PARKER James Philip

1860: Submitted a tender for repairs and regulation of the Launceston Town Clock (St John’s) for 12 months. He was successful.

1861: Advertised eyeglasses and spectacles, thermometers, English, French and American clocks, new and second-hand watches.

The Examiner (Launceston) 23 January 1862
COOL ROBBERY
‘Between six and seven o’clock on Tuesday evening, a man named Robert Seaward dashed his hand through a pane of glass in the window of Mr Parker’s watchmaker’s shop in St John Street and took out two watches which were hanging up, put them in his pockets, and ran off. Mr Parker, who had just gone into an adjoining room, immediately ran after him, and when near Trinity Church, the delinquent was apprehended by a policeman, to whom Mr Parker had pointed him out. The watches were found in his possession. He was brought up at the Police Office yesterday and fully committed for trial.’

July 1862: Imported a valuable astronomical clock from London made by Dent. The case was mahogany, and the pendulum contained about eight pounds in weight of quicksilver.

Approx. 1862-1870: The Council paid James Parker £5 every three months for winding, regulating, and repairing St John’s Church Clock.

February 1869: The St John Street business premises and adjoining properties were advertised to be sold by auction.

August 1871: James Parker advertised an auction to sell his household goods and shop fittings, including one valuable watchmaker’s regulator, a ‘horological mechanism not to be equalled in the colony.’ He stated he was ‘compelled to remove, being built out.’

September 1871: During his absence from Launceston, clock and watch repairs could be collected on application from the Town Hall, Launceston.

October 1871: According to the Launceston Examiner of 21 October, Launceston watchmaker James Parker departed Hobart Town bound for Lyttleton, New Zealand, on the ship Natal Queen under the name ‘E. Dex.’

1877: Bankruptcy, New Zealand.