Friday 30 November 2012

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


Tel: 0131 535 1405
Fax: 0131 535 1430




Thursday 29 November 2012

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"):