Maker Info
E. Howard & Company
Edward Howard (1813-1904) was an apprentice of clockmaker Aaron Willard, Jr. In 1842, Howard went into a partnership with David P. Davis, another of Willard's apprentices, manufacturing high-grade wall clocks, sewing machines, fire engines, and precision balances under the name of Howard & Davis. A third partner, Luther Stephenson, joined them within a couple of years in the manufacture of tower clocks. In 1850, Howard, Davis, and Aaron Dennison established a watchmaking firm as well under the label, Boston Watch Company. Their goal was to make watches with interchangeable parts.
Davis and Dennison went their separate ways in 1857, and with the financial backing of Charles Rice, Howard moved the tools and watches in progress from the defunct company to a Roxbury factory. The machinery was retooled for a new watch of Howard's design. The movements were marked E. Howard & Co. while the dials were signed Howard & Rice. Howard also established a separate firm to make clocks under the label, E. Howard & Company. In 1861, Howard merged the two companies into a joint stock corporation, the Howard Clock & Watch Company. The firm failed in 1863 and was reorganized as the Howard Watch & Clock Company (note the new order of names). In 1881, the busines was reorganized again.
Edward Howard sold off his interests in 1881 and retired in 1882, leaving the firm to new management. Until 1930, clocks were manufactured in Roxbury. After that year, the manufactory was moved to Waltham.
Although the corporate name was changed many times, the clocks were always signed E. Howard & Co.