1174
A fine old 18 carat gold cased pocket Chronograph watch,
1/27
Description
A fine old 18 carat gold cased pocket Chronograph watch, a gift in 1893 to Vincent Litchfield Raven (3 December 1859 - 14 February 1934) and of Historically Important Railway significance.A late 19th century 18 ct. gold cased, key-wound "Centre Seconds Chronograph" pocket watch having a clear white face with Roman hour numerals, a minute track and outer 0-300 Chronograph track, the movement and case numbered 120221, the case with the maker's mark for Isaac Jabez Theo Newsome of The Butts, Coventry, Chester 1892. The case has nicely engraved perimeter beading and is engraved to the back with the intertwined initials "V.L.R.", whilst precisely engraved to the inner case is "PRESENTED BY A FEW FRIENDS TO Vincent L. Raven, Esq., ASSISTANT LOCO SUPT. N.E.R. ON HIS LEAVING GATESHEAD TO TAKE UP HIS DUTIES AT DARLINGTON, 1893". The timepiece has a working stop-lever at the 2 o'clock position to the case exterior and was running during the days of cataloguing, it is sold together with the associated leather suspension strap and the winding/setting key. It is 56 mm in diameter, 78 mm including the loop and is 16 mm thick overall. The gross weight of the watch including the brass and other metals movement is 155 gms, approximately.Sir Vincent Litchfield Raven, K.B.E. was a prominent and gifted mechanical engineer and the son of a Norfolk clergyman. In 1877, he commenced his career with the North Eastern Railway as a pupil of the Locomotive Superintendent and was subsequently appointed assistant Locomotive Superintendent. In 1893, he achieved the position of Assistant Mechanical Engineer to Wilson Worsdell and became involved with a railway electrification project, becoming in 1910 Chief Mechanical Engineer. He designed locomotives and advocated 3-cylinder types. In respect of electrification, his involvement included the decision to utilise overhead electrical feed rather than the third-rail type, however with the advent of the L.N.E.R., the electrification plans were dropped. During World War I, Raven was made Superintendent at the Royal Arsenal in Woolwich, supervising the production of munitions. The then Prime Minister, Lloyd George, who had appointed him, reported in The House of Commons that output had increased within three months by between 60% and 80%, notwithstanding the fact that the workforce had only been increased by 23%. For this achievement, in 1917, Raven was awarded a knighthood. He passed away in 1934. Raven must surely have been very highly regarded indeed to have been presented with such a gold-cased Chronograph Watch at the early age of only 34. A further notable connection with the Railway industry is the fact that Raven's daughter, Guendolen, married Edward Thomson, who succeeded Nigel Gresley as Chief Mechanical Engineer of the L.N.E.R. Two Raven-designed 0-8-0 tender locomotives are understood to have survived, these being T2 No. 2238/63395 (Two cylinder) and T3 No. 901/63460 (Three cylinder).
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A fine old 18 carat gold cased pocket Chronograph watch, a gift in 1893 to Vincent Litchfield Raven (3 December 1859 - 14 February 1934) and of Historically Important Railway significance.A late 19th century 18 ct. gold cased, key-wound "Centre Seconds Chronograph" pocket watch having a clear white face with Roman hour numerals, a minute track and outer 0-300 Chronograph track, the movement and case numbered 120221, the case with the maker's mark for Isaac Jabez Theo Newsome of The Butts, Coventry, Chester 1892. The case has nicely engraved perimeter beading and is engraved to the back with the intertwined initials "V.L.R.", whilst precisely engraved to the inner case is "PRESENTED BY A FEW FRIENDS TO Vincent L. Raven, Esq., ASSISTANT LOCO SUPT. N.E.R. ON HIS LEAVING GATESHEAD TO TAKE UP HIS DUTIES AT DARLINGTON, 1893". The timepiece has a working stop-lever at the 2 o'clock position to the case exterior and was running during the days of cataloguing, it is sold together with the associated leather suspension strap and the winding/setting key. It is 56 mm in diameter, 78 mm including the loop and is 16 mm thick overall. The gross weight of the watch including the brass and other metals movement is 155 gms, approximately.Sir Vincent Litchfield Raven, K.B.E. was a prominent and gifted mechanical engineer and the son of a Norfolk clergyman. In 1877, he commenced his career with the North Eastern Railway as a pupil of the Locomotive Superintendent and was subsequently appointed assistant Locomotive Superintendent. In 1893, he achieved the position of Assistant Mechanical Engineer to Wilson Worsdell and became involved with a railway electrification project, becoming in 1910 Chief Mechanical Engineer. He designed locomotives and advocated 3-cylinder types. In respect of electrification, his involvement included the decision to utilise overhead electrical feed rather than the third-rail type, however with the advent of the L.N.E.R., the electrification plans were dropped. During World War I, Raven was made Superintendent at the Royal Arsenal in Woolwich, supervising the production of munitions. The then Prime Minister, Lloyd George, who had appointed him, reported in The House of Commons that output had increased within three months by between 60% and 80%, notwithstanding the fact that the workforce had only been increased by 23%. For this achievement, in 1917, Raven was awarded a knighthood. He passed away in 1934. Raven must surely have been very highly regarded indeed to have been presented with such a gold-cased Chronograph Watch at the early age of only 34. A further notable connection with the Railway industry is the fact that Raven's daughter, Guendolen, married Edward Thomson, who succeeded Nigel Gresley as Chief Mechanical Engineer of the L.N.E.R. Two Raven-designed 0-8-0 tender locomotives are understood to have survived, these being T2 No. 2238/63395 (Two cylinder) and T3 No. 901/63460 (Three cylinder).
Special Late April Auction of Miscellaneous Objets d'Art, Collectables, Porcelain, Glass, Antique & Country Furniture
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Pontrilas
Hereford
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United Kingdom
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