March Oddments.

Eight-day longcase clock with rolling moon c.1800 by Thomas Dickinson of Boston, in oak.

 

An advert for Willer and Riley's peas.

 

 

Roller and Harrow made by C & C Wright of Boston.

 

 

Strait Bargate.

 

 

The London warehouse stood near the Sam Newsom Music centre.

 

 

The Sluice Bridge signal box.

 

 

Two clocks.

The Haven Bridge clock.

The Haven Bridge clock was fitted by Managing Director Mr. J.V. Aaron in 1975, on the then premises of Boston Divers Ltd.

Originally buying and planning to put up the old Willer and Riley clock he found out it would take up too much space so in the end settled for the electric one pictured above. Mr. Aaron, said at the time that four clocks had been taken down or stopped working in recent years and as his office was in a busy area he thought a clock would be useful to motorists going over the bridge.

Willer and Riley's clock.

At the West Street end of Queen Street, where Aldi's supermarket now stands, stood the old Willer and Riley factory and in the apex of the gable facing toward the street was a circular opening that graced a clock. The clock was removed by Boston Corporation in about 1974 and placed into their Broadfield Street depot for storage and was purchased by Mr. Aaron as stated above. Since he could not use the clock it was sold to Bert Fleet (then Chairman of Directors at Fogarty's) whose stated intention was to erect a small tower within the entrance of Fogarty's Havenside works and install the clock therein. Unfortunately Mr. Fleet died before this was accomplished and Mr. Aaron had no idea what happened to the clock.    Does anyone know where it went?..............

Bothamleys Clock

For many years Bothamleys (opposite the present Marks and Spencer store, in the premises now occupied by Timpson's key cutters and Thornton's chocolate shop) had a clock hung from the wall of this building. It had been in its present position for about sixty years and was still in working order when it was taken down in about 1927 when they gave up and sold off their stock.

The clock was due to be sold or scrapped but it was hoped that it would be spared and the suggestion was made that the Corporation might purchase it and erect it in the Cattle Market, Bargate Green or the Dock where it would continue a useful public service. The timepiece was operated from inside the premises, the works being operated with a rod.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Bargate Clock.

In 1922, before setting up business on his own Mr. S.T. Hopper worked for Claypoole, jewellers, of 16 Strait Bargate. Outside Claypoole's business hung a most impressive clock in the shape of an old fob watch which can just be seen in the picture below.

Mr. Claypoole died in 1926 and Mr. Hopper took over the business premises in his own name in the same year. A clock bearing Hopper's name was eventually put on the building (see below) and until 1968 /69 when Hopper's moved to their Market Place property the clock outside the jewellers told Bostons' shoppers the time. Come sun or rain, wind or snow, the only time it let anyone down was when there was a power cut and even then it was only for a matter of  minutes.

It was perhaps the most reliable clock in the town and yet for the last 25 years of its life it had been running without a weatherproof casing ! This was damaged and cracked during the second world war and resulted in the glass facing falling off. Most clocks would have given up there and then, but not this one, it carried on, just as reliable as it was when Hopper's erected it above their then new premises. The clock though didn't go with them to the Market Place and shoppers, out of habit, looking up for the time wondered where it had gone.
Well, although it doesn't sound the sort of way to treat an old veteran, the simple answer was that the old clock was sold to a local scrap merchant. Hopper's also supplied the clock that was on a building near Bargate Bridge (which is now at the Boston Golf Club) and also the wall clock that was at Parkinsons in George Street for a number of years. Another interesting fact is that aircraft instruments were assembled above the shop during the Second World War.

Boston Clockmaker

　

The Bothamley family made clocks for at least four generations in and around Boston.

William Bothamley.

The earliest clockmaking member was William Bothamley who was born about 1715. William married Mary Parkinson in 1745 and their children included one named after Mary's maiden name, Parkinson Bothamley, born in 1751, and who was to carry on the next generation of clockmaking.
William died in April 1759 aged forty four, his death left a young family of several children, young Parkinson Bothamley being only eight years old.

Above: Bothamleys shop on the extreme right.

Parkinson Bothamley.

Parkinson was married in 1771 to Elizabeth Wade, at which time he would have been twenty years old. He was first recorded as a clockmaker in the trade directory at Boston for 1791, after this we hear of him in1811 when he is established in the High Street. Parkinson was still listed as trading in 1823 (then aged seventy two), but by 1826 the business was already in the name of his son, Benjamin. Parkinson lived on till 1845, when he was ninety four years old.

Above: a Bothamley clock face.

Benjamin Bothamley.

Benjamin Bothamley was born in 1799 and his name first seems to have headed the Boston business, now located in the Market Place, in 1826, when he would have been twenty seven years old. He was married twice and had ten children in all, amongst them a son born in 1832, Henry William, who was later to carry on the Boston business. Benjamin's name appears in the trades directories till 1856. He died in 1860.

Above: a Bothamley wall clock.

Henry William Bothamley.

From 1861 Henry William ran the shop. His son, Alfred, who was born in 1860 remained a bachelor and the business closed with his death in 1929.

Above: Bothamleys shop in the Market Place, on the same site as the first picture.