ALEX. S. LAWSON
1 Sandbed, Hawick
..............Watchmaker, Jeweller, Silversmith, Optician
"Prior to the First World War the shop at No 1 belonged to Hawick-born Alexander Sutherland Lawson -watchmaker, jeweller, silversmith, optician, shipping agent, magistrate and JP - who had commenced his business in May 1864."
Below is an advert seen in the "Southern Counties' Register and Directory" covering Berwickshire in the Scottish borders 1866.
This 1866 advert does not mention silversmith, unlike the Historic Environment Scotland, Portal reference relating to 1 Sandbed (LB34666) that I quoted at the start. The website "silvermakersmarks.co.uk" does not have an entry for Alex Lawson or Alex S.Lawson for Edinburgh (over 50 miles away) or in its provincial Scottish listings. There is however unknown "A.L" recorded on an imported gold watch case 1911 at Glasgow (over 100 miles away). Below is a recept from 1911 for attention to 3 house clocks, shown in old UK money, less than a current pound/euro. Also show is the finial mark on the teaspoon that I photoed as being interesting, quite a while ago.
Invoice
Alex S.Lawson died in October 1916 and he and his wife Catherine were living above the shop.
A further quote now from Historic Environment Scotland's Statement of Special Interest- 1 Sandbed Hawick
"A well-proportioned, virtually unaltered early-19th-century residential and commercial block situated in a prominent position at the centre of Hawick, at the corner of Sandbed and Howegate. Sandbed was the focal point of the Burgh and the site of its marketplace until 1815, when the market was moved to Tower Knowe in preparation for the laying-out of Buccleuch Street as the main road south."
Fishless