MAYER

Joseph. b. Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffs. 1803; gold and silversmith and jeweller at 68 and 70 Lord st. Liverpool; sold his collection of ancient Greek coins to French government 1844; purchased Rev. Dr. Thomas Godfrey Godfrey-Fau ett’s Collection of Saxon antiquities and presented it to city of Liverpool; exhibited his collection of arts and antiquities valued at £80,000 in Colquitt st. Liverpool, he presented it to the corporation of Liverpool 1867; gave a free library and 20,000 volumes to Bebington, Cheshire, with a garden surrounding the building 1866; city of Liverpool erected a statue to him by Fontana in St. George’s hall; with Thomas Spencer he introduced for domestic use the electroplating proce ; gave many authors pecuniary a istance; raised three companies of volunteers; F.S.A. 10 Jany. 1850; retired from busine ; author of A catalogue of the drawings, miniatures, cameos, etc., illustrative of the Bonaparte family in the collection of J. Mayer 1854, 2 ed. 1855; History of art of pottery in Liverpool 1855; A library of national antiquities 2 vols. 1857–73; A catalogue of engraved gems and rings in the collection of J. Mayer 1879. d. Bebington 18 Jany. 1886. C. R. Smith’s Retrospections , i 67–76, ii 109–10, 300, iii 68, 70 (1883–91); Illust. Times 10 June 1867 p. 365, view of his collection at Liverpool ; Proc. of Soc. of Antiq. May 1886 p. 144; Times 21 Jany. 1886 p. 7.