New Arrival

For the last few months we have been anxiously waiting on the arrival of a new member of our family. We were finally alerted to the impending arrival a few days ago. Today around 10am we were able to greet the new apple of our eye. We had expected a few bumps and bruises but he is in remarkably good condition considering the rough journey he has endured over the past few months.

Mr GeniAus was overjoyed when he saw the fine unblemished body and pretty face.  Following are a  few photos I snapped of our new longcase clock shortly after his arrival. His body arrived in a big coffin size box while his head came in a smaller sturdy box.

The unwrapping

The Hood (head) was in this box

The hood is missing a finial after nearly 200 years of service

It was well cushioned in its coffin like container. The case is in remarkably good condition

A Pretty Face

The proud owner admiring the new arrival

This is the fifth clock made by Mr GeniAus' 3xGreat-Grandfather, James Gowans, that we have imported into Australia. It was purchased at an online auction in the UK early this year. 

Gowans was a clock and watchmaker in East Linton then Galashiels and perhaps Hawick in Scotland.  We have now identified the existence of 11 of clocks made by James. 

After Mr GeniAus unpacks and puts the  new clock together we will decide on its future within our family.

I blogged about James and his clocks in several previous posts. 

https://geniaus.blogspot.com/2021/04/2021-atozchallenge-o-is-forold-scottish.html

https://geniaus.blogspot.com/2019/10/number-10-new-arrival.html

https://geniaus.blogspot.com/2016/11/view-from-my-desk.html

https://geniaus.blogspot.com/2015/03/and-now-there-are-seven.html

https://geniaus.blogspot.com/2014/06/and-now-there-are-six.html

https://geniaus.blogspot.com/2010/05/tick-tock-we-think-weve-found-gowans.html

https://geniaus.blogspot.com/2010/02/james-clock.html

2021 #AtoZChallenge O is for...Old Scottish clockmakers from 1453 to 1850

  I've been researching my family history for over thirty years. Along this genealogy journey I have been supported by hundreds of books, many of which I have listed on my Librarything page. 

During the 2021 #AtoZChallenge I will be writing about two of my passions, books and family history. I'll be taking a trip down memory lane and revisiting some of those books that have enriched my genealogy experience.

After discovering from Census Records that Mr GeniAus' ancestor, James Gowans, was a clockmaker in East Linton then Galashiels we wanted to confirm this from other sources. James the Clock (as he is known in the family) wasn't famous by any means, he was just a man plying his trade in rural towns in Scotland.

I can't remember where I found a reference to Old Scottish Clockmakers from 1453 to 1850, but once I heard of its existence I went in search of a copy. The Internet Archive pointed me to a copy in The California Digital Library Collection. I have downloaded a copy of this book and have firmly saved  and backed it up in my genealogy files.

Old Scottish Clockmakers  from 1453 to 1850

On page 169 I found a one line entry for James Gowans that confirmed that he was a Clockmaker in East Linton. I'd have loved more detail but I was more than satisfied with what I found.

Page 169 - Old Scottish Clockmakers

On a visit to Scotland in 2018 or 2019 we visited the John Gray Centre where we were able to see a physical copy of the book. I can't believe that didn't take a photo of Mr GeniAus holding the book!

Trade directories or books about occupations are very useful resources for tracking down ancestors. If only there were such resources for our Ag Labs. 

Number 10 - the New Arrival

Various Scottish directories and census records told us that Mr GeniAus' ancestors James Gowans and his son James Gowans were clockmakers. Another son, John Gowans,who emigrated to the US, was also a clock and watchmaker in New York. The youngest son, William Gowans, was apprenticed as a watchmaker but left that profession to become a doctor. 

James Gowans Senior worked in Linton and Galashiels whilst James Junior worked in Hawick. Just one of the clocks, Number 8, was made in Hawick. 

It was not until we met and visited a new cousin in England in 2006 that we sighted a "Gowans" longcase clock. Once Mr GeniAus knew that there was a possibility of owning such an heirloom the hunt was on. He contacted several clock specialists in England and subscribed to a number of auction sites. Over the past 13 years we have learnt of 10 clocks made by one of the two James. (The numbered list below gives links to details and blog posts about these ten clocks).

 Last month there was much excitement when Clock Number 10, made in Linton, was delivered to our door. This clock will eventually be going to live with our elder daughter. 

Art, a restorer from Virginia,USA, who had bought clock 10 at an estate sale emailed me in July: 

"Jill--I was searching for information on James Gowans after purchasing one of his clocks at a local estate sale recently.  It is very close in appearance to the one you posted some time ago.  It is mahogany and the painted dial is very similar to the one in your pictures.  Right now I am in the process of restoring the movement (I am a clock restoration person, so it is good hands.)"

I passed Art's message on to Mr GeniAus and they corresponded back and forth. Of course, Mr GeniAus had to have the clock! Art accepted his offer and began to work on the restoration. During this time and up until the days after delivery Art was an excellent and caring communicator who sent along many progress reports and photos. I was outside with my camera when the delivery truck appeared with its precious cargo. We must commend DHL for the efficient handling and delivery of our cargo.

The delivery chaps had never delivered a heavy coffin shaped parcel before

Mr GeniAus smiling like a Cheshire cat as he prepared for the grand opening

Phew - there wasn't a body n the box

Such a pretty face

A Family Heirloom - over 150 years old and standing proud 

 Ten Gowans Clocks

1. In Clocks Magazine http://geniaus.blogspot.com/2010/02/james-clock.html

2. Cousin's House now with us
http://geniaus.blogspot.com/2010/02/james-clock.html
https://geniaus.blogspot.com/2016/11/view-from-my-desk.html

3. Museum Melbourne.
https://collections.museumvictoria.com.au/items/405410 Visited November 2010
 https://geniaus.blogspot.com/2010/11/on-road-again.html
http://geniaus.blogspot.com/2010/11/2000-km-to-see-clock-was-it-worth-it.html
http://geniaus.blogspot.com/2010/11/two-men-and-clock.html

4. Our first Purchase  now with our younger son. http://geniaus.blogspot.com/2010/05/tick-tock-we-think-weve-found-gowans.html Arrived November 2010.

5. Elder son's Clock http://geniaus.blogspot.com/2014/03/a-4x-great-grandfather-clock.html
http://geniaus.blogspot.com/2014/06/and-now-there-are-six.html

6. Drew in Omaha Nebraska bought his clock at an Estate Sale and restored it himself. Emailed August 2014
http://geniaus.blogspot.com/2014/06/and-now-there-are-six.html

7. Mr GeniAus bid for a Gowans Regulator Clock at an online auction
http://geniaus.blogspot.com/2015/03/and-now-there-are-seven.html

8. Georg in Germany found me via this blog and wrote about his clock. "My father bought it in 1975 in an antiquesstore in Nordhorn, in northern Germany."  Email February 2017

9. Cousin's new clock was purchased at auction in England around 2017.

10. Our new clock was bought by a restorer in Virginia, USA at an Estate Sale. The restorer contacted me by email after reading my blog.

Located in Scotland

Mr GeniAus' mother had a photo of a handsome Victorian stone house in her collection which she believed was the home of her Gowans Grandparents in Hawick in the Borders area of Scotland.

We knew from the censuses that the Gowans lived at 1 High Street, Hawick so in 2004, on our first visit to the town, we headed to High Street where we found, at number one, a shop and residence that bore no resemblance to the handsome home in our photo. We then surmised that the family may have lived away from the watch and clockmaking and confectionery businesses that they conducted at 1 High Street (even though the censuses recorded the family as living at the High Street premises).

1 High Street, Hawick - 2004

We left a copy of a photo of the handsome house with the folk in the local Heritage Centre in Hawick and they promised to ask around to see if any of the locals could identify it. A few weeks later we got a response that no-one recognised the house and that the locals felt that it was not a Hawick building.

Several years later Mr GeniAus realised that his ancestor James Gowans lived with family members in and around Glasgow in his old age. Mr GeniAus thought perhaps James' daughter's residence, Overwood House in Glasgow Road, Paisley may be the subject of the picture. He consulted Google Maps and after looking at properties in the vicinity thought this likely as buildings in the area were of a similar style and age.

The Handsome House

Notes on the back of the photo

High on Mr GeniAus' list for our forthcoming visit to Scotland was tracking down the house so last week he decided to delve a little further.  He contacted a Paisley Group where a lovely lady called Mags MacGee took an interest in the case. She posted our photo of the house on a Facebook Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/Paisleyscotlamd/  and several members chimed in with comments.

We learnt that Overwood House had been demolished. One smart chap did something we hadn't thought to do. He blew the photo up to look for clues and deduced that, on the gatepost, there was a number and a name starting with Cop. As our copy of the photo is of a higher resolution I then took a look and saw the number 279 and worked out that the house name was Copshaw which is a village near Hawick. Ah, I thought the house must be in the vicinity of Hawick.

Zoomed in on the Gatepos

I popped 279 and Copshaw into my Google search box and was rewarded with two hits that listed a house named Copshaw at 279 Nithsdale Road, Glasgow

The resident listed was William Fairley Smith whom I immediately recognised as the husband of another daughter of James, Isabella Purves Gowans. On the back of the photo is a reference to Kathleen's bedroom, William and Isabella had a daughter by that name! We now presume that Isabella had sent this postcard to her brother, Mr GeniAus' Great-Grandfather William Purves Gowans, who was living in Australia.

When we logged back onto Google Maps Streetview we were pleased to discover that 279 Nithsdale Road is still standing and from comparing the stonework and decorations on the building we know we have solved a 30 year old mystery.

We have sent a copy of our photo to the owners of the house alerting them that we will be driving up and down their road to look at their house when we visit in the next few months.

View from my Desk

New view from my desk

I enjoy a beautiful view from my desk out through a window to the garden but now I also have a new view straight ahead of me through an internal door. Until last Wednesday I could only see a blank wall but due to Mr GeniAus' obsession I have a pretty sight to see.

On several occasions I have blogged about Mr GeniAus' clockmaking ancestor, James Gowans (1806-1886), and our mission to find clocks made by James. We affectionately call this old chap "James the Clock". I wrote in February 2010 about James' clocks and expressed a wish that one day we would own a clock made by James.

Over the years I have devoted several posts to the  "James the Clock" saga. If you have a spare few hours you can read them, otherwise just skip over the links.

http://geniaus.blogspot.com.au/2010/02/james-clock.html 
http://geniaus.blogspot.com.au/2010/05/tick-tock-we-think-weve-found-gowans.html 
http://geniaus.blogspot.com.au/2010/11/on-road-again.html 
http://geniaus.blogspot.com.au/2010/11/2000-km-to-see-clock-was-it-worth-it.html 
http://geniaus.blogspot.com.au/2010/11/two-men-and-clock.html 
http://geniaus.blogspot.com.au/2014/03/a-4x-great-grandfather-clock.html 
http://geniaus.blogspot.com.au/2014/06/and-now-there-are-six.html
http://geniaus.blogspot.com.au/2015/03/and-now-there-are-seven.html

If you have read all the posts you will know that the cousin we met through social media had a Gowans clock with provenance; his clock has been passed down through the Gowans family. On our last visit to England in June the cousin told us that it was time for us to take the clock home. He has no offspring and decided on one of our earlier visits that, as we have four offspring and a tribe of grandchildren, the clock had a better chance of staying in the family than if it remained with him. We were thrilled that he was ready to say goodbye to the clock, we had not wanted to rush him.  On arriving home in Australia we contacted shipping agents and with the assistance of the cousin organised for the clock to join us at home.

Another plus is that the clock is a completely different style from the one that is is our living room.

Although the clock arrived on the wharf in Sydney nearly two months ago it spent some time with customs and agents and was released to make the hour's journey to our home last week. Our cousin was relieved when we told him that it had finally been delivered but wasn't so excited when I said it was in our kitchen. I reminded him that it was a very nice kitchen.

I was out when the clock arrived but Mr GeniAus unpacked it and put it together and it was ticking away beautifully by the time I got home. It bongs loudly (one couldn't call it a chime) on the half hour and hour with the midday and midnight performances being quite long. I don't mind the noise because it is such a pretty piece and lovely to look at. Take a look for yourself.

And Now there are Seven

With a team of eleven grandchildren I receive, as the family historian, requests from time to time to provide information on ancestors, family heirlooms, the olden days etc. Last year I was invited into one of the grandson's classrooms to speak aboout Family history, that was so much fun.

This morning's request is for information on our Gowans' grandfather clock.  As it is several months since I wrote about Mr GeniAus' quests to find clocks built by his ancestor James Gowans or "James the Clock" as he is affectionately known in family circles  I am updating the information I have on his clocks.

At the time of my last post we had only identified six clocks but several months ago we found  a seventh, that had a repeater movement, up for sale. Mr GeniAus signed up for the auction and submitted what we thought was a generous bid but the clock went for twice that amount. Mr GeniAus didn't feel inclined to spend a King's ransom to purchase that clock which brings the number of Gowans clocks we have found to seven.

So that my grandson can put together his story on James and his clocks I am collating a list of links to my previous posts:

http://geniaus.blogspot.com.au/2010/02/james-clock.html

http://geniaus.blogspot.com.au/2010/05/tick-tock-we-think-weve-found-gowans.html

http://geniaus.blogspot.com.au/2010/11/on-road-again.html

http://geniaus.blogspot.com.au/2010/11/2000-km-to-see-clock-was-it-worth-it.html

http://geniaus.blogspot.com.au/2010/11/two-men-and-clock.html

http://geniaus.blogspot.com.au/2014/03/a-4x-great-grandfather-clock.html

http://geniaus.blogspot.com.au/2014/06/and-now-there-are-six.html

On reviewing these posts I can see there is an omission, I can't seem to find a post about the clock we purchased in 2010.

Several months after purchase and with the help of Mr GeniAus' English cousin the clock arrived at our home in November 2010. It was a coincidence that the cousin was visiting us downunder at the time of the clock's delivery.

Surprise Packages

A Pretty Face

And a Handsome Case

We found a clock restorer who came and collected the clock and got it going for us, last year we sent the cabinet away to be refurbished. The clock which is proudly displayed in our living room is a constant reminder of our ancestry.

The Restorer installs our Clock

A Man and his Clock

The Face

Standing Proud

And now there are six

Clock 5

The Gowans clock saga goes on!

I reported recently that we had now found five clocks made by Mr Geniaus' ancestor, James Gowans, fondly known in the family as James the Clock.

The fifth clock that we recently purchased from England arrived downunder last week four months after we purchased  it as it had to travel here by sea. We have since been in contact with the lady who sold the clock. Part of a deceased estate it had been in her family who lived in Galashiels (where James Gowans resided and worked) for quite some time.

My son and daughter-in-law who will be the custodians of this new family treasure have been around and inspected the clock and are very excited.

Tomorrow the clock goes on another journey to the restorer for a clean and tune then it will take pride of place in our son and daughter-in-law's front room.

I was just doing a few Google searches and got this hit:

So there is another Gowans clock in Nebraska in The United States, I wonder how it got there. That makes six that we have discovered..

When I told Mr Geniaus he was ecstatic.The problem is that the Facebook post  was private so I could not make a comment on the post. I discovered that the chap who made the comment was named Drew Sullivan so I have sent him a message via Facebook asking if he would be able to send us a photo of his clock. As this message will go into his other messages folder which he may not check too often (I know I don't check mine regularly) we may not get a response for a while.

Do you happen to know Drew Sullivan from Omaha, Nebraska?

A 4x Great Grandfather Clock

I wrote about my husband's ancestor James the Clock several years ago and told part of the story of our search for a grandfather clock made by this Scottish watch and clock maker who worked in Linton and Galashiels.

It took Mr GeniAus eight years from when he started searching for a Gowans clock for our home until we found one, had it transported to our home and set up in our living room. Mr GeniAus is a man who doesn't give up and has been hunting for more clocks ever since that first purchase around four years ago.

To date we have identified a few Gowans clocks:

• The first one we sighted was on a UK clocks website and appeared to be in a private home.
• The second was in a distant cousin's possession in the UK, we have visited and viewed the clock.
• The third one is in the collection of  Museum Victoria in Australia. We have also visited the Museum and viewed this clock.
• The fourth is standing in our living room.
• The fifth was auctioned online last month (and guess who bought it?).

Auctioneer's photo - Clock 5

Auctioneer's photo - Clock 5

It seems as though Mr GeniAus is on a mission to locate more clocks made by James the Clock and bring them into the family fold. To that end we have listed our interests with several clock dealers and have a few Google alerts set up.

As it happens one of our children was celebrating a significant birthday this week so I suggested that we give this latest clock to him as a birthday present. By the look on their faces when they read our present IOU I think he and his wife were quite pleased with the gift that was made by his 4x Great Grandfather.

What do you think?

The birthday boy reads about his gift

I wonder how long it will be before we find our next clock.

Blurred vision brings bounty

My new glasses just don't seem to be doing their work as my eyes are very tired......but the bounty received has made the discomfort worthwhile.

Together with Mr Geniaus, my research assistant, I spent quite a few hours at The Family History Library looking for info about his 3 x Great Uncle, John Gowans, who moved from Scotland to New York around 1860. We are particularly interested in locating any descendants.

As time is short I printed out all the information I have on John and his two children and told Mr Geniaus to ask one of the mob of consultants/volunteers in the library for assistance while I set about other tasks. After talking to three helpers who were very friendly but not too fmiliar with New York records Mr Geniaus realised that he could search the catalog all by himself.

While I found a number of references in newspapers and directories and to John and his son James Mr Geniaus found some promising microfilms and repaired to the US Floor to take a look at them. Bingo! He found three death certificates: one for John, his son James and his wife Anna Bouton. I just googled the cemetery, Green-Wood in New York, in which Anna and James are buried and found that thye have a database of burials on their site. I now have the location of their shared grave. I am sorry that I am not visiting New York on this trip - I guess we will just have to return to visit the graves.

We already knew that there was a daughter Mira or Maria who we have found on three censuses, the latest being 1900 and was hoping to find either a marriage,

The Museum I call Home

Kerry on the Cluewagon blog recently wrote on "How to incorporate your family history into your home decor" and gave some great tips and examples of economical decorating. I reflected on my home while reading this post and thought that I didn't have many such items around my house....but then I did a mental walkaround and I was surprised at how many things we actually had. Thanks, Kerry, I now have fodder for more blog posts.

Following is a summary of what I have found today, as time goes by I will blog about some of these items and their stories.

Standing in the corner of our entrance foyer is a longcase clock made  in the 1840s by Scotsman, James Gowans, my husband's ancestor. I have previously blogged about our eight year search for the clock, its purchase and journey to Australia (No photo - it's at the restorers). On the walls are some historic photos of the Waverley Council area in Sydney, they are reminders of our courtship as Mr Geniaus and I met while working for Waverley Council. Shoved in the coat cupboard is my great-great-grandfather's shillelagh, I don't quite now how to display Denis's stick.

Nanna's Dining Table and Chairs

In our front room/parlor/room we don't use/sitting room is my grandmother's dining room suite that my Dad purchased from the estate after her death in 1977. The acquisition of this setting started our obsession with collecting early 20th century reproduction Jacobean furniture. Jesus watches over this from his place on the wall in a tapestry made by Hannah Steward in 1853. China cabinets and sideboards in this room house some family treasures. Sadly we do not know the stories behind these cups, crystal and curiosities. Over in the corner is a collection of framed items waiting to be rehung after last year's paint job on the walls. This includes some mugshots of the ancestors plus prize certificates for wins at The Royal Easter Show by my husband's grandfather, Ernest Gillespie.

Scots College painting by Tony Crago

There are more treasures in our family/casual living room. My husband's grandparents' sideboard takes pride of place. Above the fireplace is a painting of The Scots' College by Tony Crago that I won in a school raffle; as my boys were educated at this school this painting evokes many memories for us.

Mr Geniaus' study is chock full of memorabilia as is mine. We need to get in and catalogue some of this: more photos and accompanying stories are needed so that, when we drop off our perches, our children understand the significance and value of some of these items. There are also postcards, letters, invitations, thankyou notes, should I digitise then pitch these?

Hiding in the corner of one of our guestrooms is a quaint little corner wardrobe that  belonged to my mother-in-law as a girl. Her collection of clothes must have been sparse to be accommodated in that little cupboard. The remainder of the bedrooms and all of the bathrooms are not in the museum zone.

Daughter's sampler

Catching dust and wearing cobwebs on top of my kitchen cupboards is a collection of kitchen gear that previously belonged to earlier generations. There are scales from a grocery store, an original mixmaster, a soda siphon and some weird looking implements. A newer heirloom hanging on the wall is a sampler worked by my daughter when she was at school.

On the bookshelves are family bibles and books written by or carrying mentions of family members as well as books on ancestral cities, towns and churches and 100+ family photo albums.

Having done this rough inventory of our exhibits I am wondering if I should charge admission.

He's not a genie yet!

Thanks to information shared by Dear Myrtle and Amy Coffin  I was able to register my husband at the bargain basement price of $US99 for the 2012 Rootstech Conference. This is only available till tomorrow - details are at Amy's blog.

Mr Geniaus is not a genealogist by any stretch of the imagination but he is interested in the results of my research and his family history. He spent five years (and a few pennies) on finding a grandfather clock made by his ancestor, James Gowans, and having it shipped to Australia. He has travelled with me to England and Scotland to visit ancestral towns and villages; he had a tear in his eye as we sailed away from Islay in Scotland, the home of his Gillespie ancestors. He has tramped through cemeteries in fresh English Januarys to find and photograph tombstones.

I won't even touch on Mr Geniaus' technology skills - but he has mastered his Blackberry!

I don't think I will turn Mr Geniaus into a genealogist so why am I taking him to a genealogy conference?

• He will be with me in Salt Lake City (a city we have visited before) and will be at a loose end
• The cost of registration is dirt cheap compared with the hundreds of dollars he has paid to go to corporate conferences (with his Scots' ancestry he loves a bargain)
• He will be able to register for conference lunches (so I don't have to worry about feeding him)
• He will be able to meet the GeniMates with whom I spend so much time virtually
• He will see that genealogists aren't a bunch of old fuddy-duddys
• With such a broad and varied program he will be able to find sessions that pique his interest
• Most importantly he will be able to share in the buzz and excitement of a superbly organised conference and gain an understanding of why I just had to return to Rootstech in 2012

He doesn't know it yet but he will be acting as my roadie/personal assistant/one-man support team. As an Official Blogger and presenter at the conference I will be hopping. Mr Geniaus will be put to work as my messenger, blog post editor (my keyboarding skills are punk), bag carrier and photographer. He will be charged with taking lots of photos of the exhibition area, of the sessions he attends and of yours truly mingling. 

He'll have a Ball.

Two Men and a Clock

On Monday I blogged in a post 2,000 km to see a clock - was it worth it?  about our trip to Melbourne to see a clock made by my husband's ancestor, James Gowans. At the time I didn't post a photo of my husband and his cousin with the clock due to copyright restrictions by the Museum.

Today I received, by email, permission to post my photos to this blog. So here is a photo of the two happy descendants with the clock.

Two men anad a clock

2,000 km to see a clock - was it worth it?

Two gentlemen grinning like Cheshire cats as they admired a clock made around 1840 in Scotland are the subjects of some photos I took today. As we signed an agreement with The Scienceworks Museum not to publish the photos I cannot post them on my blog.

We are wending our way back to Sydney after spending time admiring and photographing the clock,an important item in the family history of my husband and his cousin. Often the study of genealogy and family history can be a bit dry, finding a treasure such as the clock within cooe of home has added an extra dimension to our study of James Gowans. Mr Geniaus says it was definitely worth the drive and his cousin who we dropped off in Melbourne was full of the superlatives used by English gents such as brilliant and superb.

Our thanks go to Nick Crotty, Collections Manager in the Scienceworks Museum in Spotswood, Victoria, for organising, at relatively short notice, our inspection of the clock.

On the Road Again

I've been neglecting the blog for a few days but have been very busy discussing and sharing family information with various members of my husband's family.

Around eight years ago we connected via Genes Reunited with a branch of the Gowans family from Scotland. We have visited our new cousin in England on a number of occasions and he has finallly made the trip down under. We have been dragging this poor chap all over the countryside to meet cousins and see the sights. We are now en route to Melbourne for a very exciting meeting before we pass him on to his friends.

I have previously blogged about my husband's ancestor, James Gowans, who was a clock and watchmaker in East Linton, Galashiels and Hawick. A serendipitous result of a Google search for "Gowans clock" a few months ago was the discovery that there was a Gowans longcase clock in The Scienceworks Museum in Victoria. So today I am accompanying two rather excited gentlemen on a journey to meet the clock made by their direct ancestor around 170 years ago.

Hopefully I will be back in the bumpy backseat this afternoon blogging about the meeting.

Tick, Tock. We think we've found a Gowans clock

In a blog post a few months ago I told the story of James the Clock, my husband's 3rd great-grandfather.

I indicated that we would love to own a clock made by James. Shortly after finding a Gowans clock in Australia at Museum Victoria we discovered that we had missed out on purchasing a Gowans clock on eBay. The clock was not sold on the eBay auction but had been sold by the time we got in contact with the vendor.

Although we have our interests listed with many clock vendors in the UK and the US we have not been able to locate a clock since we started looking six years ago.

Just last week a gentleman in Scotland contacted our English cousin saying that he has a Gowans clock for sale. Our cousin, who already owns a Gowans clock, immediately contacted us. The clock is a very pretty longcase clock made in the 1850s by James Gowans in Galashiels, Scotland. We are hoping to close the purchase and bring this Gowans clock from Scotland to its family in Australia.

I hope to record the clock's journey to Australia on this blog.

James the Clock

"James the Clock", as we affectionately know him, is James Gowans my husband's 3rd great-grandfather.

Born in 1806 in North Berwick James grew up to be a clockmaker in East Linton (1837-1850) and Galashiels, Scotland. Since we learnt of James' trade we have been anxious to find a clock made by him. Having an object crafted by James or his son James b. 1836 , my husband's 2nd great-grandfather, would add an extra dimension to our family history. James the clock's first son, John Gowans b 1832 who emigrated to the United States was also a watchmaker .


We started searching the internet for a Gowans clock around 2002 and discovered one on a British clocks website. We willingly paid the 99p subscription to view the site and download the photos of our first "Gowans" clock find. An email to the site did not elicit an answer so we were unable to find contact details for the owner. The clock's description states " There are four handpainted 'castles' one in each corner of the dial. It has Roman numerals. In the arch it has a picture of a farm-girl carrying two pails on a shoulder yoke with a cottage in the background." The photographs are by Mike Fuss.

We would have loved to see this clock "in the flesh" on a visit to the UK but had to content ourselves with photos. Just today I paid another 99p and went back to this website to check on James' entry that had been updated in 2009, I found an inaccurate and unsourced biographical entry. I was most disappointed and sent an email off to the site.


Not long before setting out on an excursion to the UK in early 2006 a Gowans ancestor contacted us through the Genes Reunited site. After a flurry of emails in which we discovered that he had inherited a Gowans clock from an elderly aunt we made arrangements to visit him to share family history and documents and have a viewing of the clock and James the Clock's family bible.

We had a wonderful visit with my husband's 3rd cousin (1 time removed) in his charming cottage in the English countryside. We have established a friendship with him and have subsequently stayed with him on another visit. As well as the clock and bible this cousin had a photo of an elderly James the Clock (above) as well as letters and documents from later generations. Oh, to have spinster aunts who live into their nineties and are bowerbirds to boot.

We have continued to scour the internet and have made contact with clock dealers on three continents in the hope of sourcing a Gowans clock. We regularly scour auction sites in the UK. Our English cousin has been on the lookout for us and helpfully placed an advertisement in an English clock magazine. We have yet to find a clock for sale.

Early this week I did another series of searches for Gowans clocks and got a new hit. This Gowans clock is in Australia at Museum Victoria; it is only 1,000 miles away. We immediately sent off an email to the Museum outlining our relationship to the clock's maker and asking if it would be possible to view it.

I was so excited to get a response from the Museum this morning thanking me for the biographical information supplied and indicating that we may be able to visit the clock at a time to be arranged. When I have photos of this new clock I will post them on my family history website and this blog. This news will make my husband's day.

I won't give up hope....one day our clock will come.