Early English Watchmaking

I am unable to trace any reliable eviúence of English watches havlng been made untll quite the end of the sixteenth century, although Germán and Frenen productions were lmported earlier, says Good Words. Derliam, In the second edition of his "Artificial Clockmaker," published in 1700, mentions an elght-day watch which he was told belonged to Henry VIII., but the context clearly shows a weight timeplece is referred to. Among the possessions of Edward VI, as quoted by Wood from a royal household book, is "one larum or watch of iron, the case being likewise iron gilt with two plummettes of led." The flrst words of this ucBiuipuon may seem to indícate a watch with a mainspring, but such an assumptlon is at once dispelled by the mention of the "plummettea of led." That Elizabeth owned a large number of watches is certaln. In 1571 the earl of Leicester gave to hls royal mistress "one armlet or shakell of golde, all over failely garnishei) with rubyes' and dyamonds, haveing in the closiug thereof a clocke." From this it will be seen that the modern custom of wearing the watch in a wristlet is out a revival of sixteenth century fashion. It is said that Mary Queen of Scots had two "death's head" or skull watches, which ehe presented, one to each of two favorite maids of honor. Ainong others which tradition has assiznerl tn thp Scottish queen Octavius Morgan mentioned two whlch he conaidered to be of the period claimed for them. One waa a ghastly memento mori watch in a casa of crystal formed like a coffin, and the other an octagonal watch. The' latter, it Is asserted, was given by Mary to John Knox the reformer. The posession of many watches is ascribed to James I.( but such as he did possesa do not appear to have been utilized as timekeepers on every occasion, for in Savile's record of a stated journey to Theodald's in 1603 it is stated that the king stopped at the Bell at Edmonton, and, wishing to count the number of vehicles passing in a certain time, he "called for an houre glass."