Eleazer Alexander's Watch

My friend in Williamson County has sent me a page from a book called THE ANDERSONS--A FAMILY'S STORY by Mary Trim Anderson, privately published 1993, Franklin, Tennessee.  On page 21 is this clipping, not dated, nor is the newspaper identified, although it becomes obvious from the article and a little subtraction and addition, that the paper was the Review-Appeal and the date was around 1934:

 

FRANKLIN WOMAN HAS HEIRLOOM OF RARE VINTAGE

    Mrs. A. D. Gillespie, a great-great-granddaughter of Eleazer Alexander, has in her possession a highly-valued heirloom watch which was made before Tennessee became a state. The original owner was Eleazer Alexander who came from Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, in 1780.

    The time-piece is a key-winder, in a silver case, with a glass bull's eye front, made by an English goldsmith. The watch was brought to the Review-Appeal office by Hezekiah A. Alexander, aged 78, of this county, a great-grandson of the first owner. Hezekiah Alexander is the youngest son of the late Sidney Reece Alexander, who was the eldest son of Abdon I. Alexander, the eldest son of Eleazer Alexander.

    Within the case were found papers yellowed with age, bearing the names of pewelers (sic), who had cleaned or repaired it with the dates when the work was done. Two papers contained the names of Edward Roworth, Nashville, Tenn., and J. T. Ellison. On the reverse side of the paper in ink was the following: "W. E. Alexander cleaning, 4.6 (four shillings, sixpence) September, 1809."

 

This appears on the page in double-spaced typing (not newsprint) "Ezekiel's Watch  This watch was sold at the Gillespie sale in 1991.  J. C. and I hated to see it go out of the family, but not knowing anyone who wanted it, we did not bid on it."  Of course, it wasn't EZEKIEL's watch, but Eleazer's.

  

Bettie Davis

Halls, TN