A couple of years ago,I bought a box of pocket watch parts off Ebay,for $24,and down in the bottom was this NYS keywind. It is the only one I have ever seen,and it looks to be in it's original case. I don't think the hands are original,especially the second hand. It was dirty,tarnished,and had a broken staff. I cleaned,oiled,polished,and replaced the staff,and since then it has run good and keeps good time. There is no serial number on the movement,but this was common with NYS. I would like to find out about the original owner. It has a Freemason sign etched on the back cover,and the name Allen T. Speelman inscribed inside. I have written several letters to the Freemasons,explaining what I was looking for,and have not had a single reply. Anybody here know how I might find some info about a Freemason from the turn of the century. I think the watch dates to around 1890-1900.

The dial

The case

another

last one

I will keep doing some more digging but right now a possibility is;
Allen T. Spellman born about 1855 in Ohio, in the 1920 US census he was living in Jackson, Crawford Ohio & is employeed as a clerk for the railway mail service.

I will see if I can find more to positive ID or cancel him.

Tom

Cecil,
A very nice old key wind.
Don't you wish they could tell their stories!

Nice watch Cecil, one that is not seen all that often..Didnt look it up but I would think it's one of the rarer NY Standards.

Tom,I appreciate your efforts. The last name is Speelman,with 2 E's. A Jewish gentleman perhaps.

Edward,Yes,I'm about as interested in the history,as I am the watches. To think of the times,and experiences that the owner/owners of this old watch has seen.

Ray,I have seen thousands of watches,but never another one like this one. It has 3 stars for rarity in "The book",and it is one of my personal favorites,of my watches.

Cecil

I did look it up with two EE's I just wrote it wrong here.

He is the only Allen T. Speelman I can find in the census for the USA that was born prior to your watch being made. I have not been able to make a connection to him & the Masons. If you would like more info on him I have his wife & kids names. Checking different census' he was a postal clerk for the railway in Ohio. He was born in Ohio, his father in Pa. & his mother in Ohio.

Tom

If he lived in Jackson, Ohio and worked for a railway, the road was probably the B&O. They had a small yard in Jackson.

Regards! Mark

Cecil, I don't know anything about Freemasonry symbols, but to me they look like a set of dividing calipers placed over a set square, typically as used by draughtsmen in a drawing office.

Nice watch too, I just love those old full plate jobs.

John

That's true, John, but if you look closely, you can also just make out the well worn 'G' in the center of those tools.

It is the Free Mason emblem.

Regards! Mark

The Freemasons are a secret society. They are sworn to not reveal other members identities, even if they are long dead.

Thanks Mark, you live and learn!

Best regards

John

That raises another question. Why would a group of people that did not want to be identified as members of the group,wear rings,watches,and other items with the group emblems on them,making them identifiable as a member of that group. Also, Allen Speelman has already exposed himself as a member,by having the watch personalized with the sign,and my only interest in the Freemason emblem on the watch,aside from it adding to my personal enjoyment of the watch,is to perhaps help identify correctly,the original owner. I'm pretty sure that with a little digging,most of the Freemason's agenda can be discovered,but I do not have any interest in doing that.