A pocket watch with the name William John Gardus inscribed.
This is a bit way out, but have you ever heard of William John Gardus of Whaddon, Buckinghamshire? He lived in this village in 1861 and died in 1877. He is reputed to have been a watchmaker. I have seen a photograph of his work.
Do we know how many watches Gardus made? Do any exist today? And what is the history of this man who was born in Chelsea, Middlesex, but now London, in 1801? How many men, roughly, were there making pocket watches in England c.1860?
John Mortimer
Editor, Whaddon Quarterly
