Clocking up some family history AN American lass with St Helens roots really set the pendulum swinging when she wrote in about a watch she had inherited from her late mother.

Joyce Beupre of Massachusetts had also asked if any customer of this column could provide details about the long-gone Hewitts jeweller's store. This, she understood, had once stood somewhere in St Helens town centre.

That article really took off with a flood of response over past weeks. And now, three further readers have chimed in with timely information.

Phil Hewitt of City Road, St Helens, has family roots in Prescot's 19th-century watch and clock industry. And he had previously told us that Joseph Hewitt (the old-time watchmaker and jeweller previously mentioned by Joyce) was the brother of his great-grandad.

Now Phil writes in again after receiving details from three further unexpected sources.

A Mr A.E. Murphy from Billinge has forwarded Phil a watch-key inscribed 'Joseph Hewitt, 17 Church Street, St Helens.' On its reverse side it states: 'Watchmaker and Jeweller.'

So that finally nails the old location of that particular business.

Local history buff Bernard Murphy also contacted Phil informing him that the shop was based in Liverpool Road in 1864 but by 1871 had moved to Church Street. The last mention Bernard could find of it, in old trade directories, was 1925.

And Phil also received a letter from Councillor Pat Robinson (herself fascinated by local history). She tells him that two of the paintings in the Mayor's Parlour at St Helens are by David Hewitt, who was jeweller Joseph's son.

TRULY a very gifted family line.

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