A friend of mine picked up a key wind Hampden, ser. #190,978. We are trying to figure what the writing in script says. First let me start off by saying, the key that came with the watch says, J.J. Woodward, Great Falls, N.H. My friend says he once lived in Somersworth, N.H. and he knew that Great Falls, was changed to Somersworth, N.H.
What we can't figure out is what is the name of the jeweler and what comes after Great Falls, on the movement?
Thanks for any help you can give me on this one.
Brian C.

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Pic 3

My best guess would be M. C. Riedell, Great Falls, N. H.

M. G. Bedell, N. H., the type face is Old English

Look on your WORD...you may find Old English among the type faces.

Hi; Being an old broken down sign painter, I would agree wholeheartedly with Daniel.

Dan and Charles are probably right but my first reaction was M.C. Bedell. There are many version of "Olde English" and I think of "G"s as having a bit more hanging out .Of course, the "G" in "Great Falls" is lacking in that department too.
-Cort

The "G" in Great Falls is different than the second initial in the name. Dan's "Bedell" is probably correct, certainly better than my guess.

Thanks for the input guys. I can believe the M.G. Bedell but I'm having a hard time making out the N.H. after Great Falls. Are we all in agreement that it is N.H.? The reason I'd like to be sure is, he wants to sell the watch and I want to make sure it's advertised correctly.
Thanks again for your input.
Brian C.

I vote for M.G. Bedell, having done a lot of Old English caligraphy in my youth. I also vote for N.H. base on my past experience, not to mention that it is clearly Great Falls, N.H. on the key.

Ed,
I see what you mean, the two "G's" are not quite the same. The large rounded loop in "Great" is not quite the same as the one in the name.

I thought it may be an "R"

M.R. Bedell ????

The G in Great is, no question, rounder and the one in the name is straight like an R but you know how these things are, who knows for sure.

New Information.
What a small world. I met this fellow on eBay. He is the president of the Historical Society and Museum, in Somersworth, N.H. I told him about this watch, sent him the pictures, and he said he would see what he could find. Here is what he said.
"Hi Brian, I don't believe it's M.G. Bedell. I think it's W.E. Bedell. I found a William Edger Bedell who had a watch and clock business on the corner of Market Square and High St. in Great Falls N.H. I found it in an 1884-85 Great Falls directory. He is burried in the Forest Glade Cemetery in Somersworth. Born in 1845 and died Sept. 24th 1896, two years before Great Falls changed it's name to Somersworth. His father is listed as William born 1808 died 11/17/1878."
The watch is circa 1881 so I don't think it was his father's.
So with this new information, is it possible that the name is W.E. Bedell?
Thanks,
Brian C.

I would say it is very unlikely that the letters we see on this watch were meant to be W.E. To those of us familiar with this font I think the M.G. is quite clear. The attached image is from my old Speedball textbook of lettering.

May I tend to help put this "script" reading question to rest?

In my 50 years of of typesetting in the Graphic Arts and printing industry...you will find many styles of Old English designed by the people who created these fonts of type.

Just as one artist will paint a scene of a landscape...another will paint the same scene in a different manner.

So it is with designing type faces. TAKE A WATCH...THEY ALL FUNCTION IN THE SAME MANNER...TELLING TIME! YET MANY STYLES ABOUND!

A DRESS IS A DRESS...AN AUTOMOBILE IS AN AUTOMOBILE...MANY STYLES...SO ARE TYPE FACES.

AND SCRIPT IS A SCRIPT TYPE FACE...NOT OLD ENGLISH! YOU CANNOT CALL ROMAN TYPE OR OLD ENGLISH TYPE FACES SCRIPT...

Thanks All.
I'm going with M.G. Bedell, N.H.
Brian C.

The Historical Society sent me this ad for W.E. Bedell. They are now checking the cemetery records for M.G. Bedell who might have been a relation.
Brian C.

Here is an Old English that resembles the script in the watch. My bet is on W. E. Bedell

Jim,
I've sent your alphabet to the historical society to see what they think.
Thanks,
Brian C.