According to the Census, William Marriott Briggs (1845-1934) was born at Chesterfield. He was the son of William Briggs; his mother was Sarah Marriott Briggs.

In 1871, aged 25, he was enumerated in the Census as an ‘electro-plate manufacturer’, living with his parents at Brocco Bank. An establishment date of 1845 appeared in a trade advertisement, which ties in with Briggs’s apparent birth date. In 1873, William Briggs & Co registered a silver mark from Andrew Street, Wicker.  Briggs had taken over the Britannia metal and electro-plate enterprise of James Allan, who remained at Briggs’s firm until he retired in 1889.

In 1900, W. Briggs & Co became a private limited company, capitalised at £20,000. By 1911, Briggs had retired and was living at Maltby Grange, Rotherham. His son, William Henry Briggs (1878-1950), became the manager, though William Marriott remained the senior partner. In 1922, the firm was re-registered as a limited company, with William Henry and William Marriott (now living at Bawtry, near Doncaster) as directors. Evidently, the firm was struggling and capital had been reduced to £2,000. In 1923, the stock, machinery, and goodwill were offered for sale (Sheffield Daily Independent, 24 February 1923). The buyer was Samuel Viner (see Crusade Cutlery). 

William M. Briggs, of Willingham House, Willingham-by-Stow, Gainsborough, Lincolnshire, died on 10 January 1934. He left £5,491.