Tuesday 9 October 2012

Watch No. 7629 - a slight diversion - third instalment

Its over a year since I started this blog and I'm afraid that I've been silent for a long while. However I have been doing a little more research into William Henderson, Watchmaker, Dundee whose watch paper is in the outer case of my own Kover pocketwatch.

My previous posts relating to William Henderson are:

Watch No. 7629 - a slight diversion - first instalment
Watch No. 7629 - a slight diversion - second instalment

I have now discovered the following:

William Henderson was only 28 when he died at 32 Nethergate, Dundee on 27th (or 28th) April 1852; here is the announcement from the Dundee Courier of 5th May 1852:




I have, so far been unable to find any burial record for Mr Henderson. However I have found his testament which was lodged at Dundee Sheriff Court on 14th May 1852. Unfortunately the image that I have of the testament is Crown Copyright so I can't reproduce it here. I find the will quite difficult to read because of my unfamiliarity with 1850s handwriting but here is a summary of what I have discovered so far:

  • The date of death is given as 28th April 1852 - this differs by one day from the date given in the Dundee Courier.
  • The testament was lodged in the presence of John Irving Henderson Esquire, Advocate Commissary Depute of Forfarshire Dundee District and Mr James Shield Writer in Dundee.
  • Valuation, by John McLean Beatts, Licensed Appraiser Dundee, of Stock In Trade, Household Furniture, Shop Fittings and Other Effects belonging to the deceased amounted to £343 8s 5d.
  • Book debts due to the deceased totalled £63 19s 7d. - made up of 76 individual debts. There is the following note: "From the circumstances of many of the debtors - contra accounts had by them against the deceased (??) otherwise the total account recoverable can not be estimated at more than £30".
  • William's Mother is named as Christian Marshall or Henderson residing in Stirling; she inherited everything remaining after payment of all just and lawful debts.
I intend to look through the names of debtors and try to find a burial record for William in Stirling as I have discovered nothing relevant in the Dundee Burial records.

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