Jenkins & Co, Clocks

[minstrel]

My brother has just purchased a clock made by Seth Thomas of Thomastown in America. Seth Thomas was apparently a renowned maker of fine clocks in the mid 1800's onwards. The clock face has Jenkins & Co, Merthyr on the face. I have checked with Thomastown, now Thomaston, in USA & there is no connection with Thomastown Merthyr as it was named in honour of Seth Thomas.
My questions: Jenkins & Co was clearly the seller of this clock but was this a well known Merthyr company? Did they make clocks & watches too? Are there any records of Jenkins & Co?

[rachelb]

I have copied this from
From Slaters Commercial Directory, 1858-1859.
Transcribed by Phil Mustoe
Accessed by typing Clockmakers, Merthyr into Google.

Watch and Clock Makers
Beynon Lewis E., High st
Clarke Wm. Jas., High st, Aberdare
Davies Job, Pen-y-darran
Davies William, High st
Eshley Felix (clock only), Aberdare
Evans Thomas, Cardiff st, Aberdare
Evans Thomas (and Berlin wool warehouse), High st
Hug Constantine, Pont Morlais, High st
Jenkins Thomas Jenkin, High st
Meredith William, High st
Park William, Cardiff st, Aberdare
Pfaff Andrew, (German clock), High st
Probert William, Dowlais
Rombach Albert, High st
Sherborne James, Aberdare
Weight Edmund, High st
Williams James David (& optician), High st
Hope this will be of help in further tracing.

Rachel Bowen

[minstrel]

Rachel:

Thanks. I'm baffled by Google sometimes! Having read your message, I put Clockmakers, Merthyr into Google & it produced zip all. I will try again later. If you can find me the web address, should it work again for you, I'd much appreciate it.

[rachelb]

www.genuki.org.uk:8080/big/wal/GLA/MerthyrTydfil/Slaters-Merthyr.html

There it is - as you say, Google does not always come up with what you want. It brings up a million things, but not the precise thing you asked for.
I find I have to go on looking through many pages of stuff before I find something which might lead to what I want.

I haven't typed in Slaters to see if it gives any more leads, or contacted the person who transcribed the directory to see if they know of any other information about what is in this directory.

Good hunting,
Rachel

[rachelb]

I'd actually put Clockmakers, Merthyr Tydfil - this must have made a difference,
By the way, are you in the U.K. or the States?
I'm in France - I never lived in Merthyr, but an ancestor was agent for Lady Charlotte Guest and was trying to find info about him when I came across the Old Merthyr site.

Rachel

[minstrel]

Rachel:

Thanks for the extra info. I looked up Slaters & it came up with 54 pages of trades etc for Merthyr; very interesting. I am a Jenkins. The last of my direct ancestors to live in Merthyr was my grandfather. In the 1880's we owned the Thomastown Brickworks etc. I live in the centre of England now. Did you find the Guest info you needed?

[rachelb]

Unfortunately I didn't find the info. It must exist somewhere, but many of the originals are hard to access as they haven't been scanned or converted to screen readable text. I rely on the internet as I no longer live in the U.K.
I am however going to Cardiff in October, and hope to be able to look up some things personally.
There was also a Bowen cabinet maker in Carmarthen, who I think was some connection with the family, but again, I don't seem able to find the link to any info for this firm.
The Bowen who was Lady Charlotte's Agent, realoly did exist, even though some people have tried to say that She didn't have an agent. I did have a letter from him at one time, but as a result of my many moves, I no longer know where it is.
Rachel