Hi trying to gain some history about my pocketwatch

[floggedhorse]

Hi
I inherited a pocket watch, one that supposedly has been passed down from father to son (James (me), James (my dad), James (my grandad), ... the story goes on merging somewhere with a fairy story with James the Viking.
- oh yes I have a son (you guessed it called James)

As you can see we havn't got much imagination!

For better or worse I'm trying to put some facts into the story, dates, maker etcetera.

So far, I believe the case and watch don't match (I believe this to be common) and the case is 1802 from Chester
No doubt I'm wrong on all points and someone will tell me its made in China circ 2005! batteries included

The Case - ASSuME'd Chester circ 1802


The Watch -Assumed much later
James Tierney
Manchester - Ashton Old Road (still there but could find the shop of google street view)

Other than this info from the watch, I couldnt find any further information - the internet just ran dry!




Thankyou for your time, any help is appreciated

Regards


James Taylor

[user701]

The case is by Robert Gravenor of Spon Street, Craven Street & The Butts, Coventry and registered his mark c1886

The date of the case appears to be 1889

[MCB]

Hello and welcome to the forum James.

More background information is available concerning the watchcase maker Robert Gravenor.
He was born in Coventry in Jan 1852 the son of another Robert who was a house painter.
His father appears to have died when Robert was quite young. Robert junior appears on the 1871 Census aged 19 years living with his widowed mother and said he was a watchmaker.
He married Maria Johnson in April 1874. Census records show they lived at various addresses in Coventry and had 5 surviving children born between 1876 and 1885 (all of whom still lived with their parents in 1901!). None of the children followed father’s trade.
John Culme’s book on London Goldsmiths indicates Gravenor was in partnership with Albert Waterfall from April 1881- December 1885 in Coventry.
In May 1881 they entered a mark (AW.RG in an elongated oval) at the Chester Assay Office from 15 Hertford Terrace Coventry.
Gravenor entered his own mark at the Chester Office circa 1885 as stated. He also entered the same mark at Goldsmiths Hall London on 9th December 1885. He renewed his mark at Chester in 1891 and 1901. At the time your watch case was made his workshop was probably at 141 Spon Street Coventry. He had other workshops, 1891 at 35 Craven Street and 1901 at 7 The Butts both in Coventry.
Robert Gravenor died in 1925.

Of a Jas. Tierney of Ashton Old Road Manchester there was sadly no mention on the websites reviewed. On the other hand this might just be a trade name and another Forum member may have a reference book for Manchester watch makers/retailers which could throw further light on the matter.

Hopefully the above goes at least some way towards filling in the background history of the men involved in making your watch.

Mike

[floggedhorse]

User 701 and Mike, many, many thanks for your time and knowledge. It is greatly appreciated.

Kind regards

James

[silverly]

The 1881 census for Manchester lists a twenty-eight year old James Tierney at 58 Ashton New Rd. His birthplace is given as Cumberland, Carlisle.

[MCB]

Hello again James

Thanks to Silverly for picking James Tierney up on the 1881 Census.
Having now located the entry Tierney confirms he was a watchmaker. His address at Ashton New Road isn't very far from Ashton Old Road which is the address on the watch.
On the 1891 Census he was living in Levenshulme Manchester and said he was a commercial traveller rather than a watchmaker so it looks as though the watch could well have been assembled around 1889 when the case was new.
Best Wishes

Mike

[floggedhorse]

It just gets better! You have far surpassed anything I could have achieved - thank you again!

So what you’re saying

he was a commercial traveller

- not that it matters! Just adds more sentimental value in my eyes - that me great (or great great, need to research my family tree) granddaddy bought or won the watch of a gypsy probably in a pub somewhere...

Adding a bit of romanticism to the story, my family has a history farming, there was a global financial banking crises in 1890 to 1891 (who said history doesnt repeat itself)— dragged on until around 1894.
Not now, but back then, farming through a recession would have given you a few bob in your pocket! Whilst making commodities cheap. Maybe! (Isnt it funny how they have manage to reverse the norm today)

If “Time-watch” ever shows an interest — I’m sure that the line they will take “Greedy farmer fleeces pour metal worker”


Regards

Cameron

Refereance
http://ftalphaville.ft.com/blog/2010/12 ... pparently/