A topic for recording information regarding the Watson Company their earlier entities, Cobb, Gould & Co., Watson & Newell, Watson, Newell & Co., and Watson & Newell Co.
If you have any details of the above companies, advertisements, examples of their work, etc., anything that you are willing to share, then here's the place to post it.
ATTLEBORO, Mass., Oct. 16.—Charles I. Cobb, an old jewelry manufacturer, died at his home in Attleboro last Friday morning. He was born in Taunton, 70 years ago, but lived most of his life in Attleboro.
He early became a jewelry worker and was one of the members of the Cobb, Gould Co.. that later became the Watson & Newell Co. and is now the Watson Co.
He has been retired for a number of years. The funeral was held Sunday, with burial in Attleboro.
Source: The Jewelers' Circular - 23rd October 1918
Samuel W. Gould, one of the pioneer jewelry manufacturers of this city, died the past week at his home here in his 82nd year. He had been retired for a number of years. He was a partner in the Cobb, Gould Co., which was organized in 1873, Mr. Gould retiring from the firm in 1879. For many years he was a traveling salesman for local jewelry houses. He was a native of Blackstone, Mass., coming to Attleboro in 1856. Deceased is survived by his widow, two children and two brothers.
ATTLEBORO, Mass., Sept. 26—Frederick A. Newell, one of Attleboro’s most successful business men and a prominent citizen for wmany years, died, last Tuesday morning, at his home, 438 Hope St., Providence, R. I., after an illness which had afflicted him for several years.
Mr. Newell was in his 66th year, and as the greater part of his life was spent here, the news of his death was received with regret throughout the community. For the past year he has made his residence in Providence. His Attleboro home was recently sold to the county for the site of the new court house, which is soon to be erected.
Mr. Newell was a partner in one of Attleboro’s largest concerns, the Watson & Newell Co. With Clarence L. Watson as a partner the concern developed into one of the largest silver firms in the country. Failing health caused Mr. Newell to retire as an active member of the firm sev<tal years ago, but he continued as a partner until his death.
Of latter years Mr. Newell became known for his public gifts, particularly toward his native town of Franklin.
Mr. Newell was born in Franklin, Aug. 8, 1845, in the part of the town known as South Franklin. His parents were Hiram and Clarissa Newell, of old Revolutionary stock, and he was one of a family of nine children. He received his schooling in Franklin, and when the war broke out he enlisted in Company G, Fifth regiment, and served throughout the war.
Upon his return from the war he worked in the straw shops in Franklin, and by careful saving raised money enough to start in business for himself. After conducting the business for three or four years he sold it out and moved to Attleboro, where he united with L. W. Burns and went into the straw business again.
The jewelry business at this time was in its infancy, and as it offered attractions he decided to enter it, and under the firm name of Cobb, Gould & Co. started a small shop in one of the factories of the late Joseph M. Bates.
In 1874 the Watson & Newell Co. was organized, Mr. Newell associating himself with Clarence L. Watson, then a young jeweler of considerable success and prominence. The business was a success from the start and grew rapidly, until to-day it tanks among the first in Attleboro.
Upon his retirement from active business life a few years ago he built a handsome Summer residence at Barrington, R. I., which he recently gave to St. Joseph’s Hospital for a Summer institution. In 1906 he presented the town of Franklin with a handsome soldiers’ monument, and later the Grand Army post of that town was presented with the Newell collection of curios, which included many Civil War relics.
Following the disposal of their Attleboro residence last Spring, Mr. and Mrs. Newell announced that they would donate funds for a handsome shelter building in Capron Park. Through Park Commissioner James E. Blake, the town received a substantial check, and work was immediately started on the building, which is now in the course of construction.
The funeral was held from Mr. Newell’s Providence home on Friday, and the services were attended by lifelong friends, acquaintances and business associates of the deceased, including many from the Attleboros.
The Rev. Harry J. Holden, formerly of Attleboro, was the officiating minister, and many beautiful floral tributes were received. They included a beautiful token from the employes of the Watson & Newell Co. and a magnificent “Gates Ajar” from his partner, Clarence L. Watson.
The pall bearers were Attleboro business men. They were: William L. King, James S. Cummings, David E. Makepeace, Gustav Uhlig, Thomas E. McCaffrey, Frank Mossberg and Judge Thomas Lee.
Following the services the body was removed to a special electric car and taken to Franklin, where brief funeral services were held in the Franklin cemetery under the auspices of the Franklin post of the Grand Army of the Republic, of which organization Mr. Newell had long been a member and in which he had always taken a keen interest.
Source: The Jewelers' Circular - 28th September 1910
Head of Prominent Jewelry Firm at Attleboro Succumbs After Illness of Several Months
Attleboro, Mass., March 15.—Clarence L. Watson, civic, political and business leader of this city and the contiguous districts, died at his home on N. Main St. last Wednesday evening. He had been ill for several months following a fall in the parlor of his home from which paralysis developed. Mr. Watson was born Nov. 16, 1849, in Smithfield, R. I., and after spending several years in that section came to Attleboro where on Nov. 1, 1873, with Fred A. Newell, C. J. Cobb, S. W. Gould and W. A. Battey, he started a factory on Union St. for the production of jewelry. The firm was a small one at the start employing but a dozen persons making chiefly gold plated goods.
Several years ago the concern built the present Watson Co. factory building on Mechanic St. The factory besides housing the Watson Co., which is the successor of Cobb, Gould & Co., and later the Watson & Newell Co., houses several other smaller concerns in which Mr. Watson was a leading factor and reputed large owner of stock.
Never an office seeker, he was nevertheless recognized as a great political influence in not only his home town but the entire county of Bristol. He quietly indulged in welfare work and was a liberal contributor to all such movements.
For many years Mr. Watson was president of the First National Bank of Attleboro and one of its directors. He was also a director of Rhode Island banking institutions and affiliated with many financial companies and corporations. He was a member of the various Masonic bodies and for a quarter of a century a Member of the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company of Boston.
In addition to his widow, the deceased is survived by one daughter.
Watson, Newell Co. have purchased an enormous stamp from the Mossberg & Granville Mfg. Co. Its weight is 17 tons and it is far and away the largest thing of the kind in this section. The weight of the hammer is 1,200 pounds and the hammer is intended for the heaviest kind of work.
Source: The Jewelers' Circular - 1st September 1897
William Weidlich, of William Weidlich & Bro., has returned from Portland, Ore., where he was in charge during the entire term of the Lewis and Clarke Centennial Exposition of the exhibits of the Watson & Newell Co., and Wright Fountain Pen Co. The Watson & Newell Co. had the concession for souvenir spoons. Gold medals were awarded to the Wright Fountain Pen Co. and to the Watson & Newell Co. for sterling silver hollow ware and souvenir spoons. The entire exhibit of hollow ware was sold to A. & C. Feldenheimer, Portland, and the flat ware to Jaeger Bros., of the same place.
Source: The Jewelers' Circular - 29th November 1905
Watson, Newell & Co. are having a large wall built along the Ten Mile River. Their land here will, in the near future, it is said, be ornamented by a large factory building for jewelry concerns.
Fred A. Newell, of the Watson & Newell Co., whose expenditures for the public good and in the way of private benevolence have been large, attended last week a meeting of the leading physicians of the town. To them he stated that in his opinion Attleboro was much in need of an adequate hospital, and made an extremely liberal offer of practical assistance toward founding one.
Source: The Jewelers' Circular - 31st January 1906
Clarence L. Watson, of Watson & Newell Co., was one of the many members of the trade in this section to journey to Florida for a brief vacation during the severe weather.
Fred A. Newell, of Watson & Newell, and Miss Lida Walden were married last Tuesday. Mr. and Mrs. Newell will travel through California and possibly Japan this month.
Source: The Jewelers' Circular - 12th October 1892
