INDUSTRIES 



One of their watches, a fine repeater with 

 beautifully enamelled case, is of about the 

 year 1730, and another in the Dunn Gardner 

 collection has the hall-mark of 1748. Thomas 

 Grignion junior, who succeeded as head of 

 the firm, was born in 1713 and died in 1784; 

 a watch by him, in a repoussi case, is in the 

 Victoria and Albert Museum. In 1775 the 

 firm was styled Grignion & Son, and a third 

 Thomas Grignion was at the head of it 

 between 1800 and 1825. 



Eardley Norton was a well-known Clerk- 

 enwell maker living at 49, St. John Street, and 

 celebrated for his musical and astronomical 

 clocks and watches. In 1771 he patented 

 (No. 987) 'a clock which strikes the hours 

 and parts upon a principle entirely new, and 

 a watch which repeats the hours and parts, so 

 concisely contrived and disposed as to admit 

 of being conveniently contained not only in a 

 watch, but also in its appendage, such as a 

 key, seal, or trinket.' An astronomical clock 

 with four dials made by Norton for George III 

 is in Buckingham Palace. He was in business 

 from 1770 to 1794, and was succeeded by 

 Gravell & Tolkein (1794-1820), William 

 Gravell & Son (1820-50), and Robert Rolfe 

 (1850). 



A Swiss watchmaker of eminent ability, 

 Josiah Emery, came to England and settled 

 in London, carrying on business at 33, Cock- 

 spur Street, Charing Cross, between 1770 

 and 1805. Emery was one of the earliest 

 makers to adopt Mudge's invention of the 

 lever escapement, and having made a watch 

 on this principle for Count Bruhl, which 

 proved a most satisfactory timekeeper, he 

 decided to continue its use. In his evidence 

 before the House of Commons Committee 

 appointed to consider Mudge's claims to the 

 government reward he said that he had made 

 thirty-two or thirty-three such watches, and 

 that his price for them was ^150 each. 

 Emery was presented with the honorary 

 freedom of the Clockmakers' Company on 

 2 April 1781 ; there is a watch by him with 

 ruby cylinder, helical balance spring, and 

 compensation curb, in the Guildhall Museum. 



Louis Recordon, who succeeded Emery, 

 was in business for himself in 1780 at Greek 

 Street, Soho. In that year he patented a 

 pedometer-winding for watches, 13 a contriv- 

 ance by which the motion of the wearer's 

 body is utilized for winding. Recordon lived 

 until 1810, and the business next passed into 

 the hands of Peter Des Granges, who retired 

 in 1842, when his shop and its goodwill was 

 acquired by Edward John Dent. 



u 1 8 Mar. 1780, no. 1249. 



John Leroux was a maker of high repute 

 who was settled between 1760 and 1800 at 

 8, Charing Cross. He was admitted to the 

 honorary freedom of the Clockmakers' Com- 

 pany in 1781, and there is a fine watch by 

 him dated 1785 in the Guildhall Museum. 



Space will only allow of very brief mention 

 of makers of note in the igth century. 

 James Tregent (1770-1804), a celebrated 

 French maker who settled in London, first in 

 the Strand and afterwards in Cranbourne 

 Street, was watchmaker to the Prince of Wales, 

 and intimate with Garrick, Sheridan, and 

 other celebrities of the stage. Joseph Anthony 

 Berollas (1800-30), of Denmark Street, St. 

 Giles's, and afterwards of Coppice Row, 

 Clerkenwell, was an ingenious maker. In 

 1 808 H he patented a repeater, in i8io 15 a 

 warning watch, and in 1 827 an alarum 

 watch and pumping keyless arrangement. 

 William Anthony (? 1764-1844) was one of 

 the most expert watchmakers of his day, and 

 specimens of his work are highly prized ; his 

 place of business was in Red Lion Street, St. 

 John's Square. William Hardy (1800-30) 

 was a skilful maker, living in Coppice Row, 

 Coldbath Square, Clerkenwell. He devised, 

 among other inventions, an escapement for 

 clocks, which obtained a gold medal and prize 

 of fifty guineas from the Society of Arts. A 

 firm of well-known makers, which continued 

 for about one hundred years at the same 

 address, was started by Robert Storer in 1 743 

 at II, Berkeley Court, Clerkenwell. Walter 

 Storer, great-grandson of the founder of the 

 firm, retired about 1840 and died at Olney 

 in 1865." 



Among the principal chronometer makers 

 within the county of Middlesex two present- 

 day firms, those of Barwise and Frodsham, 

 require special mention. The first-named 

 firm was founded by John Barwise in 1790 

 at St. Martin's Lane, and was afterwards 

 removed to 3, Bury Street, St. James's. The 

 British Press of 1 8 February 1811 describes 

 an attack made by highwaymen on John 

 Barwise whilst on his way to Dulwich. 

 Barwise was associated in 1841 with Alex. 

 Bain in a patent for electric clocks. 18 The 

 present firm holds patents for a wristband 

 watch and other inventions. 



" No. 3174, 31 Oct. " No. 3342, 26 May. 



" No. 5489, 28 Apr. ; no. 5586, 13 Dec. 



17 The writer has to express his great indebted- 

 ness to Mr. F. J. Britten's admirable and exhaustive 

 work, Qld Clocks and Watches, and gratefully acknow- 

 ledges that author's kindness in personally afford- 

 ing him information. 



"No. 8783, II Jan. 



163 



