Reader Correspondence relating to Rattray & Co (Jewellers) Ltd

I received the following email from a reader, Michael Riska. Although it doesn't help in my search for the other Kover watches, it is nice to know that the blog is, nevertheless, of use to those who have other interests.

First I have to say that sadly I don’t know anything about the Kover watches you are seeking. But I do want to send you my thanks for the research you have done.

I collect a few American watches but mostly I collect clocks. I recently acquired an English White Dial "Gallery" clock with the name Rattray 32 Nethergate, Dundee on the dial.

While trying to do a little research on the name Rattray, I ran across your work on  Kover Watches. Your posting of the Dundee Directories on 32 Nethergate contained the dates that Rattray was at this address (1866/1867).

Although I’ll probably never find out who built the clock, I was very excited to find out that Rattrays was at 32 Nethergate on those two years. At least I have a very close idea of when the clock was made or sold or even displayed.

So anyway, "Thanks for your hard work and professional postings". Saved me many hours of work!

I was able to reply to Michael as follows:

Thanks for your email. You may be interested in the attached email correspondence between me and the National Register of Archives for Scotland, whom I contacted to try to discover whether their archive relating to Rattray & Co (Jewellers) Ltd contained anything about taking over the shop at 32 Nethergate from William Henderson. The attachment to that email refers to a Stock book, 1862-1968; I guess this might be of interest to you.

The email attachment referred to above was a catalogue of documents containing the following: 

NRAS3864	1862-1968	Rattray & Company (Jewellers) Ltd, Dundee                          Stock book, 1862-1968; general notebook, 1902-56; scrapbook, 1862-1904.
NRAS3864/1	1862-1904	Scrapbook detailing clocks, medals etc made by Rattrays for customers in the Dundee area Includes newspaper cuttings and sepia photographs.
NRAS3864/2	1902-1956	Indexed Notebook (Contains loose photos, bills and correspondence) detailing orders, stock, sketches of work done.
NRAS3864/3	1897-1940	Stock Book (Includes description of goods, date bought, date sold and prices paid).
NRAS3864/4	1886-1968	Indexed Stock Book (Includes small sketches of work done).

The contact details for the National Register of Archives for Scotland are:
 

National Register of Archives for Scotland

HM General Register House

2 Princes St.

Edinburgh

EH1 3YY

E-mail: nra@nas.gov.uk 
Website: http://www.nas.gov.uk

Tel: 0131 535 1405

Fax: 0131 535 1430

Epitaph on a Tombstone in Lydford Churchyard, Devon

I found a blank picture post card (circa 1920) in a box in our attic. Although there is absolutely no connection, as far as I know, with the watchmaker Kover, I thought the Epitaph might amuse my readers. Here is the text:

Here lies in a horizontal position

The outward case of

George Routleigh, Watchmaker.

Whose abilities in that line were an honour

To his profession.

Integrity, was the mainspring,

And prudence the regulator

Of all the actions of his life.

Humane, generous, an'liberal,

His hand never stopped

Till he had relieved distress.

So nicely regulated were all his motions

That he never went wrong,

Except when set agoing

By people

Who did not know

His key,

Even then he was easily

Set right

He had the art of disposing of his time

So well,

That his hours glided away

In one continual round

Of pleasure and delight

Till an unlucky minute put a period to

His existence.

He departed this life

November 14, 1802,

Aged 57,

Wound up

In hope of being taken in hand

By his Maker

And of being thoroughly cleaned and repaired

And set agoing

In the world to come.
 

I found many references to the Epitaph on George Routleigh's grave, here are a couple (for more links simply search for "george routleigh watchmaker" or "george routledge watchmaker"):

http://www.legendarydartmoor.co.uk/Watchmakersgrave.htm

http://www.devonheritage.org/Places/Lydford/TheWatchmakersEpitaph.htm