and 6 the bowl portion of a spoon to which the handle is attached. It may, however, indicate the main portion of any article to which the handle is adapted to be attached, as the tine portion of a fork. (Indicated in the drawing.) The outline of the handle at the neck portion gradually curves outward to the indentations 7 7, thence again outward and inward to 8 8, thence in a succession of short curves outward to 9 9, and, finally, inward to 10. The surface ornamentation consists of the lobe-like ornaments extending downward from the indentations 7 7, the oppositely-extending foliated scrolls forming the ornament 11, pendent from which are the graduated beads 12, the floral finial 13 between the scrolls 14 14, the graduated beads following the outlines of the handle above the scrolls 14 14 and finished with the borders 15 15 for the panel 16, which at their upper ends are scrolled outward to the outline of the handle, the series of elongated beads between the scrolled ends of the borders 15, and the floral ornament 17 pendent from the central beads and overlapping the central plain panel 16.
  
  What I claim is—
  The design for handles of spoons and similar articles as herein shown and described.
  In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.
  
  SILAS H. MANCHESTER
  
  Witnesses:
  Joseph A. Miller, Jr.
  M. F. Bligh

• He was issued design patent number 30,306 on 7 Mar 1899
  
  SILAS H. MANCHESTER, OP PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND, ASSIGNOR TO FESSENDEN & CO., OF SAME PLACE.
  
  DESIGN FOR A HANDLE FOR SPOONS, FORKS; &c..
  
  SPECIFICATION forming part of Design No. 30,306, dated March 7, 1899.
  Application filed Febuary 9, 1899. Serial No, 705,120. Term of patent 7 years,
  
  To all whom it may concern:
  Be it known that I, Silas H. Manchester, of Providence, in the county of Providence and State of Rhode Island, have invented and produced a new and original Design for the Handle of a Spoon, Fork, or Similar Article, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part thereof.
  Figure 1 is a view of the front or obverse side of the handle, showing my design attached to the bowl of a spoon, the tines of a fork being indicated in broken lines. Fig. 2 is a view of the reverse side of the same.
  The leading features of my design consist in the outline and ornamentation of the upper end of the obverse side of the handle.
  On the obverse side of the handle, 3 indicates the shank of the handle, and 4 4 the beveled edges of the shank, terminating in the inwardly-spreading foliations 55. At the floral ornament 6 the leaf scrolls 7 7 form the mar-
  gin of the panel 8. Between the raised scrolls 9 9 and the beads 10 10 are formed a number of semispherical balls 11 11, which gradually increase in size, the scrolls 9 9 being surmounted by the terminal ornament 12.
  The reverse side is ornamented by the foliations 13 13, the raised scrolls 1414, the scrolls 15 15, the leaf ornaments 16 16, the marginal scroll 17 17, and the terminal ornament 18.
  Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is—
  The design for the handle of a spoon, fork or similar article as herein shown and described.
  In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand
  
  SILAS H. MANCHESTER
  
  Witnesses:
  J. A. Miller, Jr.
  B. M. Simms

Silas married Ellen Francis Munroe on 8 Feb 1858 in Boston MA. (Ellen Francis Munroe was born in Apr 1839 and died on 12 Nov 1917 in Providence RI.)