Joseph Burbury was the ancestor of a branch of the Stoneleigh Burbury family which emigrated to the United States of America.
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The following biography of Joseph has been transcribed from an article which appeared in the Watch Word magazine, an in-house publication for the watch factory where Joseph worked. The article was originally published in the Watch Word magazine in September, 1923.
He's Been in the watch Industry 65 Years
Joseph Burbury Worked First in England
An Elgin Employe Since 1879 - All Children Have Worked Here
A worker at watches for nearly sixty-five years and a member of Father Time's family continuously for more than forty-four-that, briefly, is the interesting record of Joseph Burbury, a veteran of the Escape department force.
When Mr. Burbury was a mere lad of fourteen he entered the shop of John Rotherham & Sons in Coventry, England, served an apprenticeship of seven years, and since has worked at no other industry than the watch. He is still an active, efficient member of Father Time's force and one who can be depended upon for the same conscientious, accurate work that has always characterized his employ.
Mr. Burbury was born in Kenilworth, Warwick, England, January 21, 1845, a son of Thomas and Mary Brown Burbury. His father was a tailor and the head of a family of seven children, two boys and five girls. Three of the Burbury children are living -- Mr. Burbury himself and two of his sisters, Mrs. Sarah Calakook and Mrs. Isabella Dickinson, both residents of Coventry.
Joseph Burbury had very little schooling. In fact, practically all of his knowledge has ben gained through his own reading and observation. At the age of eleven he went to work in a drug store and spent two years there. Then for a year he tended sheep for a farmer.
At the age of fourteen he went to John Rotherham & Sons, watchmakers, as an apprentice. He was not a strong boy, and it was thought that he would be better fitted for watch work than for some more arduous physical task. In those days the boys of England were required to serve seven year apprentices before they could become "freemen" and have the right to vote. To violate an apprenticeship was ordinarily a jail offense. When he had completed his apprenticeship, at the age of twenty-one, Mr. Burbury was sworn in as a freeman, obtained the right to vote and become entitled to all privileges of the city.
Coventry is about five miles from Mr. Burbury's native heath of Kenilworth. While he was serving his apprenticeship, Joseph boarded in Coventry, but spent his week-ends at home, walking the five miles to and from Kenilworth on each occasion. At that time men worked twelve hours a day.
His apprenticeship over, Mr. Burbury did his work at home, specializing in pivoting escapements, and doing this operation for four watch manufacturers in Coventry. The work eventually became so great however, that he was forced to discontinue his work for three manufacturers, confining his efforts to pivoting escapements for Thomas Wallen.
When he was twenty-six years of age Mr. Burbury was united in marriage to Sarah Anne Riley, who was born in Bramberry, but who had moved with her family to Coventry, where her future husband met her.
In the late 'seventies, the watch trade in England became bad and small prices were paid for work. Thomas Perkins, who had been employed in the Machine department of the Elgin factory, had gone to Coventry to introduce American methods into the factory of John Rotherham & Sons, and while in Coventry he met Mr. Burbury. He urged the latter to come to the United States, as did two of Mrs. Burbury's brothers, Henry Riley, a railroad man in Sedalia, Mo., and Albert Riley, a jeweler in Urbana, Ill., who had served his watch apprenticeship in England.
Finally Mr. Burbury made up his mind to try his fortune in the land across the sea, and, leaving his wife and four daughters in England until conditions were more favorable and he was permanently located, he sailed from Liverpool on the "Germanic" May 15, 1879, carrying in his pocket a letter from Mr. Perkins to the late George Hunter, then superintendent of the Elgin watch factory. Mr. Perkins, incidentally, later returned to the United States and traveled for the Elgin company.
The crossing was made in nine days and, after three weeks spent with former countrymen in Patterson, N. J., Mr. Burbury came on to Urbana. He helped his brother-in-law in his jewelry store for a short time, but very soon after his arrival in Urbana, he wrote to Mr. Hunter and was told to come on to Elgin. He did so and on July 16, 1879, he entered the employ of Father Time.
Mr. Burbury states that he was told when he entered the factory that he had "come in" on the same day Fred H. Corthell became foreman of the Motion. Joseph was put on the staff pivoting job, on which job he has served continuously since he entered the factory, except that the work was changed from hand to machine operation about twenty-five years ago. When he first entered the factory, Mr. Burbury was not directly under a foreman, the staff pivoters turning their work over to the late W. H. Cloudman, then assistant superintendent of the factory. The first foreman to whom the staff pivoters were responsible was Otis Hoyt of the Train department. Then they were under George Farrington, also of the Train, and, when the job became part of the Motion department, they were under Mr. Corthell. In 1886 the job became part of the Escape, and in that department Mr. Burbury has served under Mr. Corthell, Hugo Krengel and the present foreman, Theodore J. Schmitz. The jobmasters under whom Mr. Burbury has served are the late Wellington Reed, in the Motion, and Will Gough, henry Grosmann (present foreman of the Jewel) and Robert Duewel, his present jobmaster-in the Escape.
When Mr. Burbury first came to the watch factory, the company was turning out about 500 watches a week. Now it is completing many times that number in the course of a day. By the old hand method of staff pivoting a workman could do about 100 in a day. By machine from 500 to 600 can be done in a day, and there are numerous more workers on the staff pivoting job than there were when he first came to the Elgin shop.
Mr. Burbury is another man who is head of a truly watch factory family. All of the six Burbury children who grew to manhood to womanhood were employed in the watch factory. One child died when an infant in England. Ellen, now dead, was at one time employed in the Escape. Mrs. Louis Hanchett (Mary Jane) is a former Timing department employe, and her husband is still a well known member of the Escape department force. Mrs. Walter Gough (Minnie), now of Seattle, Wash., is another who worked in the Escape, and her husband was formerly employed in the Printing. The late Mrs. Irvin Norman (Annie Isabelle) was formerly a Train department worker. Both of Mr. Burbury's sons are well known present day factory workers. Ernest J. Burbury is a member of the Escape department force, while Lawrence C. Burbury is a jobmaster in the Train. The four daughters were born in England and the two sons in Elgin.
Ten grandchildren and three great-grandchildren serve to add to the happiness of Mr. Burbury and his wife. The grandchildren are Mrs. P. H. Barto of Hollywood, Cal., Mrs. Harry Schiltz and Mrs. Paul Studer-children of the late Mrs. Norman; Elaine and Jean Ann, daughters of Ernest J. Burbury; Carlos and Harmon, sons of Lawrence C. Burbury; Eldon, son of Mrs. Walter Gough, and Walter and Helen Hanchett, the latter of the Dial department, children of Mr. And Mrs. Louis Hanchett. The great grandchildren are Etheline and Phyllis Jane Barto and Robert Studer. Paul Studer is employed in the Adjusting and Harry Schiltz in the Timing.
Mr. Burbury resides at 662 Bent street, his son, Ernest J., occupying the second floor of the house. Mr. Burbury is a member of Gospel Hall.
Has Mr. Burbury a hobby? If you are really interested, take a walk down Bent street during the mild months and see his place of residence. He has a lot in addition to the lot upon which his house stands, and his property is replete with beautiful flowers and tasty fruits and vegetables.
Mr. Burbury spends an hour in his garden every morning before coming to work during mild weather. In winter, late fall and early spring he occupies himself in his 16x10 greenhouse, which he has fitted with a stove.
This veteran has many beautiful flowers, notable among them being his gladiolas, cockscomb and astors. He has 700 astor plants this season. His four rose bushes were beautiful this spring. From his garden were gathered eighty quarts of strawberries this year. His "Telegraph" cucumbers would make your mouth water. One of the cucumbers this year measured twelve inches in length, another thirteen inches. He has four pear trees, two apple trees, two plum and three cherry; twelve gooseberry bushes and eighteen currant bushes, including white, red and black currant bushes.
These are not all the things this veteran raises. He loves his garden work and he does much to fill his own larder each year.
Mr. Burbury has had only one real vacation since entering the watch factory. That was about ten years ago when he and his son, Lawrence, went to Seattle, Wash., to visit Mrs. Gough. He has been absent from work but little because of illness or for any other reason.
This "old timer," if such we may call him, is full of enthusiasm and energy, in good health, loves his work and is happy over his many days in the shop and the hundreds of friends he has made during his years in Elgin and the factory.
(Includes the following photos and captions)
JOSEPH BURBURY
And his grandson, Carlos, son of Lawrence Burbury. Carlos is now five hears of age, but was a little more than a year old when this picture was taken.
THE SONS AND DAUGHTERS OF JOSEPH BURBURY
At the left is Ernest J. Burbury. The center picture was taken some years ago. Those in the picture, left to right, are Ellen (deceased), Mrs. Mary Jane Hanchett (below), Mrs. Minnie Gough (above), and Mrs. Annie Norman (deceased). At the right is Lawrence C. Burbury.
FOUR GENERATIONS
Left to right-Mrs. Joseph Burbury; her daughter, the late Mrs. Annie Norman; the latter's daughter, Mrs. Beryl Barto, and Mrs. Barto's daughter Phyllis Jane. Picture taken several years ago.
(The Watch Word, September, 1923)
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