Norwich bulletin., 1918-01-12
.asa-s3-t@Ee#5 NORWICH HAD PIONEER MATCHMAKER

tiful. example of early craft shows the mark "J. P. T." in the rectangle.
 MT. Curtis recalls the ancient cups CT beakers belonging to the ConSrega- tional church at Middlebury. presented by Isaac Bronson and Josiah Bronson, about 1900. These do not bear any mark, They were, probably made by Israel Holmes.
 Joseph, Jesse and Stephen Hopkins and Edmund Tompkins, at an earlier date than Holmes. were goldsmiths s,d in Waterbury; but it is probable that their work was confined to making l jeWelry. Capt. Elias Pelletreau, from South ] ampton, L. l.. moved, at the outbreak | of the Revolution, to Sirnsb0ry, Conn., An examination of his day book shows i that not. once during that period was | he called upon to fashion hollow-ware l plate. His work was confined to spoons
 and the jewelry and trinkets in de-
 mand at that time.
 1 The question of high prices, about I which so much is heard now-a days, was evidently as troublesome 150 years
 ago in Connecticut. since in the issue of a Hartford paper of August IT, 1767, a two-column article appeared, dis cussing exports, imports, and home
 manufactures urging lower prices on Eall articles made in the Colony by ar
 tifcers and mechanics, and complain | ing that they are eager to raise prices when prices rise. but are very slow to reduce them when prices fall,
 P Two enterprising gold and silver
 smiths, Joseph Hopkins and Martin
 Bull, of Farnin gton, considered thai this complaint furnished a good excuse for a reply, as well as an opportunity to gain little extra publicity; so thel
 answered it in statement in which
 they declared that they were deter the future, demanding only seven
 eighths of our usual requirements fol labor; excepting in making silver
 spoons and silver buttons, which has ever been lower than the wages ot 1nost other tradesmen."
 I Many of the early smiths advertised
 as gsilyersraiths and jewellers, an6
 sometimes as watch makers. This last
 term undaubtedly meant generally what it's use today indicates; that they 4ll mended, :. repaired and regulated , watches. But, they should not be class eu under thlsa head. Il The inventories and advertisement: of. Thomas Harland of Norwich and O.
 Joseph keeler of Norwalk prove con. clusively that they made watches
 Harland is said to have had an annua output of over two hundred; but tht
 first considerable attempt to manufac
 ture watches took place in the Pitizii | ch from which indirectly grew the Amer : ican Waltham Watch Company. t That Thomas Hariand really did i'm portant watch manufacturing is prove, 5 by. his advertisement of 1774, whicl l reads: He has now completed an as l sortnent Of warranted watches, viz l Horizontal, Showing Seconds from tn 7 Centre, Day of Month. Skeleton an , Eight Day. Watches, in gilt, tortois 1 shell and plain silver Cases"
 Thomas HarIand, Jr., son of Thorn 3 l Senior, also of Norwich, born in 17S1 : died 1896, although he died so youn l had accumulated large inventory il his business. He had for sale IF sil I. yer and gold watches
 5 A full page illustration in Mr Cur l tis' book is that of silver set mad 5 hy another famed silversmith of Nor l Wrich ancestry. Jonathan Trott, Jr /, about 1S10, and now owned by Mis- l Anna Lord Huntington, of Old Lyme
 The mark is I. T. in the rectangle
 between emblems impossible to deci - tpher. The height of the teapot is 1 ,, inches, the sugar bowl and creame z being slightly smaller
 ! THE DICTAGRAPH.