Jackson Jewellers

Five generations of jewellers in a 500 year old building.

This firm was founded in Watford in 1876, the founder coming from a well known family of West Country clock makers. It is now being run by Dan Jackson, the great, great grandson.

In 1876 B.S. Morse (1853-1932) son of John Morse (listed in the trade directory for Malmesbury as watch and clock maker in 1830) married F Squire from Bideford (listed in Brittens Old Clock and Watchmakers as “a well known family of clockmakers 1784– 1921). They came to Watford and started trading as “The Observatory” at 8 Queens Road. The name came from the transit machine mounted on the roof. Using this he could boast "Greenwich Mean Time by transit observation". Other innovations at this time were electro plating and polishing by steam power! He had a substantial winding round of 500 clocks and fitted many church clocks including Watford, Pinner, Elstree and Ruislip. (Clock weight of half a ton).

In 1900 we moved into Watford High Street where the business continued with his son, daughter and granddaughter. He died in 1932. In 1935 his granddaughter married Dan Jackson and when we moved to our present location in 1954 the name changed to Jackson Jewellers, Dan was by then the mainstay of the business. It is now being run by his grandson, also called Dan, the fifth generation.

Our building is a timbered three bay building dating from c1480