Whale Oil

[dumpicker]

Not for sale. Bottom hard to take pic with cell phone (good camera sat next to a bucket of magnets and now is kaput ) But bottom says EZRA KELLY with NB in the very middle, no pontil scar. I assume NB is NEW BEDFORD.

 

[SPC]

I found an interesting thing on Ezra Kelly & here it is.

Ezra Kelley of New Bedford, Dartmouth and Provincetown, Massachusetts and Venezuela, South America. He is listed as a clockmaker, watchmaker and goldsmith. ​

Ezra Kelley was born a Quaker in Dennis, Massachusetts on September 26th, 1798, and died a Methodist in New Bedford on December 14, 1895. He was expelled from the Society of Friends when he married his wife Nancy Simmons of Hingham in 1823. She was also a Methodist. It appears he apprenticed to both his cousin Allen Kelley of South Yarmouth and to John Bailey Jr of Hanover, Massachusetts. Ezra and fellow Bailey apprentice Nathaniel Shepherd, were business partners and worked together in 1820 through 1823 and then again together in 1833 through 1835. In 1830, Kelley moved to Venezuela for a few years and set up a shop there until he returned in 1833. In 1839 through 1841, he was in business with Stephen Howland as Kelley & Howland. They were dry goods merchants. In 1850, he worked with his son George. under the firm name E. Kelley & Son. George was trained as a watchmaker. Soon after, he set a business to refine whale oil for watches, clocks and light machinery in New Bedford. This became a successful enterprise. Tall clocks, shelf clocks and timepieces are known. Interesting huh? Take care, Stephen. P.S. Let me know what you think?