• Born: 13 Apr 1819, Birmingham England
• Marriage (1): Harriet Butterworth on 31 Mar 1847
• Died: 28 Dec 1894, Providence RI

  General notes:

Silversmith and designer

  Events in his life were:

• He worked before 1854 as a silversmith in England

• He worked in 1854-1858 as a silversmith in Chicopee MA

• He worked in 1858-1859 as a silversmith in Providence RI for GORHAM.

• He was a partner in 1860 with ? Rogers and John R. Wendt as ROGERS, WENDT & WILKINSON.

• He worked in 1860-1894 as a silversmith in Providence RI for GORHAM. He designed numerous flat- and holloware patterns and in 1871 was made superintendent of silver work.

• 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 manufacturer of silverware.

• He was issued design patent number 21,755 on 2 Aug 1892
  
  GEORGE WILKINSON, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND, ASSIGNOR TO THE GORHAM MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.
  
  DESIGN FOR A BOWL.
  
  SPECIFICATION forming part of Design No. 21,755, dated August 2, 1892.
  Application filed March 28, 1892. Serial No, 426,824, Term of patent 7 years,
  
  To all whom, it may concern:
  Be it known that I, George Wilkinson, a citizen of the United States, residing at Providence, in the county of Providence and State of Rhode Island, have invented and produced a new and original Design for the Bowls of Tea Sets; and I hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.
  My design consists in the peculiar and novel shape and ornamentation of the bowl, which forms the lower and most important part of the several articles usually associated together to form a tea set. In these articles I preserve the usual conventional form by which they are distinguished from each other, as the coffee-pot, the tea-pot, hot-water pot, the cream-bowl, sugar-bowl, and the slop or remnant bowl, and give to the bowl the peculiar and novel shape and ornamentation.
  Figure 1 is a perspective view of my newly-designed bowl in solid lines, the conventional upper portion of a tea-pot being shown in broken lines in connection with the bowl. Fig. 2 is a top view of the newly-designed bowl.
  The leading feature of my design consists in the shape of the bowl, which at its greatest diameter has the form of four projecting convex ovals separated by concaved surfaces, the longer axis of all the ovals being on a horizontal plane, and in the peculiar and novel ornamentation of the convex ovals more fully set forth hereinafter.
  The bowl in vertical outline connects with the base 7 by the contracted concave lower portion 8. From this contracted portion the bowl curves outward and upward until it reaches the greatest width at the point 9. From this point the bowl is curved inward until the convex surface intersects with the concave surface 10. The outward projection of the convex surface of the bowl at 9 is greatest at four points equidistant from each other on a horizontal plane passing through the greatest width of the bowl and is least at four points on this horizontal plane, also equidistant from each other, forming the concave surfaces 11 between the convex oval surfaces 9, giving the bowl the appearance of four projecting oval convex bulbs. These oval convex surfaces are ornamented by two foliated scrolls 12. Starting from the central leaves 13 and surrounding each a bunch of flowers 14, an open flower projects downward from the central leaves 13, the general outline of the foliated scrolls 12 forming the main features of the ornamentation, corresponding with the shape of the oval convex surfaces 9.
  What I claim is—
  The design for the bowl, herein shown and described.
  In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.
  
  GEORGE WILKINSON
  
  Witnesses:
  Joseph A. Miller, Jr.
  Henry J. Miller
  

George married Harriet Butterworth on 31 Mar 1847. (Harriet Butterworth was born on 4 Mar 1826 in England and died on 24 Oct 1896 in Providence RI.)