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England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => England => Hampshire & Isle of Wight => Topic started by: Jaznjjj on Friday 19 February 16 06:19 GMT (UK)
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There is a reference in the will of George Perry of West Cowes, Isle of Wight, to a gold watch and chain presented to him by the Duke of Sutherland. The will was written in 1906 and George Perry died in 1909. Born about 1830. I have no idea how to find out more about this presentation and would appreciate direction please. J
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What was his occupation? Did he work for the Duke of Sutherland? Have you found him in census records to see if you can make a connection?
My great-grandfather was given a gold watch and cheque by his employer upon retirement in 1929 and the presentation was written up in several newspapers due to the employer's status.
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George Perry was a carpenter who had a business on the Isle of Wight. Since posting my enquiry I wonder if it is connected with his firm of carpenters having probably constructed the inner coffin for Queen Victoria after she died there in 1901. This story is not locked in - it was family oral history which I have not been able to confirm. I have a remnant of fabric supposedly an offcut from the lining of the coffin but the provenance of this is also not able to be confirmed. Enquiries of Buckingham Palace decades ago did confirm that the inner coffin was constructed by a local carpentry shop on the IoW. J
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Don't see a connection to Sutherland though, maybe he had a yacht on the Solent or a wee flat?
Skoosh.
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Hard to know what the story was with Duke of Sutherland. I am unaware of how usual it was for gold watches to be presented in this way. There must be a story - a reward for services rendered above and beyond? It seems to me it would have to be something major, not just payment for a run-of-the-mill job. J
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Maybe a tenacious link but...
George Granville William Sutherland Leveson-Gower, 3rd Duke of Sutherland (1828–1892)
Cromartie Sutherland-Leveson-Gower, 4th Duke of Sutherland KG (1851–1913)
"In 1900 the Duke of Sutherland owned about 1,358,000 acres (550,000 hectares) and the steam yacht Catania, which was chartered by some of the super-rich of that era."
Perhaps George Perry did work on the Duke's yacht?
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That's much more information than I had before, thank you! It gives me a starting point for further enquiry. It may also be a link to George Perry's son, George Donald Perry, who became a sailor, and later in South Australia was in charge of Enchantress, a yacht belonging to one of the wealthy. In turn, George Donald Perry's son, George Richard Donald Perry, though born in South Australia, settled at Portsmouth/IoW and became eventually the captain of ships, (maybe ferries) based there. The next generation was at Southsea (Talbot Street) and I visited them in 1988 but have had no response to letters for many years so assume they have died. They showed me newspaper photographs of GRD Perry at the helm of what looked like a very large ship but I don't know the source of these and was not equipped at the time to take photographs of the clippings. I know that British newspapers are online but the prospect of the search for these photographs is daunting.
I'm away from the computer for the day so will check this thread when I'm home again. J
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Could this be relevant?
Portsmouth Evening News - Friday 06 July 1900 "The Catania, s.s., the Duke of Sutherland, is refitting for the Cowes Week."
Portsmouth Evening News - Saturday 13 October 1900 "Hanson and Co.........have just caulked and coppered the Duke of Sutherland's steam yacht Catania, and are making various alterations on deck."
Stan
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Googling 'catania & duke of sutherland' brings up lots of references but haven't come across anything yet to link the Duke to your Perrys.
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I think I'll look a bit closely at the Catania. It could be there will be no reference connecting George Perry to the yacht or the duke. I do need to ask whether dukes handed out gold watches frequently/freely or should I regard that action as something special? Maybe they kept a supply of them on hand! George Perry obviously regarded it as something special to designate its disposal in his will. Also trying to think what action would be significant enough for a duke to give a gold watch to a commoner? It doesn't seem to me a job of carpentry or cabinet-making would warrant such a reward. J
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J, the Sutherland's weren't exactly short of a few bob, when Queen Victoria first visited them at the nearby Stafford House in London she exclaimed that she had come from her house to their palace!
Skoosh.
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Thank you. That gives some context. Somebody like that would probably regard a gold watch as small change! I think a long term plan would be for me to locate descendants of George Donald Perry's siblings, who remained in the U.K., and those of his son, who moved to the U.K. Wouldn't it be something special if that gold watch still remained in the possession of family members? In his will it was left to Ernest Edward Perry, son of George Perry and brother to George Donald Perry. Many Perry names have been passed down and my Uncle Ern Perry (now aged in his 90s) apparently named after his great-uncle, Ernest Edward Perry. J
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It wasn't uncommon for watches (and other treasured possessions) to be mentioned in Wills- I've come across several Wills that said where a watch was to go next.
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Thank you. I'll be away from the computer for some hours and will check thread on my return. J
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Re. the gift of a gold watch and chain to George Perry from the 3rd Duke of Sutherland... I have inherited a silver tankard with the inscription: To EC in remembrance of a trip to America 1881. It was given to my great grandfather Edward Crockett who was his valet.