Watch and Clock Industry in Coventry

I found the picture of Hearsall Lane very nostalgic. In 1954 when in my early twenties I started work at the Chain, and used to drop off the bus at the corner of Hearsall Lane so that I could go in the works top gate. The last building on the left in H L was used as a start up location for Precious Metal Depositors, who if my memory is correct was a ex RAF technical guy who won a competition run by the BBC (something like 'Tomorrows World') and used the prize money to start the bussiness. Anyone else remember?

Ah, you've triggered my memory there Chaingang - I remember Precious Metal Depositors now! A sort of Eau-de-nil coloured sign! I think they had the 'garage' before PG Oliver had it. Stanley Terrace: I am getting a very vague recall of the bus incident; I seem to recall the florist, but not the other shop. They were really well built houses though, but I suspect modern buyers wouldn't like them being so close to a busy road. (But is that a reason to demolish them? I think not!) Dutchman: That was probably 'Guillame' watch tools and material suppliers. It looks like a row of cottages on your map, doesn't it? I'll see if I can find out; but normally, you wouldn't need a place that big (i.e. the whole row) for watch tools and materials; I have tens of thousands of parts in a small (30 inch high) "Cardex" filing cabinet!

Hi dutchman. Which is Russell Terrace? I'm trying to work out house numbers in AOR pre-1900. One thing I've found out - and I suspected as much - is that there was a silk weaver and dyer in Broomfield Place; I had an inkling those topshops were for silk weavers rather than watchmakers (the windows were a bit small for watchmakers). Guillaume, though, was a London watchmaker - became Guillaume and Moore. I think the watch factory in Hearsall Buildings was Henry Smith. And it looks as if Henry Smith Jnr lived in Broomfield Place, too, just before 1900, together with quite a few watch workers (dialmakers, springers, hands makers, finishers, etc). I don't know where you got Guillaume as a watch material dealers from; normally that would imply someone selling Swiss watch parts, because English makers didn't supply parts, apart from Rotherhams and Eberhardt's. But Rotherhams imported a lot of Swiss parts - they owned Buren - so they could do it. The Coventry cottage industry watchmakers never made more than a few alike, so parts supply was virtually impossible. BTW - I see on Streetview that Lexor's factory and house has completely gone now, and several houses beyond the corner of Lord St along AOR.

It's the row between Craven Street and Duke Street I think Keith. The numbering system was changed several times in the 19th century. It was originally intended that each terrace have its own numbers! I suspect all of the buildings in Broomfield Place were weaver's cottages as also were the ones between Stanley Terrace and the Black Horse ("Black Horse Terrace"). The latter were pulled down without protest despite their massive historical significance. John Ashby's 'Spon End: A Family History Viewpoint'. They are listed in the end tables as being at No.59 Spon End between 1880 and 1912. Their outbuildings are just visible I think in the view from Hearsall Lane. Streetview is rubbish these days I'm afraid Keith. The outbuildings have gone but the house is still there, surrounded by a high blue fence. Google will not allow streetviews of it for some reason? All of the houses between Lord Street and Mount Street were replaced by a petrol station in the early 1970s. That has since been removed and is now a wasteground surrounded by another blue fence.

Dutchman. no 31 Allesley Old Road is/was no1 Russell terrace. see SP3178 : Coventry Watch Museum Project plaque on 31 Allesley Old Road

Thanks Adrian. That was my original answer but then I changed it!

I saw that no 21 was Hearsall Terrace, so was curious to see what the other houses were called. It was your message that made me look. Thanks.

And yet the row nearest to Hearsall Lane is known as Oxford Terrace. Weird, isn't it?

Yes. I read that too. i didn,t mention it, as I knew you were already aware of that.

d:-= you said:" Streetview is rubbish these days I'm afraid Keith. The outbuildings have gone but the house is still there, surrounded by a high blue fence. Google will not allow streetviews of it for some reason?" The aerial photo view on Google maps show it as cleared too. On Streetview there is a fence, blue and white, carrying "Cassidy Group" signs all the way from Lord St to Mount st, and well round the corner both ends. Lexor's main office was in the workshop rear of the house on the corner of Lord St, was it not? And I thought the petrol station was a bit further up the hill? According to the 1891 census, the following lived at 59 Spon End: 59 Spon End,1,Annie Gaillaume,Head,S,,53,Watch Material Dealer,Employer,City London,, ,,,Arthur Flavell,Son,S,27,,Cycle Manufacturer,Employer,Coventry Warwickshire,, ,,,Frederick Joseph Riley,Boardr,S,28,,Book Keeper,Employed,Manchester Lancashire,, ,,,Emily Sarah Taylor,Niece,S,,29,,,Islington London If you assume that 59 Spon End was the "watch factory" on the corner of Hearsall Lane, or the one further along on the right of the photo, I would put money on the actual use being by Arthur Flavell; it's far more in keeping with a cycle factory than a watch material dealer; one room of say 15 feet square would have been plenty for a watch material dealer. Also interesting that it's listing Annie Guillaume (the correct spelling - the original was hand-written!) and that she was from London and 53 years of age. Baillie lists George Guillaume London 1844-51, A Guillaume London 1851-69, and Guillaume and Moore, London, 1875-81. She was probably only acting as an agent with the actual stock being shipped up from London as required. Given the small size and fast daily postal service (unlike today!!) there would have been no need to carry local stocks, or at least, only minimal local stocks. I'd guess that she was George's widow, and probably needed Moore's input to keep the business going. Intriguing that Arthur Flavell is the son; she must either have used her maiden name or else co-habited with a Flavell. I'd forgotten which terraces were which in relation to modern house numbers. Thanks. In 1891, it looks as if most of the large houses along Allesley Old Rd were employers. I can easily work out which. If you could e-mail me a piece of map covering the Chapelfields area, I can note the watch people living there - would be interesting! I note that William Adams was in AOR in 1891, and Adams was the last of the Coventry watchmakers still going in the early 50s. I have been in that workshop while it was still going! Can't believe it was so long ago.....

No Keith, it was on the corner of Duke Street That's right Keith, between Lord Street and Mount Street.

It's the three storey building just out of picture on the left Keith, probably built in 1880. I've never seen a 'proper' photo of it and the building no longer exists. By 1912 it was a draper's shop occupied Mrs Flavell:

The problem with that Keith is that I don't have a single 1/500th scale map covering the whole area, just small ones covering individual post codes. Even these would break the forum width limit if posted in full. The wider maps are 1/2500th scale, relatively crude and not much use for your purposes.

There is a map of sorts on the Coventry walks website here

I think you mean on the left? That looks like the one with a top workshop behind it. I couldn't recall whether Duke, Lord Or Mount St for Lexor (I never did remember which one!!). If you put the viewpoint in Rushmoor Rd, you can just make out the house at the front of the Lexor site, with boarded-up windows and part of the roof missing. "By 1912 it was a draper's shop occupied Mrs Flavell:" which suggests that Arthur had abandoned his cycle business, and married, and then either died or left. He was single and 27 in 1891, so he would have been 48 in 1912. By 1912, there were probably mainly large cycle makers left, and the days of a small business like his in 1891 were over. If there was a shopfront between 1880 and 1912, it would have easily sufficed for Mrs Guillaume's business; and of course, if she was still alive in 1912, she would have been 74. I judge that the "watch factory" was Henry Smith junior's business, especially given that he lived in Broomfield Place in 1891. However! Balsall Common Lane - is that today's Hearsall Lane?