On a recent
amble around town, I happened to enter a building and spotted a very
interesting clock on the wall, the hands frozen at 29-and-a-half minutes past
five o’clock, but on what day, I had no idea. It was a very simple but smart wooden-surrounded
wall clock, with Roman numerals for hours, and was rather like those you might
see gracing a doctor’s waiting room, or maybe a solicitor’s waiting room. Just
below the centre of the clockface was a recess into which the key would be
placed, to wind the mechanism that made the clock work. The analogue clock had
an hour hand which was a plain, ruler-straight pointer, while the shorter minute
hand ended in a bulbous point. There was no second hand.
Anyway, as
there was a name and location on the clock face, I decided to investigate
further …
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| A wall clock from Loughborough by Stubbs - with thanks to AJ for the photo |
Location – Loughborough!
Well, no need to delve too deeply into that one as that’s what this whole blog
is about!! But what of the name? F. Stubbs – Frederic Stubbs, jeweller, watch
and clock maker and repairer …
It’s possible
that Joseph Stubbs, married Sarah Wale on 10 October 1814, when both were aged
17. The couple had many children, including, but not exclusively, Samuel, who
was born on 27 December 1820; Mary; Joseph; William, and Ann, most of whom were
born in Normanton on Soar. Meanwhile, in 1815, over in Manchester (I think), one Janet Tate (or possibly
Tait) came into the world, and one Robert Alcorn was born in Scotland in 1820. While,
over in Norton in Derbyshire, around 1825, one Mary Ann Allen was born, to
parents as yet unidentified.
In 1838, John
Alcorn married Janet Tate, and had several children, including Mary, Robert, Janet,
Agnes, and Elizabeth Margaret Ann, Elizabeth being born in 1851, the family
living at Cheadle. Samuel Stubbs didn’t marry Mary Ann Allen until 1846, and
their children included William, John, Annie, Frank, and Frederic, the latter
being born in 1852 in Normanton on Soar.
Both families
– the Alcorns and the Stubbs – continued to live in Cheadle and Normanton
respectively, until in 1871, we find the Alcorns living in Rectory Cottage on
Toothill Road, Loughborough, and the Stubbs living at 31 Swan Street,
Loughborough. John Alcorn is a Baptist minister at the Wood Gate Baptist chapel,
and Samuel Stubbs is tailor and woollen making employing three men. Frederic
Stubbs, son of Samuel, is an apprentice watchmaker, and by 1876, Frederic
Stubbs begins to be listed in the trade directories.
Presumably
the Stubbs family were Baptist chapel goers? In 1878 Frederic Stubbs marries Elizabeth
Margaret Ann Alcorn, the service taking place at the Wood Gate Baptist chapel,
where her father was minister. The jewellery and clock and watch making
business begins to flourish, and in 1880 we find Frederic offering a 5s reward
for the return of a gold-coloured brooch, with a buckle pattern, which had been
lost between the Congregational Chapel (on Orchard Street) and Fennel Street.
By 1881, Frederic is now a retail watchmaker, employing two men, two boys, and one
woman. The family, which as well as Frederic and Elizabeth themselves, now
includes two daughters, Margaret Ethel (aged 1) and Ada Annie (aged 4 months)
are living at 19 Market Place. Also on the 1881 census return, Frederic’s parents,
and two of his siblings are living at 83 Coben Street, and sister Ellen is listed
as a shop assistant: no particular shop type is quoted, but perhaps she was the
‘one woman’ assisting Frederic? Meanwhile, Elizabeth’s parents, John and Janet,
have moved away from Loughborough, to Basford.
Frederic
begins to advertise his business far and wide! In a Melton Mowbray newspaper,
Mr Stubbs advises customers that he’s selling fashionable silver jewellery –
brooches, earrings, silver band bracelets and bangles, and watches.
Sadly, in June
1883 Frederic’s sister, Sarah died, aged 24, and this was followed in August by
the death of their father, Samuel. Frederic’s brother William, a draper on High
Street Tutbury, and John, a cornfactor in Derby, were the executors of their
father’s will, and this was proved in September, the effects being £507 7s. 2d..
Frederic had the task of selling the family properties in Brook Street,
Wymeswold, which consisted of three dwelling houses, with workshops and
outbuildings, and large gardens, which altogether amounted to about 2,000
square yards. The auctioneer involved was Mr William Armstrong, based at 33
Cattle Market.
More
newspaper adverts began to appear: a Melton newspaper reports that Mr Stubbs has
new stock in hallmarked 9-carat gold, and is selling keepers at 5/9, 6/6, 7/6,
and 8/6 each, and according to the Hinckley Times, Frederic Stubbs is now
selling keyless watches for boys, which come in a nickel silver case, at a cost
of 10/6..
At some
point, the Alcorns had moved to Lytham St Annes, and it is here in 1886 that
Janet, mother of Elizabeth Stubbs, nee Alcorn, dies. Her death is followed in
1891 by that of her husband, John Alcorn.
Back with Frederic,
and in 1890 one of his assistants is Thomas Weston, who lives in Hastings
Street. Thomas works at the jewellery business, but also goes out to customers
in their homes to mend their clocks and watches, carrying his watchmaking tools
around in his Gladstone bag.
 |
| Examples of factory-made pocket watches at the Herbert Museum and Art Gallery, Coventry |
The Stubbs family
is burgeoning along with the business, and another four children have joined
Margaret and Ada as seen in the 1891 census return. John Lewis is aged 9,
Frederick Horace E. is aged 4, and Winifred Nora A. is aged 3. Frederic’s 66-year-old
mother is living at 17 Ashby Road, with her daughter, Ellen, who is a jeweller’s
assistant, undoubtedly in Frederic’s shop.
Newspaper
adverts are now bigger and advertise more of Frederic’s products. a Melton
Mowbray newspaper carries an advert for Frederic Stubbs’ goods, as he has new
stock, with modern patterns, and novelties in silver and electro-plate which
include fruit spoons, bread forks, muffiners, mustard pots, salts in cases,
butter dishes and knives, marmalade dishes, breakfast cruets and more! Any of
these would make suitable Christmas presents!
In June 1897,
Frederic Stubbs had made the chains for Loughborough’s mayoress, and he
displayed these in his shop window, at 19 Market Street, for the public to see.
A similar situation had occurred in 1889 at the Incorporation of the Borough,
when the mayor’s chains had been made by Ernest Baldwin, which he had displayed
in his shop window.
As well as
selling sterling silverware that was suitable for wedding or birthday gifts,
Frederic Stubbs also provided the enamel and gilt drawing-room clock which was
presented to Miss Edith Chester, a stalwart of the Weslyan Chapel on Leicester
Road, upon her marriage to the Rev T.H. Barratt.
Frederic Stubbs
also began to be called as an ‘expert witness’ in cases where people had tried
to pass counterfeit coins. In one particular case in 1900, a jeweller and
silversmith, Frederic Stubbs, examined about 12 coins and after testing them
declared they were counterfeit shillings, being made of base metal, with a very
thin coating of silver.
On 15th November 1900, Mary Ann Stubbs, mother of Frederic, of 17 Ashby Road,
Loughborough, died at Tutbury. Probate was granted on 5 February 1901 to
William Stubbs, Frederic’s brother, the draper (in Tutbury), and Frederic
Stubbs himself, the jeweller. Effects were £218 8s. 5d..
In September
1906, the following headline appeared:
“LOUGHBOROUGH
WATERWORKS. INAUGURATION OF THE BLACKBROOK SCHEME. INTERESTING PROCEEDINGS.”
The ‘Leicester
Daily Post’ were reporting upon the completion of the Blackbrook reservoir.
One might have to try hard to imagine what exactly this might have to do with a
local jeweller …
The ceremony
on this occasion was the laying of the final stone – a block of grey Aberdeen
granite, which at six feet long formed a capping stone of the centre pier of
the parapet wall on the down-stream side. The inscribed stone was placed in
position by Joseph Griggs, who had been the first mayor of Loughborough, and in
order to ensure the stone was level, he used a silver spirit level which had
been created by Stubbs. The spirit level was a representation of the dam and
bridge, with the outflow tunnel shown below, the slopes of the dam on each side
being accurately given. The banks on each side were also represented, and on
the front slope were two coats of arms, one being of Mr Griggs’ arms, the other
the Corporation armorial bearings, executed in coloured enamel. The level was
inscribed: ‘Presented to Joseph Griggs, Esq., J.P., D.L., on the occasion of
the opening by him of the Blackbrook Reservoir, 12th September 1906.’ The whole
was mounted on a plinth made from ebony, and had its own special carrying case.
The stone itself was also incised with a similar inscription. Councillor James
Cartwright was also presented with gifts made by Frederic Stubbs – a pair of
sterling silver candelabra, and a silver rose bowl. All these presentation gifts
were displayed after the event, in the window of Frederic Stubbs’ shop for a
few days for all to see.
In a similar
vein, Frederic Stubbs also made a silver vase and a diamond brooch pendant for the
Squire of Garendon, Mr Everard de Lisle, and his wife, in celebration of their
return to Garendon Hall in 1907, after a prolonged absence. Later that same
year, Frederic Stubbs made a ceremonial key of silver gilt, in a renaissance
style, with bold carvings on one side, and on the other the arms of the Girls
High School in coloured enamel, with the school motto on the sides. The key was
presented on the occasion of the opening of the extension to the school, and it
carried a suitable commemorative inscription on the head, and was kept safely
in its own special case.
 |
| An example of a ceremonial key, at the Herbert Museum and Art Gallery, Coventry |
In 1911, at the
time the census was taken, Frederic Stubbs was visiting a cousin – Truman Joseph
Cook, in Rydal Mount, Hereford, while his sister and sales assistant, Ellen is
with Frederic’s wife, Elizabeth, and their children – Margaret aged 31, Ada
Annie aged 30, and also a jeweller’s assistant, John Lewis a bank cashier, aged
29, Frederick Horace, a jewellery and clock repairer aged 24, and Winifred aged
23.
We jump now
to 1924, 12th June to be precise, which is when Elizabeth Margaret Ann, wife of
Frederic Stubbs, died. I have been unable to trace the death of Frederic
himself, but can only assume that he had died by May 1925. This is because this
was around the time that the Corporation of Loughborough, as it was at the
time, looking to widen some of the streets in the town centre. This included
what I assume to be the compulsory purchase of 19 Market Place, the former
jewellery shop belonging to Frederic Stubbs. On 27th May, the ‘Leicester
Evening Mail’ carried the following report:
“ARBITER’S AWARD.
Loughborough
Scheme for Street Improvement.
The arbiter’s
award in connection with market place, Loughborough, shop of the late Mr. F.
Stubbs, jeweller, is notified to the Corporation as £2,600. The shop is
required for street improvements, and the Corporation offered £2,250, whereas
Stubbs’ trustees under assignment, claimed £4,550. Under the award, the
Corporation are to pay costs and £35 towards the claimant’s costs.”
This was the
first arbitration under the street improvement scheme, and possibly the end of
an era for a number of businesses. In 1939, Frederic and Elizabeth’s son, Frederick
Horace E. (known as Horace), is listed in the register as a bellfounder’s
assistant and bell tuner. Perhaps he took to this profession when the jewellery
shop in which he worked was demolished in the street improvement scheme?
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| Bells tuned by chipping away at the bellmetal |
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| Modern-day tuning by shaving the bell inner |
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| The resulting swarf from modern-day bell tuning |
______________________________________________
posted by
lynneaboutloughborough
With apologies for
typos which are all mine!
_______________________________________________
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Dyer, Lynne (2023).
So Who Was Frederic Stubbs? Available from: https://lynneaboutloughborough.blogspot.com/2023/04/so-who-was-frederic-stubbs.html Accessed: 16 April 2023
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