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In approx 1790, John S. Skarratt left London and moved to Worcester City. It would seem probable that John was a clockmaker from the Clerkenwell area of London. The couple had eight children all of whom were born in Worcester.
John married Margaret in 1794, so she may be from the Worcester area.

John set up business in Goose Lane, renamed St Swithins Street, Worcester in 1794 as jeweller and watchmaker.
By about 1814 John had moved to 2, Broad Street, later 3, Broad Street when the building was expanded. Both of these shops still exist although under different owners to this day. Records have John Martin Skarratt on a conveyance indenture dated 29 Sept 1877 from Mr Pike for No.7 St Swithin's Street.

A certain William Kilbourne Kay was listed in the 1881 census as living at 10 Park Street Worcester (digs or gentlemen's accommodation) and working as a jeweller's assistant. In 1883 he recorded his address as being 3 Broad Street (Skarratt's shop). Kay went on from being an apprentice to Skarratt, to become the founder of the well known and successful Kays of Worcester mail order catalogue company. Incidentally it emerges that Kilbourne was his family name, but at birth he was adopted by a Dr Kay.

In 1888 John Martin (Jnr) sold No.6 St Swithin's Street for £800 to a Mr Joseph Fisher. Was this a relation of his wife, Francis Alice Fisher? This building was originally No.5, then No.7 (see above) and finally No.6.

By 1896 Kays entered into discussions with John Martin Skarratt (Jnr) and the two businesses were amalgamated, but the Skarratt family took no further interest in  the company. Kay bought the business for the sum of approx.£3788, this included the premises in Broad street, all creditors and debt, stock in hand and "other chattels" . John Martin (Jnr) retired to Cheltenham and died in 1908.

I have been shown early catalogues of Kays that advertise for sell Skarratt clocks and watches, in later catalogues the names were changed to Kays.

Below is a section from the booklet issued by Kay's Heritage Group showing the connection to Skarratt.

TRADE DIRECTORIES
           ......................                              .......                                                                                 ..
s = SLATERs
p = PIGOT & DEAN DIRECTORY
b = BENTLEYS
k = Kellys

WORCESTER

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FAMILY TREES

Present day members of the family that I have been in contact with are, Mary Jean Busby and family who lives in USA, also Robert Keller who lives in Lancashire.
 
 

THE CROSS HOUSE, Powick, Worcester (Garden view)	THE CROSS HOUSE. (Position on roundabout)
	John Martin (Jnr) lived in The Cross House from c1880 until February 1884, and then moved to Vernon Manor until March 1891 when it was sold to Mr C.J.Whitehead for £2300.
VERNON MANOR, Lower Wick, Worcester
I thank Mrs. Balen of Cross House and Bob & Mary Fleming of Veron Manor for permission to take these photos of their houses.

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Apart from these addresses above and the shop in Goose Lane there are others addresses etc. that I have noted.

in 1794 John & Margaret at St Swithins St
in 1795-1807 St Swithins St
in 1814 No. 2 Broad St, shop
in 1822-25 Goose Lane
in 1829 John lived at St Swithins St (Goose lane)
in 1835-1850 Broad St, shop
in 1840 Claines
in 1834-1854. John Martin & Caroline were living in St Georges Square, Worcester.
    1851 Census, #18. St Georges Sq #46. J.M.Skarratt, age 55, Born in St Swithins, Worcester.
                                                                 Caroline, age 50, Born in Berks.
                                                                 Selina, age 16, Caroline, age 12. Rosa, age 10. Frances, age 8. Francis, age 6.
                                                                 (Francis and Rosa are supposed to be twins!)
in 1871 Harold lived in Broad St
in 1877 No.7 St Swithins St, shop
in 1877 Caroline died and lived in Albany Terrace,Claines
in 1881-1884 JM Skarratt (Jnr) living in the Cross House, Powick
    1881 Census. John Skarrett, age 32,Born Claines, Worcester.
                          Francis, age 42.
                          Carloine, age 35.(Sister)
                          Charles, (Carleton "Charles" Fisher), age 9. R.E. (Rose Eveleen) age 7.
in 1884-1891 JM Skarratt (Jnr) living in Vernon Manor, Lower Wick
in 1888 No.6 St Swithins St, shop (Ex No.5, Ex No.7)
in 1913 Caroline E Skarratt is living in Sansome Walk?
in 190? JM Skarratt (Jnr) living in Cheltenham.

PEMBERTON

Caroline Pemberton married John Martin on 22 Oct 1859 in Warndon. His 2nd wife.  In the possession of a branch of the family there is a bible with the names of Caroline and her sister Elizabeth inscribed.  This bible is said to have been handed down from a daughter of Bishop Carleton of Chichester, probably Bishop George (1559-1628). The Hereford cousins of the Worcester Skarratts have several members named using Carleton - see Kington Skarratts
Elizabeth (1797-1877) and Caroline Pemberton (?-1836) would appear to be well educated from their writing and lived in the Worcester area. I have tried to trace them back to their family but without much success. In 1681 the bible also contains the names of John and Anne Harrison and Sarah Currier. So there seems to be a connection there from Skarratt to Pemberton and Harrisons.
I have studied "The Carleton Collection" by Lorna Carleton and in the 1600's I have noted that Bishop George knew and probably officiated at weddings in Oxford involving the Harrison, Croft and Carleton families. Also in c1750 Robert Skarratt of London married Sarah Carleton. So it would seem there could be a connection but so far my research has not nailed it all together. I need more info on the Pemberton family perhaps from somebody who knows more about them or has studied them.

My latest info from 1881 census for Worcester has , a Jeweller and his wife Elizabeth, living in Kings Norton at the back of Clevendon Street. What is interesting is that among their children are the names Selina and Rose. The names used by Caroline Skarratt (nee Pemberton) for two of her children! Coincidence it maybe, a jeweller as well.
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WATCHMAKERS  ....................................................................................................................................

I have culled from various sources a list of the watchmakers in the Worcester branch of the Skarratt family.

Many of the books on this subject of clock & watchmakers, do not research the backgrounds of these people and therefore give a misleading picture of the actual numbers involved. I have tried to sort the facts given into a more accurate list, with my knowledge of the Skarratts in particular.

references:-
   Brian Loomes Watchmakers and Clockmakers of the World. Volo.2
   G.H.Baillie, Watchmakers and Clockmakers of the World 2nd edition
   Cecil Clutton, G.H.B. Btitten's Old Clocks and watches and their makers, 9th Edition.
   Iorweth Peale, Clock and Watch Makers in Wales
   Brittons Old clocks & Watches & their makers
 

(CC)  Belonged to Clockmakers Company
F       Freedom of the Company (i.e. Thomas Skarratt 4 Nov 1782)
TB    Thomas Banfield, St John St, Clerkenwell, London
 
 

(a)Confusion between the two John Skarratts has both working at Goose Lane, but it would appear that it was John S. Skarratt who actually worked there.

I have searched the archives for ownership or rental of premises in High St and Goose Lane, but nothing found clarifies the situation.

There are however records for John Martin Skarratt Snr and Jnr for Goose lane/St Swithin St.

The two families are related by common grandparents.
 

THE ORIGINAL PREMISES IN GOOSE LANE. (Now St Swithin's Street) John Skarratt moved from London and set up shop here in 1794.

KAY'S of Worcester by Skarratts!

I have been  informed by Bernard Mills of Kays Heritage, that Kay's of Worcester bought out a Skarratt clockmaker, at one time they had a heading "late of Skarratt" on their notepaper. Their early catalogues still had the name J.M.Skarratt on the title page. Kilburn Kay the founder of the Kay's mail order company, initially Kay worked for Skarratt's. He is noted in the 1881 census as a "jeweller's assistant" living over the shop at 3 Broad St. It would appear that by 1891, Kay had either bought out Skarratt or John Martin Skarratt had retired, he would be aged 57.  Watches exist with the name "Kay, Jones & Co., Worcester" from the 1880's, so was Kay in direct competition, if it was Kilburn Kay.
In the Kay's early catalogues there are clocks and watches with Kays name on that are identical those made by Skarratt, even to the marquetry on wall clocks.
Skarratt made station clocks for the G.W.R. and it is suggested that Kay's bought Skarratt out to get the lucrative contract with the G.W.R.

 
 

Other notes
Peplows of Worcester, history.
William (Peplow) junior was succeeded by his son, William, who was born in 1864, and began learning the skill of watch-making from the age of 10. He became best-known by his middle name of  Henry and was sent to Worcester, in his youth, to  gain experience with the then well-known gold and silversmiths, JM Skarratt of Broad Street. It  was a firm nationally-known for making railway  clocks.
From this is Worcester News.

Locating watches.
Has anybody out there any Skarratt timepieces or knows the location of them? I would like to know about them please.

One longcase recently on sale had the initials A.M. Skarratt, of Worcester on the face. I can find no trace of any A.M.Skarratt, and it is almost certainly J.M.Skarratt. Obviously the person who restored it was not familiar with the Skarratts, and it begs the question, 'How does it effect the price'?

Another watch I was informed off recently was a puzzle to me. It was engraved 'Skarratt & Co, Worcester, but made in Soluere, Switzerland. (see below picture). It appears this is an early example of badge engineering, the watch is Swiss made c1900 and marked in a similar way to Kay's marked up Skarratt watched etc.
I recently received an email which shows a watch with "Swiss made", on the face & similar design to the Soluere watch, probably another outsource by Kays.
 
 

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CONNECTIONS
 

www.one-name.org	ONE NAME STUDIES- Skarratt.Skerratt, Skerritt, Skirritt	Rosemary Thomas
scarrott@one-name.org	SCARROTT	Glyn Hatherall
www.kaysheritage.org.uk	Kay & Co Ltd, origin form Skarratt	Bernard Mills

 
 

NOTES     ........................................................................................................................................................
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I have to acknowledge the following for their help and advice,
Bernard Mills of the Kays heritage Group for his Worcester based info on Kays.
Also if unwittingly I have used info without proper acknowledgement please let me know so I can do so.
 

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