Today I picked up this Waltham, model 1883, 17j, SW/PS Canadian dialed pw.
The dial says JE NETTLETON, PENETANGUISHENE.
I googled JE Nettleton and did not get a hit. I did find out that Penetahguishene was in Ontario.
Could anyone share some light on the person or the town?
I apologize for the bad/quick photography

I ment to put this in the Canadian-pvt label watches thread.
Lin, could you switch this thread for me?

Nice Ed!

I think your JE NETTLETON is James Edward. I will do some more searching this evening, he was also an optician & apparently in that town there is or was an insane assylum & he sold glasses to the hospitial.

Tom

Thanks Tom, I was hoping you might come along and lend a hand. I'm also hoping Larry would be able to give me some information on the area.

Ed

It is probably James E, in the 1911 census he is living in Penetanguishene & listed as a jeweler. He was born March of 1870 in Ontario. His wife was Henretta she was born June of 1869 also in Ontario. They had a son George born August of 1892, daughter Olive born July 1899, son Harold born December 1900, daughter Marion born Jan 1904.

Tom

Looks like he had an older brother Frank H. who was also a jeweler, this is from a Canadian Passenger List June 1909, the ship was the Empress of Ireland. James, Frank, John a Police Magistrate, & Herbert R. a clerk were all on board.

Tom

Looks like James & Henrietta Kerr were married in 1892, James parents were John & Elizabeth, James listed his occupation then as a Traveler (wonder how you get that job, if I did it they would call me a hobo).

Tom

James was born March 4, 1870, his father John was a merchant tailor, looks like James was born in Collingwood, Simcoe, Ontario.

Tom

This web page has a little info on his dad John, if you go to it & then just search the last name you will see John listed as a tailor & a Mason

http://www.waynecook.com/1872_Gazatteer.html

Tom.
Thanks for all your work on this watch. These pvt labels lead to some facinating reading and information.

Your welcome Ed, happy to do it. Only problem is every watch I search for someone, I wish I had the watch.

I found where someone had a photo of his store that they displayed at a watch & clock club, unfortunately they didn't post the photo.

Also there is a Nettleton's Jewellery Ltd 90 Sparks St Ottawa ON, K1P 5B4, I wonder if they are any relation, I couldn't find a web page for the store. Here is a quote I found on the current store "The Nettletons Since the beginning, Nettleton’s Jewellery has been owned and operated by the Nettleton family. The fact that you can still find a Nettleton on site when you walk in the door is a reflection of the commitment and tradition on which this company was founded and still operates today.

Tom

Tom,
The watch is dated to 1905, over 100 years and the family is still in the business. Now that is commitment and loyalty to your customers!

James' son George should be the George G. Nettleton I found in the students list of the Canadian Horological Institute : CHI
I linked the homepage because it may be of some interest. You can find him when you go students and then student list. Georges' location there is Ottawa, Ontario. I think he was the first Nettleton of the present Nettleton's Jewellery Ltd. in Ottawa.
I would suggest to contact them.

Regards,
Gerald

Gerald,
Thanks, that is a great idea!

Gerald,
That is an interesting site. I tried to e-mail two times, both came back "undeliverable"

Gerald,
Foolish me, I am so used to yahoo.com, it should have been yahoo.ca. I sent it again. I hope it get through.

Ed

I hope it will work and bring some information.
The Nettleton's jewellery Ltd, Ottawa seems to have only a phone number? Strange in those days.

Regards,
Gerald

If you interested, the George that was James son was George Gordon Nettleton, she married Anna Irene Shore, they were married April 21, 1919 in Ottawa. So that would fit with the one Gerald found at the school.

Also looks like he died Jan 13, 1947

Tom

Here is the reply I received from a Gary Fox.

Hi Mr. Kitner

Yes, George Nettleton was a student of the CHI and he graduated in 1912. He was an A level grad, making his watch from an ebauche movement. George openned his first shop in Ottawa on Queen Street in 1915 in partnership with a gentleman named Haskett. They were in business together only for 4 years. Thereafter, George was on his own in shops at various places on Bank Street.

I believe he had two sons. His grandson Cameron ran Nettleton's Jewellers on Sparks Street, but he closed shop about a year ago. Cameron has some cousins who run another Nettleton's in the Westgate Mall and I think Cam joined them. As ar as I can tell, the family has been in business continuously since 1915.

I hope you enjoy your watch. If you have any specific questions, I will try to answer them. I appreciate you contacting me through the website.

Regards

Gary Fox

Ed
Try to contact them. We will see the story completed !

Regards,
Gerald

Gerald,
I sent an e-mail to the store 2 days ago. I hope someone answers it.

Nice Waltham Private label Edward

Penetanguishene comes from the First Nations Ojibwa language and means "place of the white rolling sands". The name was shortened to Penetang when the Grand Trunk Railway came through the town. This was probably done to simplify railway operations, making the name shorter and easier to pronounce.

I have a Omega George G. Nettleton private-label dial marked GTR (Grand Trunk Railway) & NYC (New York Central) Inspectors, Ottawa, on page 5 of my Canadian Private-Label thread.

Larry