Thomas Russell’s name is synonymous with the Lancashire watch industry and is an icon to watch purists and enthusiasts the world over. But how he became a watchmaker and why Lancashire played such an important role in the watch industry is a fascinating story.
In the 17th century, farmers and farm workers who needed to supplement their income during the winter months took on much of the work of watchmaking. In and around Lancashire this was particularly important and the proximity of metalworking, the availability of fine metal tools and the port of Liverpool helped the growth of industry. In the 18th century, watch parts were outsourced to small farms and country houses throughout the region.
Another factor in the growth of this cottage industry was the significantly lower overhead costs that farmers enjoyed as part-time workers in their own homes. Elsewhere, wages were the largest contributor to the total cost of watchmaking with the cost of raw materials, apart from the gold and silver used in making expensive cases, relatively small.
One commentator notes that, “From Prescott to Liverpool, eight miles as the crow flies, the countryside was dotted with the cottages of spring makers, wheel cutters, chain makers, box makers, dial makers: all the specialties that were involved in making a watch.” By the end of the 18th century, this system was producing between 150,000 and 200,000 clocks a year, filling a national need for precise timekeeping as the industrial revolution took hold.
The Lancashire subcontracting system enabled the production of watch movements at such low prices that, by the end of the 18th century, Lancashire manufacturers were supplying most of the great watchmaking firms in London, Coventry and Liverpool. All these companies had to do was make or purchase their own case and dial, and then assemble the watch.
Thomas Russell joined this hive of activity in 1848 when he moved his business as a watchmaker to Slater Street in Liverpool. The city was an important seaport and the manufacture of clocks and chronometers for ships became a major source of income for the business.
The father of Thomas Russell, also called Thomas Russell (1780-1830), the founder of this watchmaking dynasty, was born in Eskdale, a small town in Cumberland. He served his time as a watchmaker in New St. Broughton-in-Furness Lancashire with William Bellman, then served his time as a journeyman with William Wakefield in Market St Lancaster, where he later started a business of his own in the same street.
He had two children; one named Thomas married Mary in 1831. They also had two sons, Thomas Robert (1833-1894) born in Lancaster and Alfred Holgate Russell (1840-1893). In about 1840, the family moved to Halifax and established a watchmaking business on Lord St. It was here that Alfred was born.
By 1848 the family had moved once more and records show that Thomas Russell was a watchmaker with premises at 20 or 22 Slater Street, Liverpool and later at 32 Slater Street. It was here that Thomas Russell became arguably Liverpool’s greatest watchmaker and the company produced quality timepieces, including the celebrated Russell Hunter pocket watch. Thomas Senior and his eldest son, Thomas Robert, received a Royal Warrant from Queen Victoria, indicating their rapid progress in watchmaking.
Around 1859 Thomas handed over control of the business to his sons Thomas Robert and Alfred Holgate and the company changed its name to Thomas Russell & Son. Following Thomas Russell’s death in 1867, the business was split in two; the business side continued under the same name and was run by Alfred and Thomas ran Russells Limited. The retail business became importers of Swiss watches and music boxes.
By 1877 the company had moved business once more, this time to the Cathedral Works, 12 Church Street, Liverpool, with additional offices on Piccadilly in London and Toronto, Canada. It was now known as the Russell Clock and Chronometer Factory and was listed in 1880 as “Manufacturers of Machine Made Clocks and Chronometers and Jewelery and Keyless Lever Dealers” and further “by appointment of Her Majesty the Queen and HRM the Duke of Edinburgh and the Admiralty”.
After Queen Victoria’s death, Thomas Russell still signed his watches “Queen Victoria Makers”, although officially the injunction had ceased with the queen’s death. This was tolerated for a while before it was removed from his watch.
Following the deaths of Thomas Robert and Alfred Holgate, Alfred’s son Bernard Holgate Russell and his cousin Thos Townsend Russell took over the business and the business name was changed in 1894 to Russells Limited. From this date they seem to have continued as retail jewellers, with several branches in Liverpool, and by the early 1900s also in Manchester and Llandudno.
Bernard married and had a son with Thomas Graham (1906-1999). In 1915 Bernard and Thos Townsend Russell invited Joseph Wright to become co-director of Thos Russell & Son. Joseph had extensive business knowledge, traveled extensively, and had business contacts in Switzerland and work experience with the famous American Illinois Watch Case Co.
All of these directors’ children appeared to have worked and run the business in later years. During World War II, Joseph Wright kept the business going despite wartime shortages of materials and men until the sons returned from the war. In about 1994, both the Liverpool Russells Ltd retail store and the workshops and offices at 12 Church Street closed their doors for the last time.