Biographical Account: Matthew Boulton was the son of a buckle, button and ‘toy’-maker. Much of the Birmingham metal trade was based on ‘toys', which were small decorative trinkets such as snuff boxes. Boulton’s Soho factory at Handsworth, Birmingham, was the largest Sheffield Plate manufactory outside of Sheffield. As well as toys, Boulton branched out into large decorative pieces, in silver plate as well as sterling silver and ormolu (gilded bronze).