John Wade/R. Wade - clockmaker of Staythorpe, Notts


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Hello there

This is a LONG shot I know but experience tells me that you Nottsalgia forum folk have a very wide knowledge, so I think it's worth a go...

I'm trying to find out as much as possible about two clock makers called Wade who lived in Staythorpe around c.1841-1851. My only substantial reference to them is in a book called 'Memorials of Old Nottinghamshire', published in 1912. According to this book, one of them was called John Wade the other was R. Wade (it doesn't give his first name). I suspect they are one and the same person as I can only find John Wade on the census and in the Nottinghamshire directories. According to 'Memorials of Old Nottinghamshire' R. Wade (whom I can't find in the census for Staythorpe) was a notable eccentric. Some of this information appears to have been repeated in a more modern book called 'Clock and watch makers of Nottinghamshire' by Harold Mather, which also states that a clock made by R.Wade survives.

I still have a lot of digging around to do when time permits and I'm hoping I may be able to find a will, or even an obituary in the local press. I went to the British Horological Institute open day last Sunday where the stewards were incredibly helpful and searched their reference sources for me (some apprentice information was found for John Wade but nothing about his later life). They don't have any Wade clocks in their collection.

So, is there anyone out there who has any knowledge of the clock makers of Nottinghamshire and has heard of this Wade chap (or chaps) and who may even HAVE a clock by someone called Wade? I was told by staff at the British Horological Institute that many locally-made clocks remain in the possession of local people.

Thank you!

Jayne

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Think I can see your John Wade on the 1851 census living at Staythorpe in district of Southwell ..

Occupation given as Clock maker and "occupier" of 13 acres. Says he was born at "Shelton" (should that be Shelford ?) in 1777.

Interestingly it gives his wife Hannah's birthplace as Staythorpe . Can't initially see anything in the news archives for him unfortunately .

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There was a John Wade Christened 15-Dec-1776, Shelton, father William Wade, mother Elizabeth.

1841 Census has him as 60yr old clockmaker but they rounded ages down in that one (he would have been 64 when Census taken).

1851 Census as stated by DavidW (JW born Shelton).

1861 Census has him as 84yr old joiner and uncle to the head of the household in Syerston.

Memorials of Old Nottinghamshire did say that R Wade started out as a clock case maker, so joiner fits (if R and John are indeed one person).

1871 Census reveals nothing so probably dead by then (there was a John Wade death recorded at Southwell, Jul-Sep 1862 but speculative as no age shown).

Shelton, Syerston and Staythorpe are not far from each other.

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Never realised there was a place called Shelton .

I have some ancestors with the surname Sheĺton , maybe thats where the surname originated from .

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Jayne , in the deaths column of the Nottingham Guardian 1st Sept 1862, it does list his death saying that he died on the 30th ult (so presume Aug 1862) at Syerston aged 86 and was a "cottage farmer" at Staythorpe .

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You could also try the British Horological society at Upton, not too far from Staythorpe (about five miles)

Rog

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Hi DavidW

Thanks so much! How did you find this reference? John Wade was the tenant of 13 acres in Staythorpe in 1841 so it makes sense that he would be described as a cottage gardener.

What I'd really like to know is why Wade became known as an eccentric. Did people just talk about him or did he appear in the local press? Where did the author who described him as eccentric in 1912 get his information from, bearing in mind that Wade died in 1862?

Planfit, thanks for the idea. I've already asked at Upton Hall and although they've heard of him they have none of his clocks and they have very little information about him (just the years he was active as a clockmaker).

Cheers,

Jayne

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