E. SMERDON, WATCHMAKER, JEWELLER, AND OPTICIAN, 4, Wolborough Street, Newton Abbot. This business, which dates back in its foundation to the year 1830, stands to-day as the oldest-established among the principal concerns of its kind in the town, and is eligibly located in Wolborongh Street, opposite The Tower. The spacious shop is elegantly appointed, and fitted throughout in the best modern style to hold and to effectively display a stock of goods that is remarkable for its volume, value, and variety alike. Gold and silver watches and chains of the best English and foreign manufacture, including the celebrated "Waterbury" watches, for which E. Smerdon is the local agent ; clocks and timepieces of every description ; fashionable gold, silver, and gem jewellery ; spectacles and eye-glasses to suit all sights: aneroids, barometers, field and opera glasses, &c., and a varied assortment of special presentation goods, including watches and clocks ; silver and electro-plated ware , &c.
Source: Industrial Great Britain: a commercial review of leading firms selected from important towns of England - 1895
9, Wine Street and St. Augustine's parade, Bristol
S. Burman - Bristol - 1877
SINGULAR CHARGE AGAINST A BRISTOL JEWELLER
At the Bournemouth Police-court, Joseph Samuel Burman, silversmith and jeweller, of Bristol and Manchester, was charged with being a rogue and vagabond, and being found near Bournemouth Pier with intent to commit a felony. Sergeant Brewer, Mr Pine, pier master; Mr James, postal superintendent of Exeter and two other witnesses deposed that they watched the defendant on the afternoon of the 29th August near the pier. He was acting in a very suspicious manner. He kept pushing into small knots of people around the entertainment, and was seen to put his hand into a lady's pocket. He also felt several other pockets. Mr Clifton, of Bristol, for the defence, said the defendant was a gentleman, in receipt of about £2,000 per annum, and having jewellery establishments at Bristol and Manchester, paying no less than £500 per annum in rent and taxes. He was very eccentric in his manner, and had lately been much distressed by the deaths of a son and daughter. After hearing one witness, Mr Barker, of the Bristol Town Council, as to defendant's high character, the bench dismissed the case, which they described as one of misapprehension.
Source: The Cardiff Times - 10th September 1887
Recorded in The Handbook to the Manufacturers & Exporters of Great Britain - 1870, The Bristol Trade Directory - 1871, Kelly's Directory of the Watch & Clock Trades - 1880, and Kelly's Directory of Somersetshire, With the City of Bristol - 1883.
Mr. Stone, a jeweller, was examining a breech-loader in his shop, at Exeter, not knowing it was loaded, when it went off. Two gentlemen were looking on at the time, but they fortunately escaped injury, as also did Mr. Stone; much damage, however, was done to the shop.
Source: The County Observer and Monmouthshire Central Advertiser - 3rd July 1869
An accident of a melancholy and fatal description occurred on Friday morning last, to Mr. Aquilla Barber, an estimable young gentleman, about nineteen years old, son of the Rev. Aquilla Barber, Wesleyan Minister at Carmarthen, and grandson of Mr Aquilla Barber, silversmith, of Wine-Street Bristol. The unfortunate deceased (says the Bristol Mercury) who was a classical and mathematical assistant at the school of Mr. Exley, Cotham, went, accompanied by two pupils, to bathe in Rennison's bath, and while in the water is supposed to have been seized with cramp, as he lost all power of swimming, and was drowned. One the pupils named Grimes, used every effort to save him, and was himself nearly lost in the attempt. The deceased was much respected, and his death sincerely mourned by a numerous circle of friends. An inquest was held on the body the same afternoon, before J. B. Grindon, Esq., coroner, at the Old England tavern. It appeared from the evidence, that after he had been in the water a short time the deceased called out, "I am coming," and walked towards the chain, repeating the words every step or two. In a few moments he began jumping with his hands above his head, and cried "help." A pupil, named Grimes, swam to him, and deceased grasped him tightly, and they sunk together, then Grimes got away from him. Help was called, and a woman came first, bringing a pole with an iron at the end, with which nothing was done. She then got a longer pole and put it down in the water. Mr. Rennison came and assisted, and after some time the body was got out dead. Mr. Rennison, owner of the bath, being called upon by the jury, said during the bathing season he always kept a competent person to render assistance in case of accident, but the season had not yet commenced. He had cautioned deceased and the young gentlemen with him not to go beyond the pillar where Mr Barber was drowned, was twenty feet beyond. Deceased complained that morning that the water was not deep enough, and he (Mr. Rennison) had gone away to direct the water to be stopped from running through the flood-hatches, when the girl came to him and said the gentleman was drowned. Witness had been at the baths, backwards and forwards, for nearly sixty years, and never knew of an accident before. The jury returned a "Verdict of Accidental Death."
George Tonge served his apprenticeship under John Wilkins (II) as from 26th May 1746. He continued to work for John and Catherine Wilkins until 1759 when Catherine retired, John Wilkins having died 18 months earlier.