Gingerbread Mantle Clock

In 2016, I shared the story of an Elgin pocket watch passed down to my husband by his uncle, Ralph Murphy. Today, I share another treasure from Uncle Ralph’s collection: a Waterbury gingerbread mantel clock.

This ornate antique clock was produced by the Waterbury Clock Company, founded in 1857 and known for its beautifully crafted timepieces. The clock features a pressed oak case with intricate carvings that resemble the decorative trim found on Victorian-era “gingerbread” houses—hence the name. It stands 22 inches tall and 15 inches wide, with a large glass panel adorned with gold stenciling that opens like a door to reveal the brass clockworks. The clock has a wind-up mechanism and chimes hourly when wound with a key.

The movement inside was manufactured by the E. Ingraham Company, another American clockmaker of the 19th and early 20th centuries. Since Waterbury and Ingraham produced their own proprietary parts, this suggests the clock was likely repaired or restored at some point. The screws also appear to be replacements.

The dial features large black Roman numerals and two winding holes—one for the time mechanism and one for the chime. It measures 5 inches in diameter. Each hour is marked with five rectangular indices, and the top of the hour is distinguished by a triangle.

A small silver ring encircling the numerals is known as a chapter ring. I noticed that the Roman numerals on the chapter ring do not align perfectly with those on the dial. We checked to see if it rotates, but it does not. Whether this misalignment is intentional or the result of a manufacturing or restoration quirk remains unclear. The chapter ring itself measures 1¼ inches in diameter.

The pendulum is 8 inches long, with 6 inches visible through the glass. Its decorative medallion measures 3 inches in length and 2½ inches wide. Fortunately, we still have the original key to wind the clock, which you can see in the bottom right corner of the photo below.

The rear label is in poor condition, but I found a matching version online that includes helpful instructions:

Directions for Setting the Clock Running and Keeping it in Order. 

The long hand is the Minute hand, and the short hand is the Hour hand.

Remove the packing wire holding the pendulum rod, and hang the ball on the rod. The beat should be equal and regular, and will be so if the clock is set in a LEVEL position.

To Set The Clock:—Always use the Minute hand (which can be turned in either direction, without injury) never turn the hour hand.

The Clock Is Regulated by means of a screw at the bottom of the Pendulum. If the Clock should go too fast, lower the ball. If too slow, raise it.

DIRECTIONS FOR A STRIKING CLOCK. 

The Clock can be made to strike to correspond with the position of the hands by carrying the minute hand forward to the figure II, then backward to the figure VIII, and back and forth between these figures until the right hour is struck.

There is some writing above the Waterbury label on the back of the clock, but it’s too faded to read.

Family heirlooms are more than objects—they’re storytellers. Uncle Ralph is no longer here to share the stories behind his clock, but I’ll always remember the day I visited his home and saw part of his cherished gingerbread clock collection. The photo below captures a portion of that display, proudly arranged in his family room.

Matilda, Peter Jackson and Peter Hillyer

This post is part of an ongoing project to record names of enslaved people of Greene County, Georgia I find in historical records. 

African Ch’ Oct. 8th 1848. 

Bro. Martin acted as moderator in conference. Sister Matilda, a maid servant of J. M. Porter’s was received into the church by letter. After some remarks by the moderator, colored brethren Peter Jackson & Peter Hillyer were elected deacons. The church then adjourned. 

W. Morgan, Clk.

Reference

Penfield Baptist Church Minutes: 1839 – 1885, p. 124, Penfield, Greene County, Georgia, Mercer University Libraries.

David Athya

My research into David Athya began quite unexpectedly—one of those rabbit holes that you fall into with genealogy. I hadn’t set out to research David or his family, but the records I discovered drew me in. If you know, you know. I haven’t yet linked David to my husband’s family but have learned that when the surname Athya appears, it almost always leads back to our tree. So, although I didn’t plan this, I don’t feel it was a wasted effort.

David was born on May 22, 1811, in St. Bees, a village in Cumberland, England, to Isaac Athya and Mary Skelly. Isaac originally came from Glasgow, and in earlier English birth registers, the surname appears as “Athye.” David was christened in Kirklinton, Cumberland on November 7, 1814—three years after his birth.

By 1834, David was working as a grocer at 77 Park Lane in Lancashire. Seven years later, on October 21, 1841, he married Elizabeth Griffiths, the spinster daughter of Robert and Martha Griffiths, at St. Peter’s Church on Church Street in Liverpool. At the time, David lived in Rose Place and worked as a bookkeeper. His father was listed as an engine fitter, and Elizabeth’s father was a miller. The ceremony was conducted by Thomas MacGill, a curate (essentially an assistant clergyman), and the witnesses were Thomas Holding and Ann Hughes. 

Marriage record for David and Elizabeth

St Peter’s Church, Liverpool looking West along Church Street
towards Lord Street in 1800. Drawn by W. H. Watts, engraved by
W. Green. Reproduced in the book “Bygone Liverpool.”
Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

David and Elizabeth had at least two children: Aaron, born in 1838 in Flintshire, Wales (Elizabeth’s hometown), and Robert, born in October 1842 in West Derby. Sadly, Robert died on November 16, 1843, at just 14 months old and was buried on November 20 at the Liverpool Necropolis, also known as Low Hill Cemetery, near Everton Road, close to the family’s residence on Beresford Street.

 

Robert recorded in the Liverpool Necropolis burial register

By 1843, city directories listed David as a tallow chandler, living at 9 Beresford Street in Everton. This trade—making and selling candles from animal fat—would become his lifelong profession. It was practical work, serving the lighting needs of working-class homes. He likely dealt in related items like soap and lamp oil, and his daily workspace would have carried the heavy smell of rendered suet.

I came across an entry in the 1849 city directory which listed David as a grocer rather than a tallow chandler. This could have been a time of transition for him, changing occupations from grocer to tallow chandler. In 19th-century Liverpool, many tradesmen sold a mix of goods, and candles were often found alongside soap, lamp oil, and dry items—all common stock in a grocer’s shop so the directory compiler may have simply went with the most visible or familiar label. The directory also showed that David had moved to 42 Islington and worked as a tallow chandler. Electoral records described the property as a “home and shop,” which suggests he ran the business from the ground floor and lived above it—a common arrangement in Liverpool at the time. Everyone needed candles, so it is safe to say business kept him busy.

A few years later, David moved to other addresses on the same street—48 Islington and then 24 Islington—before eventually settling at 33 Prescot Street in West Derby around 1859. At that point, he and Aaron were both working as tallow chandlers, and records show two shops in operation: one at Islington and one at Prescot. The Prescot location was sometimes described as a “warehouse,” possibly used for storing supplies. The 1851 census revealed that David had two employees in the shop, while Aaron, just 13, was listed as a scholar. By 1859, Aaron was actively involved in the business.

1851 England census

In the early 1860s, the records get a bit confusing. David and Aaron were each associated with both shop locations at different times (33 Prescot Street and 48 Islington), and it is unclear who operated which.

The 1861 census listed David at the Prescot home, living with his wife and son, and a niece named Anne Williams, age 23. Both men were still listed as chandlers, and Anne worked as an assistant.

1861 England census

On May 26, 1861, Aaron married Anne Williams, at St. Philip’s Church in Liverpool. Anne was the spinster daughter of Israel Williams and Margaret Griffiths. Her father worked as a mine agent. I feel it a strong possibility that this is the same young woman living with the Athya family but have not been able to confirm that yet. 

Marriage register for Aaron and Anne

Disaster struck the morning of January 9, 1866 when a fire started in the Clifford Street workshop of piano-forte maker Mr. W. Bond, reportedly due to an apprentice’s careless handling of shavings and a stove. What started as a small blaze quickly turned into a raging fire, stoked by strong winds and flammable materials.

The fire spread to David’s Islington Street shop, David Athya & Company, located in the rear of the building. Fueled by his soap and candle stock, it was quickly engulfed. Working against thick clouds of smoke, neighbors rushed in to help salvage his stock as the fire threatened the entire block.

Fire brigades from Islington, Norton Street, and St. Anne Street managed to control and subdue the fire, yet the damage was done. Bond’s shop and home were gutted and David’s property and stock partially destroyed. 

Records show that not long after the fire, David relocated to 42 Seymour Street in Liverpool, a move which may have been spurred by the fire.

Tragedy struck the Athya family in the spring of 1869 and again in 1870. David’s daughter-in-law Anne passed away and was buried on March 17, 1869. Just weeks later, his son Aaron also passed away and was laid to rest on April 12. Both were still young and left behind four children: Edward, Elizabeth, Margaret Ellen, and baby David Israel—whose ages ranged from seven years to just one month. Their deaths, occurring so close together, were likely caused by illness. Aaron and Anne were buried in the same grave—section 8, grave 383—at Anfield Cemetery in Merseyside.

Aaron’s loss would have deeply disrupted David’s business. Aaron had been running one of the family’s two shops, and now David and Elizabeth found themselves not only mourning their son and daughter-in-law, but also responsible for raising their grandchildren.

Heartbreak returned the following summer. David Israel—the youngest of Aaron’s children—passed away and was buried on July 26, 1870 at just 17 months old. David was buried with his parents at Anfield Cemetery.

The 1871 England census records reflects Aaron’s three surviving children living with David and Elizabeth in West Derby. Over the next few years, David moved to Stafford Street and finally to 25 Seymour Street, where he lived out his remaining days. It appears he maintained his Prescot Street shop, although I am not sure for how long.

David passed away at home on October 6, 1878, at the age of 67. The Liverpool Mercury printed his death notice two days later, and his funeral was held at Anfield Cemetery on October 10, where he rests in section 8, grave 346, near his family.

Anfield Cemetery burial register

Anfield Cemetery certificate for David’s grave

His will was proven in Liverpool on November 7, 1878 by his wife Elizabeth. He left a personal estate under £5,000, which would have been a considerable amount in those days—roughly equivalent to £760,000 today, or about $24,300 U.S. dollars in 1878.

David would probably have been proud to know his grandson Edward carried on the Athya family legacy as a tallow chandler. Unfortunately, Edward’s life was cut short at age 25 in 1886.

References

• Aaron Athya, England and Wales, Death Registration Index 1837-2007, FamilySearch; https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:2JN8-7HG, 1869. 
• Aaron Athya, Liverpool, England, Church of England Marriages and Banns, 1754–1935.
• Alarming Fire in Islington, Liverpool Mercury, Liverpool (Merseyside), England, January 10, 1866.
• Alarming Fire in Liverpool, The Ormskirk Advertiser, West Lancashire, England, January 11, 1866.
• Alarming Fire This Morning, Liverpool Mercury (2nd edition), Liverpool (Merseyside), England, January 9, 1866.
• Anfield Cemetery, Court Orders, 1878, image 1045, FamilySearch.
• David Athya, England and Scotland, Select Cemetery Registers, 1800–2024.
• David Athya, England and Scotland, Select Cemetery Registers, 1800–2016.
• David Athya, England and Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), 1858–1995.
• David Athya, England, Select Marriages, 1538–1973.
• David Athya, Lancashire. Directories 1851, 1853, 1849; Liverpool. Directories 1851, 1853, 1849, image 30, FamilySearch.
• David Athya, Liverpool, England, Electoral Registers, 1832–1970.
• David Athya, U.K., City and County Directories, 1600s–1900s.
• David Athya, UK, City and County Directories, 1766–1946.
• David Athye, England, Select Births and Christenings, 1538–1975.
• David Atkyns, Lancashire, England, Church of England Marriages and Banns, 1754–1936.
• Deaths, Athya, Liverpool Mercury, October 8, 1878.
• Israel Williams, England and Wales, Non-Conformist and Non-Parochial Registers, 1567–1936.
• Liverpool, England Parish Records 1878–1884, Burial Registers 1878–1884, Anfield, England Parish Records 1878–1884, Burial Registers 1878–1884, Walton on the Hill, England Parish Records 1878–1884, Burial Registers 1878–1884, image 26, FamilySearch.
• Liverpool, Lancashire, England census, 1851.
• Robert Athya, England and Scotland, Select Cemetery Registers, 1800–2024.
• Robert Athya, England and Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1837–1915.
• Robert Athya, England and Wales, Death Registration Index 1837–2007.
• West Derby, Lancashire, England census, 1861, 1871.

Lucinda and Delsey, servants of Dr. Martin and Bro. Haygood

This post is part of an ongoing project to record names of enslaved people of Greene County, Georgia I find in historical records. 

Colored Church, Oct. 13th 1861.

Letters of dismission were granted to Lucinda, servant of Dr. T. D. Martin, and Delsey, servant of Bro. F. M. Haygood.

 Reference

Penfield Baptist Church Minutes: 1839 – 1885, p. 288, Penfield, Greene County, Georgia, Mercer University Libraries.

Samuel Alexander Wright

At first glance, the title may seem misleading—this sketch is not about one individual named Samuel Alexander Wright, but two. In fact, a third person of that name exists in the family’s history, though his story is not told here.

The lives of these two infants begin with their parents, Samuel Wright and Christina Braidwood, who together welcomed eight children: Christina Martin Wright (1891), the two Samuels (1893 and 1894), James Braidwood Wright (1896), Hugh McDougall Wright (1897), Alexander Braidwood Wright (1900), Thomas Wright (1902), and Joseph Wright (1904).

These children are 2nd cousins 2x removed from my husband. Their closest shared ancestors are Andrew Braidwood and Mary Liddell—great-grandparents to the children and third great-grandparents to my husband.

On May 8, 1893, the couple welcomed their second child and first son, Samuel Alexander Wright, born at home at 249 Main Street in the Bridgeton district of Glasgow. In keeping with Scottish naming conventions, they named him after his paternal grandfather, Samuel Alexander Wright, born in 1823 in the Gorbals district of Glasgow.

Birth register for Samuel Alexander Wright (infant number 1)

At the time, Samuel and Christina had been married for two and a half years, with a young daughter already in their home. Father Samuel worked as a coachman, a respected domestic servant who drove horse-drawn carriages for a private employer. 

Tragically, the child’s life was brief. Twelve days after his birth, little Samuel died at home on May 20, the recorded cause being debility—a term often used for failure to thrive.

Death register for Samuel Alexander Wright (infant number 1)

He was laid to rest on May 22 in Lair 4964 at Eastern Necropolis Cemetery. 

Eastern Necropolis Cemetery burial register for infant number 1

Just under 11 months later, on April 8, 1894, Christina gave birth to another son at their new residence: 3 Polmadie Road in Hutchesontown, a densely populated working-class district south of the River Clyde.

To honor their first son and continue traditional naming patterns, they named this child Samuel Alexander Wright—a practice not uncommon in 19th-century Scotland.

Father Samuel had now transitioned to work as a carter, transporting goods by horse-drawn cart. While less prestigious than his earlier coachman role, carters were vital to Glasgow’s industrial economy. Records show that his own father was listed as a master carter in 1881, suggesting this path was a generational trade, likely taught through family instruction.

Birth register for Samuel Alexander Wright (infant number 2)

By 1895, Samuel Wright had advanced again—employed as a bailie’s vanman, likely responsible for moving goods, supplies, or official documents under the direction of a municipal officer or magistrate, known in Scotland as a bailie. This role hints at growing trust and standing within civic circles.

But tragedy returned. The second Samuel died at just 10 months old on February 17, 1895, after a 21-day battle with pneumonia. The death was recorded at 11 Polmadie Road, suggesting the family had moved to a new flat within the same tenement building.

Death register for Samuel Alexander Wright (infant number 2)

He was buried two days later, on February 19, in the same lair as his older brother.

Eastern Necropolis Cemetery burial register for infant number 2

Lair 4964, held by Andrew Braidwood, the infants’ maternal great-grandfather, became a resting place filled with generational connection. Though neither infant appeared in census records—taken in 1891 and 1901, they are preserved in birth, death, and burial registers, so are not forgotten.

Lairs 4963 and 4964, held by Andrew Braidwood,
Eastern Necropolis Cemetery

The Wrights endured further loss when their infant son James died of pneumonia in Bridgeton on September 14, 1896, at just three months old. He was buried the next day in Lair 5045 at Eastern Necropolis Cemetery.

Interestingly, no record so far shows a middle name or initial for the infants’ father, Samuel Wright. One wonders if he, too, bore the full name Samuel Alexander Wright—perhaps tying all four Samuels together in a meaningful tradition.

References

• Alexander Braidwood Wright, Statutory Registers Births 644/2 7, National Records of Scotland, 1901.
• Christina Martin Wright, Statutory Registers Births 644/11 1890, National Records of Scotland, 1891.
• Eastern Necropolis Cemetery Records, Daily Interment Book, Glasgow, Scotland, film no. 008685205, images 499, 625, and 724, FamilySearch.
• Eastern Necropolis Cemetery, Glasgow, Scotland, Burial Records 1893–1897, image 79, FamilySearch. 
• Hugh McDougall Wright, Statutory Registers Births 644/1 961, National Records of Scotland, 1897.
• James Braidwood Wright, Statutory Registers Births 644/11 1123, National Records of Scotland, 1896.
• James Braidwood Wright, Statutory Registers Deaths 644/1 964, National Records of Scotland, 1896.
• Joseph Wright, Statutory Registers Births 644/2 1687, National Records of Scotland, 1904.
• Kreft, Karen, The Coachman, Ticknall Life Community Magazine, February 10, 2021; https://www.ticknalllife.co.uk/the-coachman/. 
• Lair 4964, Glasgow, Burial Records 1800–1970, Eastern Necropolis Cemetery, image 40, FamilySearch.
• Lair 5045, Eastern Necropolis Cemetery, Glasgow, Cemetery Records 1861–1995, image 93, FamilySearch.
• Samuel Alexander Wright, Old Parish Registers Births 644/2 Gorbals, National Records of Scotland, 1823.
• Samuel Alexander Wright, Statutory Registers Births 644/1 658, National Records of Scotland, 1893.
• Samuel Alexander Wright, Statutory Registers Births 644/11 822, National Records of Scotland, 1894.
• Samuel Alexander Wright, Statutory Registers Deaths 644/1 570, National Records of Scotland, 1893.
• Samuel Wright, Govan, Lanark, Scotland census, 1881.
• Samuel Wright, Statutory Registers Deaths 644/11 259, National Records of Scotland, 1895.
• Smith, Sarah, What Is a Carter?, Genealogy, Old Occupations, Scotland, Unlock Your Past, June 21, 2024; https://www.unlockyourpast.co.uk/old-occupation-carter/. 
• Thomas Wright, Statutory Registers Births 644/2 1306, National Records of Scotland, 1902. 

Caesar and Shadrach: servants of Bros. Northen and Sanders

This post is part of an ongoing project to record names of enslaved people of Greene County, Georgia I find in historical records.  

Penfield Baptist Church Minutes: 1839–1885

Penfield, April 21st 1850 

The African Branch met in conference and received unto fellowship by letter, Caesar a servant of Bro. Northen’s and Shadrach a servant of Bro. Sanders’. 

Adj. 
Dews, mod.

Reference

Penfield Baptist Church Minutes: 1839 – 1885, p. 145, Penfield, Greene County, Georgia, Mercer University Libraries.