Puritan Pocket Watch

John Burgis

1625-1650

Oval silver Puritan watch with a plain silver outer case, silver dial and silver calendar and astronomical dials. Movement signed John Burgis, fecit. Complete, unaltered and unsprung.

Rear winding verge movement with pre balance spring and gut fusee (snapped). Modified Egyptian pillar; three-wheel train. Regulated on strength of main spring. Iron dial and hands in brass pair case with silver decoration to face. Gearing under the dial enables its use as an ordinary pocket watch or as an astronomical/calendar watch.

Engraved "John Burgis Fecit" inside back cover. 47mm long

Donated in 1857 by Captain Eaton, a descendant of a famous Dover merchant family. Nicholas Eaton was one of Dover’s most wealthy men in the 17th century. He was mayor in 1617, 1630 and 1631. His sons were also mayors, William in 1663 and Nicholas in 1664. There is no particular evidence but this watch may well have belonged to Nicholas himself, given that the watch is dated 1625 -50 and a watch is mentioned in his will