George Richards Elkington (1801–65)

Manufacturer. Based in Birmingham. Inherited a gilt toy and spectacle manufactory around 1824 and continued in business until 1840. Patented an electroplating process and formed a partnership with Josiah Mason in 1842 for the production of silver-plated goods, especially cutlery. Ended the partnership and renamed the firm Elkington and Company, 1861. By the mid 1860s, the firm was one of the largest silver-plating companies in the world.