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The Dumbell Watchmakers of Liverpool

6/3/2013

10 Comments

 
Antique Pocket Watch
How naive I was when I assumed it would be easy to research my 2nd G-grandfather, the watchmaker Joseph Dumbell, who was born in ~1823 in Liverpool, and his close relatives. The surname was unusual and with having an occupation of watchmaker (rather than something more common such as labourer or painter), I expected it would be pretty easy. But I was wrong. Trying to work out who belonged to which family and how all the watchmakers were related was the start of my interest in the Dumbell family of Liverpool, especially those who were clock and watchmakers. I've identified at least 10 who had that profession and plan to write up something detailed about them on how I believe they were all related. 
One branch lived in Staffordshire, via Nathaniel Dumbell who moved to Wolverhampton, but I'm still trying to work out how the Prescot/Liverpool Dumbells (Joseph Dumbell [x3], John Dumbell/John Dumbill [x3], William Dumbell [x2], Samuel Dumbell, and Thomas Dumbell) were related to the watchmakers John, Joseph, and Thomas Dumbell, with places of business in Rochdale in various trade directories from 1818-1840. I was not able to locate any of them in Rochdale on the 1841 Census (or anything subsequently). Prescot, the area in Liverpool known for clock and watchmakers (see Prescot and Watchmaking), is approximately 36 miles from Rochdale. With finding Dumbells with the same names over the same time period in Liverpool, I suspect that they had family businesses both in Liverpool and Rochdale. See Pocket Watch for photographs of an overhauled silver pocket watch made by Thomas Dumbell, Rochdale, hallmarked in 1840.
Question: Does anyone know anything about the Rochdale Dumbells?
The following four watchmakers were my direct-line relatives:
  • 2nd G-grandfather: Joseph Dumbell (born ~1823, Liverpool), who married Sarah Aspinall (born ~1826). I "lost" them after the 1861/1871 censuses and haven't been able to locate the correct death certificates. Likewise for 2 of their 3 children, John Dumbell (born 1846) and Margaret Ellen Dumbell (born ~1850), who were on the 1851 Census, but no other definitive records have been found.
    Question: Can anyone shed any light on on what happened to any of them? 
    I'm descended from their middle child, Sarah Emily Dumbell (1848-1922), who married John Norris Corlett (1841-1908).
  • 3rd G-grandfather: Joseph Dumbell (1794-1866), who married Sarah Makin (1799-1863)
  • 4th G-grandfather: Joseph Dumbell (1769-1831)
  • 5th G-grandfather: John Dumbill (1737-?)  
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10 Comments
david goldman
7/17/2015 07:05:40

I have a longcase clock, bearing on the dial the name Ian Dumbel,, Rochdale.. The clock dealer who sold me the clock had a book stating that Ian was Thomas' son. but that he made few clocks. Does this heal?

Reply
Sue Griffith
7/17/2015 07:51:44

Hi David: Thanks for your comment. Do you have any idea how old your clock is? The Thomas Dumbell who was a watch/clock maker who I know about lived 1826-1887 and had 7 children, although did not have a son named Ian. I have an Ian Robertson Dumbell (1926-2010) on my family tree, but his father was Wilfred Dumbell (a cotton broker). The only other Ian Dumbel(l)s I can find are much more contemporary. Sue.

Reply
Brenda Owens
1/27/2016 10:04:15

I have been researching my family tree and he is on there. That is what made me think about checking out clocks made by him. :-)

Reply
Sue Griffith link
1/29/2016 18:15:49

Hi Brenda: We were in contact about the Dumbells a few years ago via Ancestry. I've sent you an email. Sue.

Reply
Jon Senderling
12/29/2016 11:03:53

I believe I may be related to Margaret Dumbell and the line that you were having trouble finding. I'm trying to track my great-great grandmother (Margaret Dumbell b. 1851 (ish), Liverpool England), moved to the United States in 1860 (possibly with the others you can't find). I'll send you a private email. I hope the connection is correct:)

Reply
Tyler
2/13/2024 02:30:16

John Thomas Dumbell my great great great grandfather. His son is which is my grandfathers dads name was jack, Jack then had my grandfather lee Dumbell, who then had my father mark dumbell, which then led to me who is Tyler Dumbell it’s great having a footy player in your family

Reply
Sue Griffith
2/13/2024 14:53:02

I believe that John Thomas Dumbell immigrated to New Zealand. I'm afraid I haven't been able to make any genealogical connection to "your" Dumbells and "mine."

Reply
Allan C. Purcell
4/25/2025 07:30:27

Dear Sue Griffith,
I too am looking into the history of the Dumball watchmakers, and I am stuck with the problem of Thomas Dumbell of Rochdale. I wonder if you have found more on this subject. I can give you a copy of my research if you like.
Regards,

Allan C. Purcell.

Reply
Sue Griffith link
4/25/2025 13:21:56

Hi Allan, No, over the last 12 years since this blog posting, I've made no progress with the Rochdale Dumbells. I'll send you a private message. Sue.

Reply
Sue Griffith link
4/25/2025 14:13:33

p.s. I should have said that although I haven’t made any progress with the Rochdale Dumbells, I’ve found out a lot about the children of Joseph Dumbell (b. 1823) and Sarah née Aspinall, who apparently disappeared after the 1851 census. Sarah ended up in the US, as did John Dumbell (1846-1891) and Margaret Ellen (1850-1939), who presumably travelled with Sarah ~1856, along with 2 other siblings, Joseph (1852-1900) and William Henry (~1855-1939). Sarah’s children ended up in orphanages or fending for themselves, whereas Sarah committed bigamy in Philadelphia with Paul DeRome in 1858.


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