Museum showcases old timepiece thanks to repair man

With the help of Grant Lees, the Galashiels clock repairer, Belford Museum was able to put an important timepiece on show.

The mahogany and brass balcony clock was presented to Belford’s Scotch Church in 1877 when, as part of its centenary celebrations, the church undertook major fund-raising and enlarged the building.

The clock was made by Thomas Thompson, a second generation Belford clockmaker, his father Christopher having come to Belford from Wooler in the 1830s.

The donor was Edward Wilson, son of a farm worker at Lyham. He emigrated to the USA in the early 1830s, setting up as a florist, and became a founder member of the horticultural society in Louisville Kentucky.

He returned to Belford in the 1860s and settled in Clark Place. Having sold his business, he used his money to support good causes.