The maker's mark "WS" is very difficult to attribute as there were so many makers with these initials operating at this time. I have attributed these tongs to William Stroud as being the most likely maker. This is a guess - at best. William Stroud entered his first mark on 7^th July 1788 as a plate-worker. William Stroud had been apprenticed to John Wirgman who we know made sugar tongs. His second mark was not entered until 9^th March 1821, some 33 years later. An interesting observation about this maker is that his maker's marks are very often struck twice. Two examples are shown below.