John Warburton’s Clock and Stick

John Bamber sent me photos of his great uncle John Warburton’s Long Case Clock, and Pencil Walking Stick. He was bequeathed these items when his aunt Alice died in 1973. The photos will also be shown in Issue 22 of The Button Files (due in 2022).

John also provided the following information:

John Warburton, or ‘Uncle Jack’, as John Bamber knew him, was born in Haslingden on June 23rd 1871, married in 1894, and died in 1944 [Note: He can be found in the Bury and Massachusetts clan]. He lived opposite the church at 140 Dowry Street, Accrington with his wife Emma, nee Duckworth. They had one daughter Alice, born in 1894. Alice married late in life, to Reginald Burbridge, who was born in India to English parents. Reginald came to Britain after India was granted Independence. 

John worked for a short time at Howard & Bullough, a well known engineering firm in Accrington, and following an accident there, had one of his toes amputated. This was carried out by the family doctor in the kitchen over an enamel bowl, and his wife Emma collapsed at the sight of the doctor sawing off his toe.

John worked for 32 years as caretaker of St John’s School, and St John’s Church, Accrington, where he was known to the children as ‘Warby’.

This German Long Case Clock was presented to John on his retirement in the early 1930’s.

The clock was manufactured by Hans Winterhalder of Neustadt, Germany. A special feature of the clock is that it has a selector for the choice of chimes: Westminster, Whittington, or St Michael. Whilst 2 chimes are fairly common, 3 are a little more unusual. The chimes always fascinated John Bamber as a boy when his parents used to take him to visit Uncle Jack and his daughter Alice. Aunt Emma had died in 1931. This was the same year John Bamber was born. His birthday was also the same date as Uncle Jack’s, and he was named after him.

The ‘walking cane’, manufactured in the Lake District, is a rare long pencil with John Warburton’s name embossed in gold on the side.

The walking cane/pencil is approximately 36 ” in length. The pencil lead runs the full length of the cane, and to to do this, a rectangular groove was carved the full length of the cane, then a rectangular length of lead inserted. A thin sliver of cane was added to cover the lead and fill the groove, and then sanded down to shape.

It is believed it was manufactured at the pencil museum in Keswick. They were probably meant as souvenir novelties rather than for practical use. Two Antique Pencil/Gadget Walking Sticks have been spotted on eBay for £109 and £149.

John Warburton had a sister, Susan Ann, John Bamber’s paternal Grandma, who married Ernest Bamber, a painter and artist, in 1892.

Susan and Ernest had 4 children: 

            James, John Bamber’s father, was born on 29th September 1893, married on 24th June 1918, and died on 16th December 1980.

            Amy was born on 23rd December 1896 .

            Twins Alan & William were born 10th October 1900.

Ernest Bamber died, aged 36 on 3rd October 1903, leaving Susan Ann with 4 young children.  At age 13, James was given permission to leave school to work in the Queens Cotton Mill, in Pennyhouse Lane, where Uncle Jack now worked, so he, at that early age, became the family bread winner with much help from Uncle Jack and Aunt Emma.

When Uncle Jack’s daughter Alice died in 1973, the long case clock was bequeathed to John Bamber as requested by Uncle Jack.