16-05-2025
Search to reunite family of Hamilton soldier with historic watch
The pocket watch was presented in 1874 by 16th Lanarkshire Rifle Volunteers to their colour sergeant
The owner of a 150-year-old watch presented to a Hamilton-based soldier by his comrades is hoping to reunite the historic item with any dedcendants of its recipient.
Members of the 16th Lanarkshire Rifle Volunteers presented the silver pocket watch and chain to Colour Sergeant James Adams, complete with inscription that it was given 'by the men of A company, as a mark of respect, on 4th December 1874, Hamilton'.
It later came into the possession of young national serviceman David Graham in the late 1950s and is now being looked after by his widow Edith, who has used newspaper searches and 19th-century census records to try to discover more about its original owner.
David completed his national service with the 2nd Battalion Royal Scots from 1958 to 1960, and was posted to Germany aged 21 when he unexpectedly ended up with the watch.
Edith said: 'All we know is that somebody had approached him when he was there – not somebody he knew, but who maybe knew the troop – who needed money and gave him the watch as surety that he'd get back what he loaned him, but who then never came back.
'We've had it ever since then and don't know more than that; I've Googled and Googled to find out what I can but with a reasonably common name I haven't been able to find out about James Adams who the watch was presented to. It's a mystery I would love to be solved so that the watch could be returned to descendants of his own family.'
The watch was already around 85 years old when it came to be with David, who sadly died in the 1990s, and has stayed with his family ever since; but Edinburgh resident Edith has been trying 'for some time' to find information which would allow her to return it to those connected with Colour Sergeant Adams.
Her research has included archive newspaper searches through Hamilton library and checking national census records dating back to 1871 in search of Lanarkshire residents of the same name and likely ages to be the watch's owner; as well as learning from an antiques expert that the hallmarked silver can be traced to London in 1874.
The regiment of 16th Lanarkshire Rifle Volunteers was renumbered as the 2nd in 1880, and later became the 2nd Volunteer Battalion, The Cameronians (Scottish Rifles).
Edith told Lanarkshire Live: 'The men in the regiment must have put together and it was probably a lot of money then; it would be nice if family members could have it and to think that their great-great-grandfather or relative was so well thought of.
'I've been trying for some time to trace descendants and have searched various ways to find information but had no luck; the regiment was based in Hamilton but I haven't been able to find anything out about the right person.
'The glass in the watch is yellowing but the chain and the key to wind it up are there, so it could be cleaned up and fixed and it would be a nice thing for relatives to have.'
Anyone who can help in reuniting the watch with descendants of Colour Sergeant Adams can contact news@
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