Looking for Watchmaker records in NSW Australia

[Tmuir]

Its a longshot but I do know we have a few other Australian members here, so maybe I'll get lucky.

I'm wondering if anyone would know where I could possibly find historical records of qualified watch makers from New South Wales Australia.

I know my grandfather (Philip Jacobs) and my great grandfather (Myer Nathan Jacobs) were both qualified watch makers and I know my great great grandfather (Marks Jacobs) owned a jewellers store that sold watches and clocks at 103 Liverpool street Sydney until he passed away in 1934, but I don't know if he was also a watch maker.

Its a silly thing really but the day I finish my training and get my basic qualification (If I ever get that far) it would be nice to know if I can call myself a third or fourth generation watchmaker.

I have found a number of news articles about my great great grandfathers store, but none give enough information to confirm if he was also a watchmaker, or if it was his store that caused his son, my great grandfather to learn the trade. Being that a lot of my tools are my grandfathers and some are my great grandfathers, but I also have tools amongst my grandfathers that are old enough to of been my great great grandfathers it would be nice to imagine they have been used in my family for over 100 years.

[oldhippy]

Genealogy could be the way forward. Have a look at this site, you will need to become a member which is free. Scroll down to where it says Australia and you can post what you need help with, I’m sure someone will help and they are fast to respond, I use it a lot and I have always had answers. Good luck.

http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php

[Tmuir]

Thanks I'll give it a look

[jdm]

 

I know my grandfather (Philip Jacobs) and my great grandfather (Myer Nathan Jacobs) were both qualified watch makers and I know my great great grandfather (Marks Jacobs) owned a jewellers store that sold watches and clocks at 103 Liverpool street Sydney until he passed away in 1934, but I don't know if he was also a watch maker.

In the decades before the passing of your great-grandfather it was common that watch case and movement were assembled by the jeweler, according to customer's taste and budget. Surely he was doing that in his shop, which in my book qualifies someone as a watchmaker. Perhaps his offspring were more qualified than him, but that's cherry picking, your heritage is there and proved.

[WillFly]

One of the best ways to get historical data on family members is to get access to census data. I'm not sure about Australia, but my sub to Ancestry.com gets me access to English and Welsh census data from 1841-1911. The census usually gives place, occupation, age, place of birth and relationship to other members of the household.

Worth a try.

[Tmuir]

It would be from the 1920s I would need to look up and in Australia and I'm pretty sure only anonymous data is available until it is 100 years old. But I do know when my Great Great grandfather died and the year he was married so may be able to get his profession from his marriage or death certificate

[jdm]

 

One of the best ways to get historical data on family members is to get access to census data. I'm not sure about Australia, but my sub to Ancestry.com gets me access to English and Welsh census data from 1841-1911. The census usually gives place, occupation, age, place of birth and relationship to other members of the household.

But the OP here knows that already:

I know my great great grandfather (Marks Jacobs) owned a jewellers store

He wants to know instead if he worked firs-hand on watches or not. No census or genealogy research can reveal that.

 

[WillFly]

Perhaps I didn't make myself clear. Census data can, in many cases, most certainly clarify someone's occupation.

For example, my g-g-grandfather owned a bootmaking business in Suffolk in 1901. But, if I go back to 1861, I see that he was a "cordwainer", i.e. a bootmaker. So, he started off as a bootmaker and progressed to being a business owner.

I had an uncle who, in 1954, was a watch repairer in the Co-operative Society shop in Bolton, Lancs. Twenty years later, he owned his own jewellery and watch business in Herne Bay, Kent. When the census data for 1951, 1961and 1971 is released, this progression will become clear to anyone checking those censuses. The 1954 census will give his occupation as something like "watch repairer"; the 1971 census will give his occupation as something like "jeweller/employer".

I've been doing my family tree research for 40 years and I can assure you that it is often possible, by looking at censuses over a period of time, to check someone's occupation(s) - which may change over time. It's not a certainty, but it's certainly a possibility.

[WillFly]

 

It would be from the 1920s I would need to look up and in Australia and I'm pretty sure only anonymous data is available until it is 100 years old. But I do know when my Great Great grandfather died and the year he was married so may be able to get his profession from his marriage or death certificate

His marriage certificate would almost certainly give his occupation/profession. Of course, I don't know the ins and outs of Australian genealogy, but I know that the first national census was in 1911. Before that, each colony held its own.

NSW: 1891 census info

Worth a try, perhaps...

[diveboy]

Theres no formal records I know of for watch makers in Australia as such.

I'm working on a database of known watchmakers within the colony and through to modern day, would you like to me go after your family ? google #aushorology for some of my initial work, on instragram. William Moreton was the first watchmaker in 1803 who didn't stick around more than a year. Ferdinand Charles Meurant was the next one who worked with William Moreton and then became one of the more successful jewellers in the colony, not bad for a convict.

via genealogy, you can use BDM certificates.

Birth will have his Father's occupation

Marriage will have his occupation

Death mixed bag, might have his occupation or it could have nothing depending on his age or what the person who filled out the death certificate knew - take it with a grain of salt before considering it gospe

 

[clockboy]

 

His marriage certificate would almost certainly give his occupation/profession. Of course, I don't know the ins and outs of Australian genealogy, but I know that the first national census was in 1911. Before that, each colony held its own.

NSW: 1891 census info

Worth a try, perhaps...

Agree not me but my wife has also researched family history for many years. Found that on my wife's side of the family tree is related to Barbara Winsor !!! Oh missis !!!  & yes the occupations are to be found as well. I think the BHI has a list of all it's members throughout the world.