The principals of this silver plate firm were Robert Frederick Wilkinson (c.1750-1822), Joseph Drabble (?-1804), and Henry Mylius (?-1809).  The firm can be traced to silver plater, Daniel Holy.  The partnership Daniel Holy, Wilkinson & Co was launched in 1783 with Robert Frederick Wilkinson and Robert Robinson (1746-1815) joining the existing partners, which included Holy, Joseph Drabble,  and George Woodhead (see Greaves, Woodhead & Hodgson).   Woodhead left the firm in 1790 and Ebenezer Parker became a junior partner.  In 1803, Drabble, Wilkinson, and Robinson left the firm.  Wilkinson and Robinson established J. Drabble & Co with Joseph Drabble’s son, James (bapt.1782-1841).   The partners retained the ‘Pipe’ mark, which had been registered in 1784.  Joseph Drabble had died on 2 February 1804 and was buried at St Paul’s Church.  His obituary described him as ‘partner in the house of Holy, Drabbles & Parker’ (Derby Mercury, 16 February 1804).

In 1805, Wilkinson, Drabble & Mylius registered a silver mark (‘I.D & Co’) and plate mark ‘Pipe’.  The partners were Wilkinson, Drabble, Robinson, Henry Mylius, George Battie, and Alexander Goodwin Turner.  Henry Mylius died on 14 November 1809, ‘lamented by all who knew his acquaintance’ (Hull Packet, 21 November 1809).  In the following year, the firm was dissolved.  Robert Robinson , silverplater of Bridgehouses, died in 1815, aged 69, and was buried at the parish church on 18 August (his great-great grandson was Sydney Jessop Robinson, managing director of Wm Jessop & Sons).   Robert Frederick Wilkinson died on 11 October 1822, aged 72.  ‘He was a man of sound and vigorous mind … having for some time endured an afflicting illness with perfect resignation’ (Sheffield Independent, 19 October 1822).  He was buried at Ecclesall.  James Drabble had continued to trade as a merchant in Eyre Street and as a partner of Parkinson, Drabble & Co, which traded with America.  He later managed the Sheffield Banking Co.  He died on 3 September 1841 at his residence at Highfield.