PRESCOTT Frederick Edward

Name	Frederick Edward PRESCOTT
Country Of Origin	Australia
Born	1860
Died	1913
Birth/Baptism	17 August 1860, Hobart
Parents	Edward and Catherine (Kate) Prescott
Apprenticeship	According to Frederick’s obituary in 1913, he acquired a thorough knowledge of the business over ten years and ‘performed every description of work negotiated by his father.’
Skills	Watchmaker, Jeweller, Optician
Work Locations	Hobart
Street Address	52 Murray Street, Hobart
Marriage/Spouse	5 April 1887, Clifton Street, Richmond, Melbourne, to Helen (Nellie) Eliza Brown.
Other	Education: Local high school and Scots College, Hobart. 1876: Moved to Victoria and continued to work in the family business. August 1882: Relocated to New South Wales and opened a watchmaking and jewellery business in Cootamundra. From late 1883, Frederick spent about three years in Europe, learning more about his trade in London, Dublin, and France. During this time, the Horological Institute of London accepted him as a member. He returned to Australia, armed with new skills, and commenced business in High Street, St Kilda, in 1886. Frederick entered a business partnership in about mid-1887 in Mitchell Street, Bendigo, with his nephew Charles Melbourne Dawe, an optician. He continued in the partnership until he died in 1913. Tasmanian News 24 July 1893 ‘It always gives us great pleasure to record the success of Tasmanians in the other colonies. Today we have been supplied by Mr F D Valentine with the following description of an excellent piece of workmanship by Mr F E Prescott, Bendigo, youngest son of the late Mr Prescott, who was for many years a watchmaker and jeweller in this city. Mr F Prescott who now conducts the leading business in Bendigo, was entrusted by the Council of that city with the manufacture of a mayoral gold chain and the medallion presented by Mr George Lansdell, the pioneer of gold mining. The chain consists of 18 massive links of quarterfoil form, representing the past Mayors of Bendigo, with their monogram pierced out of the solid gold. The full name is engraved at top and the year of office at bottom, these quarterfoil links being connected with plain links of trefoil form. The medallion is a triumph of the goldsmith’s art, bearing in enamel the Bendigo coat of arms in heraldic colors, which is pronounced by experts as a fine piece of artistic coloring. The chain weighs about 20 ounces, and is made from the native Bendigo gold, the value being near £200. It was not only manufactured by Mr F Prescott, but was also designed by that gentleman, and reflects the highest credit on his skill. His head assistance in the manufacture of this elaborate piece of jewellery is Mr Arthur Butterfield, another young Tasmanian.’ SEE – https://handsoftime.com.au/the-1867-tasmanian-12-inch-dial-clock-by-prescott/
Death	1 April 1913, Sorrento, Victoria, aged 51. Cause of death: Diabetes. Burial: St Kilda Cemetery, Melbourne, Victoria
References
Ancestry: Ancestry: Victoria, Australia, Cemetery Records & Headstone Transcriptions, St Kilda Cemetery, 1913 [Frederick E Prescott]; Find a Grave Index 1913; Victorian Collections – Bendigo Historical Society; Victoria Births Death Marriages: Reg. No. 3028/1887 Marriage 1887, Reg. No. 6833/1913 Death. Cootamundra Herald 12 August 1882; Bendigo Advertiser 16 July 1887, 2 April 1913; The Argus 23 April 1887, 9 April 1913.