John Thompson II was a Sunderland Goldsmith and according to Grimwade registered his first mark in Newcastle as a plateworker on 12th May 1785. However Margaret Gill records him from 28th October 1777 through to 19th December 1800 and notes payment from him to the assay office on 3rd May 1782. He died on 10th May 1801, aged 54. His premises fronted the High Street in Sunderland. They consisted of a shop as well as "the Worktools, Fistures and every necessary for a working silversmith" We know that he did fashion his own work and send it to Newcastle for assay. However as with other goldsmiths around the country he clearly also bought items from the Bateman workshops and overstruck it with his own mark before selling them on. 

These tongs are very much in Hester Bateman's style. They are very typical of her work. The maker's mark is very clearly "IT" but a careful examination shows that the mark is over-struck on top of another. If you look at the mark upside down, you can see it has Hester's mark underneath. They are dated c1786 - 1790.

Mant Thanks to Michael Baggott for his expertise in enabling us to identify this as John Thompson II of Sunderland.