I just finished cleaning this early Illinois "Prince Charlie" up and must comment that it is transitional in every hand-made part of the movement and pinned dial that make it up into a beautiful Instrument of Time.

It makes a 3 Ounce Deuber Hunter Case look even better . . .

I know, I will have to find a Open Morning Glory Hand at the shop to make it "gooder", but the question remains, who was "Prince Charlie"? . . . and Who was BBG & CO.? . . . c.a. 1878 (In the 1940's my dad smoked cigars with names that sounded like that I whink.)

Perfect for my son, Charlie, and yes, he is a Prince!

Beautiful Watch, sorry I couldn't find anything on the BBG & Co. (still looking)

Dave,
I have one of those Prince Charlie movements on my bench now. It's a different serial number of course. Did you ever find out what BBG & Co. was? Tom Brown? Anyone? Thanks.

David; Bonnie Prince Charlie was Prince Charles Edward Louis John Casimir Sylvester Severino Maria Stuart ,the Jacobite leader,who ,disregarding the advice of his most experienced military commanders led Scotland to a crushing military defeat in 1746 at the Moor of Culloden ,or ,as it was then known , Drumossie Moor. This ended the Scottish clan system as well as the Gaelic language and the chance for Scotland to be an independent country once again. Albainn gu brath

In Scotland he is known as "The Poof".

I've stood at Culloden; it's an extremely somber place. One can almost hear the history of centuries.

just as J.Edgar Hoover was,Eric

Here's just a bit more about Prince Charles, but I have no idea how this Prince Charles is associated with the "Prince Charlie" that is on David's watch....

Begin....
Charles Edward Stuart (1720–1788)
British prince, grandson of James II and son of James, the Old Pretender. In the Jacobite rebellion of 1745 (the Forty-Five) Charles won the support of the Scottish Highlanders; his army invaded England to claim the throne but was beaten back by the Duke of Cumberland and routed at Culloden on 16 April 1746. Charles fled; for five months he wandered through the Highlands with a price of £30,000 on his head before escaping to France. He visited England secretly in 1750, and may have made other visits. In later life he degenerated into a friendless drunkard. He settled in Italy in 1766.
Actually known as the "Young Pretender"....
With a price of £30,000 on his head, Charles Edward fled to France, eventually settling in Italy 1766.
END....

Eric, I too have stood on the grounds of the moorland in Inverness-shire, Scotland, where the battle of Culloden occured....my ancestors, the "McWhorters" was the family name on my maternal side of the family, left Scotland in 1730 and migrated to Delaware and I had some very early ancestors, Alexander McWhorter and his wife, that were masacared in the Irish Catholic Uprising in 1641....

And I don't know what any of this has to do with David's watch....

Regards,

Jerry

I on the other hand was born in Inverness,and was raised in Easter Ross at Hilton of Cadboll. The name Prince Charlie is an endearment form of Prince Charles ,and I believe is meant to denote the Jacobite prince,who was the rightful King of Scotland. My family were the Bruntons ,Crawfords, and MacKenzies of Inverness and the MacAngus's and Tarrels of Hilton

You may be 100% right on Tom and I will bow to your knowledge & upbringing in the beautiful country of Scotland....

I also know and am aware that 'Prince Charlie' is an endearment term used for Prince Charles....

We are in agreement, entirely, my friend....

Regards,

Jerry

BTW, my family was a sept of the Buchanan Clan and were mainly from Ayrshire....

Ah ,the home of The Bard ,at Alloway, in Ayr,sacred to the hearts of every Scot alive!!! My family were among the last clearanced from Sutherland , and driven with nothing to the seashore of Ross-shire. My grandfather told me stories passed down the family from his ggf , that they had to live under boats till they got houses built,with the help of the local inhabitants,Scottish Highlanders also. Many English have now retired in Scotland. My family refer to them as White Settlers If you read the book,My Uncle George, about one of the most beloved presbyterian ministers in the north of Scotland, Rev.George MacKay,chapter 8 is mainly about my great grandfather Uisdean MacAngus and his fight to preserve the Gaelic language in the face of massive English penetration. He would stay in the kirk while the Gaelic language service took place,but immediately left on the start of the English language service,believing that it was not the language of the Highlanders , and he would have nothing to do with it!! How very,very proud I am of him

And proud ye shoud be me laddie, for ye hav many relatives to be proud of....

My Alexander (above) and his son Alexander and his son Hugh (first McWhorter to America) were all three Presbyterian ministers....

Hugh gave up his ministery but not the church when he and his wife Jane came to America in 1730....

I would like to read the book, 'My Uncle George'....where can I find it...?

Regards,

Jerry

On the subject of family connections, was not the name of the highest grade Illinois watch of the time "Stuart"?

Nice history lesson so far and a good read...back to the watch

Could it be GBB & Co (Giles Bros?)