Watch and Clock Industry in Coventry

Adrian, dutchman, I was a bit puzzled by the apparent 12 buildings in Russell Terrace! Maybe someone couldn't count!! In 1861 census, Poilland Terrace appears too. I thought "Portland Terrace", but the numbering doesn't fit; and there's no number indicated for Poilland Terrace. (I think someone went mad on Terraces!!) So far as Adams is concerned, "No Keith, that was on the north side (odd numbers) and is still there. Allesley Terrace was on the south side (even numbers) and much closer to Maudslay Road than Adams' place. " - you've lost me with this statement! I don't know where William Hill's is. I remember, going from the Maudslay Road/AOR junction, the Maudslay Hotel, then Old Road Garage, then a quite long row of shops, which used to end in Johnson's hardware and ironmongery store, then there were a few more properties, then a wide span of grass, and finally the turning into the old Four Pounds Ave,which was later made a dual carriageway, when it was adopted. Adams was in the top/back workshop behind the last building before Four Pounds. I don't know if one of the Adams's was still alive then, it may have just been the business name; they certainly weren't making any watches, just doing repairs. And, incidentally, there was no back garden as such, just a narrow passageway leading to the steel staircase up to the workshop. Also in the early 50s there was still a row of houses - about 6, I'd judge - opposite the garage and shops, but they had all been burned out in the Blitz, and were derelict. All of them fronted directly onto the pavement, and they had virtually no back gardens, but were quite substantial properties. They were all obviously Victorian. They were replaced with a row of three or four shops, with a wide pavement in front, about 1960-ish as I remember.

Or indeed, read! I'm pretty sure 'Poilland Terrace' is a simple misspelling of 'Portland Terrace'.

OOPS! No, it's me that can't read! After "Russell Terrace 11", unoccupied, the next entry is "Portland Terrace 12", then "Richmond Villa 13" Apologies, chaps - glad I revisited the census

The 1861 census is pretty confusing! And the map must be what, 1844? Interesting that the partners in building them are Joseph Olorenshaw and W M Hill (and Swan the builder). Craven St ended up nothing much like that plan, didn't it? What was the Terrace called in Craven St (I thought that was Hearsall Terrace, but obviously not)? It intrigues me that in the 1861 census there are an awful lot of Prussian and other German Jews, mostly in the watchmaking trade, in Coventry - strange, because they weren't persecuted in Prussia (Frankfurt, however, was very anti-Semitic, as were some other states), indeed, many left Russia and settled in East Prussia for that very reason. By 1891, they seem to have disappeared, but there was a Russian rabbi living in Craven St!! Maybe Bismarck's policy of setting up a welfare state in the 1880s encouraged them to return home; although, by then, a united Germany had become less tolerant (Bismarck had schemed to put Catholics and Jews outside the law - as well as socialists, a lot of whom were Jewish). Possibly they had emigrated again, either to the US or Switzerland, both of which were tolerant and major watchmaking nations.

And probably contains errors too. It's best to take an average of several census returns so as to get a feeling for what should be where. Yes Keith, something like that. Nor Allesley Old Road Craven Terrace! It still exists along with its workshops in Hearsall Lane. Mrs Gwen Dunne famously used her's as a giant aviary!

The problem I find most with the 1861 census is the weird layout! Instead of going street by street, it suddenly changes from one side of a street to another street, and if there are courts, etc., it can be quite hard going to pick it up again!! And then of course, that's where you make mistakes yourself - you probably miss something buried somewhere else. Thanks for Craven Terrace info. I think it's all clear now, the operative word being 'think'!

The three-story mid-terrace building which houses the newsagents predates the watch trade and was built on the site of the nursery after which the nearby pub was named. The driveway next to it is (or was) the entrance to the nursery. At one time the space between the buildings was filled by a greenhouse or conservatory. This is not the corner of Lord Street which is out of picture to the left. A shop front has been built out onto the front garden of the former watchmaker's house in the foreground, a common practice at the time.

You never cease to amaze me Dutchman, I think we will have to start calling you Dr Who. You seem to have been everywhere and know all about it (clever research I know) That is what makes this website unique - you and other fellow members of this forum. Well done for last year's efforts everyone

So that must be between Lord St and Mount St? I'm wondering what the gap was... And the building to its left looks nowt like a watchmaker's house, does it? Saying the newsagent predates the watch trade - what date do you think it is then? I wouldn't have thought it earlier than 1845.

Cheers, Dreamtime

Wish I knew Keith, my maps only go back to 1888. I probably should have said the nursery business predates the watchtrade. It was probably a different style of building back then. There were still a substantial number of trees in front of and behind what was a double-fronted villa in 1988 and the gap is shown as being covered in glass.

M'mm, I'd have expected the house - or houses - to be at least mid-19th century, from the building style. Always difficult to be certain with Victorian buildings, since the style didn't change much from about 1835-40 until after 1914 for 'ordinary' houses. Given the substantial size, and the quality of the building, I'd have expected it to be a pretty wealthy owner! And of course, older maps are often inaccurate, aren't they, often things weren't built as intended. In 1891, four employers are listed in Portland Terrace: William Hammon, Richard Fennel, Charles BAnd, and Sarah Fleckner. The last two being gold case makers, the first two watchmakers - substantial ones. That would tie in with four expensive houses!

Just browsed the 1911 census, between Lord Street and Mount Street are : 51 AORd Frederick Trahern, Watch Case Manufacturer 53 "Overdale" Eliza Richmond, Private Means 55 "Maywood" James George Jelley, Managing Director Cycle Trade 57 Joseph William Player, Watch & Chronometer Manufacturer 59 Arthur John Randle, Cycle & Motor Agent "Portland House" Sarah Ann Fleckner, Private Means On the other side of Mount Street are : "Richmond Villa" Arthur Percy Kinder, Watch Manufacturer "Sandown" John Fennell, Musical Instruments Dealer (This is particularly interesting to me as there is an 8 year old son, Walter John Fennell, who I knew over 50 years later in the family store in the Lower Precinct) Next is 4 Sir Thomas Whites Road Interesting how the trades are changing from the watch industry to cycle and motor trades

Certainly does show the change into the cycle trade, doesn't it? I remember Fennell's had I think a TV/radio shop - certainly something musical - long before the Precinct. Sarah Fleckner must have retired - hence private means. British watch case - and complete watch - manufacturers couldn't compete with the Swiss in any sense, except for the best quality goods. English guild rules meant that for a watch case to be claimed as gold or silver, it must have more than 25 pennyweights of the precious metal in it; Swiss cases rarely had more than 4 pennyweights. Consequently, whereas an English keyless lever watch in 1906, in 18ct gold cost £25-30 (open face) £39 (half-hunter), a Swiss 18ct open face cost £11-2-0d, and a Swiss 18ct half-hunter £12. The Swiss practised other things to undercut too - like the deception of making a movement with jewelled holes in the visible back plate, and unjewelled holes in the bottom plate. Easy to see why English makers couldn't compete. Ultimately, even the Americans couldn't (Waltham, etc)! Thomas and Emma Kinder were at 37 Craven St 1864-9; but reputedly moved to Richmond Villa in 1868, and Thomas jnr was still in business in 1912, making high-class watches and chronographs, and living still in Richmond Villa. J W Player is interesting. Joseph Player started in the Butts at No 18, in 1858; moved to Jordan Well in 1871; back to the Butts in 1886, and was still there when he died in 1895. Joseph William carried on the business, giving up to Swiss competition in 1910. He then went to work for Zenith, Le Locle, Switzerland, and as their British representative from 1913 (his wife, Laure Jacob was from Le Locle, and a skilled watch adjuster). He was a pillar of the BHI. He is reputed to have made the most complex English watch ever made, an English lever one minute tourbillon, with perpetual calendar, equation of time, sunrise, sunset, tides, phases and ages of the moon and other astronomical features. He died on 13 July 1956. He was also an instructor in watchmaking at the Coventry Technical Institute. Something to get your teeth into!

That must have been prior to street renumbering as the current 37 Craven Street is a modest journeyman's house with very limited attic workshop space. Certainly no way the occupants could have afforded a move to Richmond Villa. For reference purposes the Hearsall Inn is thought to have been 23 Craven Street but is now 45-47.