So Who Was Frederic Stubbs?

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 …

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?

Bells tuned by chipping away at the bellmetal

Modern-day tuning by shaving the bell inner

The resulting swarf from modern-day bell tuning

        

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posted by lynneaboutloughborough

With apologies for typos which are all mine!

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