The album measures approx. 15cm x 11cm x 2cm. The embossed brown leather binding has no name or motif. There are two pairs of tooled metal clasps, one broken. Printed on each page is the legend: "F. R. G. PATENT". Pages are glued in pairs, with gilt edging, but left unglued at the lower edge to allow photos to be inserted and removed. Each pair holds two 2-1/2 x 4 inch studio photograph cards ("carte-de-visite"), back-to-back, some with a pink paper separator. Hand-written annotation beneath each photo was done by Annie Watson Cowie (AWC), with revisions by her daughter Eleanor Mary Kathleen Campbell (EMKC). Three missing photos are possibly in the possession of Allison Hohnbaum. Additional photos have been inserted on each of the four flyleaves.
In April 2001, the photos were numbered consecutively, on the reverse side, with a small adhesive circular label (reference numbers A01-A21). Page numbers (01-24, see below) relate to the original sequence of annotation, including "gaps". Identification of persons is based on the existing text, availability of other photos, and knowledge of the family tree.
All photos were scanned in true colour, using a HP ScanJet 6200C, and stored
as JPG files.
(a) Cover (front and
back) at 300dpi
(b) Pairs of pages at 150dpi (names: "WFPA pages <mm>+<nn>")
(c) Individual photo cards at 300dpi (names: image "<ref>[space]<name>",
reverse "<ref>v [space]<name>")
"Aunt Kate Parker" (AWC), "Kate Parker" (EMKC)
Photo ref A01 (reverse)
Woman (30-ish) is Catherine Parker nee Cook (1844, married 1865 to Thomas Parker).
Child, about 2 years old, may be son Addison (probably born between 1869 and
1877).
Date: c1875?. Probably taken at same time as photo A02 (sister Eleanor, similar
hairstyle).
Studio: T. Ridley, 35 Park Road, Newcastle
"Gran Watson & Kate" (EMKC), "Eleanor Watson & Kate"
(EMKC)
Photo ref A02 (reverse)
Woman (30-ish) is Eleanor Watson nee Cook (c1846, married 1870 to John Watson).
Child, about 2 years old, is daughter Kate (1873).
Date: c1875. Probably taken at same time as photo A01 (sister Kate, similar
hairstyle). .
Studio: T. Ridley, 35 Park Road, Newcastle
"Cuthbert Watson" (EMKC)
Photo ref A03 (reverse)
Man (30-ish). Cuthbert Watson (born 1834)
Date: ?1865-1875
Studio: E. Bieber, 26 Gr. Backerstrasse, Hamburg
Question: Was there a Watson connection with Germany? (Older brother John studied
German.)
"Mrs C. Harrison, Father's Aunt" (AWC)
Photo ref A04 (reverse)
Woman (40s-50s). Probably Agnes, wife of Cuthbert, brother of Jane Harrison
(mother of John Watson). See A05.
Date: ?
Studio: W. S. Parry, 17 Eldon Square, Newcastle
"C. Harrison, Father's Uncle" (AWC), "Cuthbert Harrison[,] Jane
Harrison's brothers child" (EMKC)
Photo ref A05 (reverse)
Man (30-ish). Probaibly brother of Jane Harrison (mother of John Watson). See
A04.
Date: ?
Studio: Wm. S. Parry, 44 Bigg? Market, Newcastle
"Jane Watson, my Father's Mother, A W Cowie" (AWC)
Photo ref A06 (reverse)
Woman (60-ish?) is Jane Harrison (1813), wife of Ralph Watson.
Date: ? Apparently taken at same time as A07.
Studio: A. D. Lewis, 113 Scostwood Road [Scotswood?], Newcastle: Old No.5 Hinde
St Studio Unchanged (ref. 20129)
"Anne Watson, my father's Sister, A W Cowie" (AWC)
Photo ref A07 (reverse)
Woman (20s) is Anne Watson (1846), daughter of Ralph Watson and Jane Harrison.
Date: ? Perhaps taken at about the same time as A06.
Studio: A. D. Lewis, 5 Hinde St East, Newcastle (ref. 20555)
"Annie Watson & nurse taken in Aliwal North. South Africa" (EMKC)
Photo missing
"Uncle Thomas Parker, Australia, Mother's Brother-in-Law" (AWC)
Photo ref A08 (reverse)
Man (30-ish) is Thomas Parker (?1840-5), married to Catherine Cook, sister of
Eleanor.
Date: ? Presumably prior to family's emigration to Australia.
Studio: H. S. Mendelssohn, 17 Oxford St, Newcastle
"John Watson, Father's Cousin" (AWC), "scientist" (EMKC)
Photo ref A09 (reverse)
Man, woman, 5 children. Son of Stephen Watson (1801), older brother to Ralph
(1804), father of John Watson DD.
Date: c1868
Studio: J. Elliott, 22 North Terrace, Seaham Harbour
"John Watson" (EMKC)
Photo missing
"Kate at 6 years" (AWC), "Kate Watson - daughter John Watson
& Eleanor Watson" (EMKC)
Photo ref A10 (reverse)
Child is Kate Watson (1873)
Date: ?1879 If age is accurate, photo was taken shortly before family emigrated
to South Africa.
Studio: A. D. Lewis, 111 & 113 Scotswood Road, Newcastle and 56 Front Street,
Tynemouth
"Cuthbert Harrison" (EMKC)
Photo ref A11 (reverse)
Man (30-ish) Appears to be the same person as photo A03 -- in which case, he
is probably Cuthbert Watson (1834)
Date: ?
Studio: T. G. Hawkins, 135 High Street, Sunderland
"Grandfather Cook. Mother's Father" (AWC), "Ralph Cook. Alderman
Newcastle" (EMKC)
Photo ref A12 (reverse)
Man (50s-60s) is Ralph Cook (1811), father of Eleanor Cook.
Date: ?
Studio: A. D. Lewis, 5 Hinde St East, Newcastle (ref. 17754)
"Uncle Cuthbert Watson" (EMKC)
Photo ref A13 (reverse)
Man (30-ish) The same person as photo A11.
Date: ?18xx
Studio: A. D. Lewis, 5 Hinde Street East, Newcastle
"Uncle Cuthbert & Aunt Annie" (AWC), "Uncle Cuthbert Watson
& Aunt Annie (Potts). Scientist" (EMKC)
Photo ref
A14 (reverse)
Man (30s) does not look much like those in photos A11 and A15. Cuthbert Watson
(1834) was the husband of Annie Potts (c1836). In 1871 he was foreman at a chemical
works (could be construed as a scientist); the 1881 census reports him as "collector
of water rates"; he died the same year. This may actually have been Cuthbert's
younger brother Stephen (c1840), married to Sarah Ann Philipson.
Date: ?
Studio: A. D. Lewis, 5 Hinde Street East, Newcastle
"Aunt Annie's children & Maid" (AWC)
Photo ref A15
(reverse)
Woman (20s) Four children (2 to 5) Annie Potts was wife of Cuthbert Watson.
Couple had 8 known children between 1869 and 1880. Seaham is close to Dawdon,
where the family were living in 1881.
Date: mid-1870s?
Studio: J. Lomax (late James Short), 21 North Terrace, Seaham Harbour
"Father's cousin's daughter (cousin John)" (AWC)
Photo
ref A16 (reverse)
Woman (late teens or up). Elizabeth Jane Watson (1858), daughter of John Watson
of Seaham; appears as a child in photo A09.
Date: c1876
Studio: T & J Holroyd, Esplanade House, Harrogate
"Father's cousin's son" (AWC)
Photo ref A17
(reverse)
Child (age 6-9). Presumably John Watson (1861), son of John Watson of Seaham;
appears in photo A09.
Date: c1878
Studio: T H McAllan, Hexham
"John Watson with John Watson" (AWC), "John Watson & John"
(EMKC)
Photo ref A18 (reverse)
Man is John Watson DD (1832). Child is his son John Watson (1878).
Date: end-March 1882
Studio: Not stated. However, from a letter, we know that family photos were
taken in Aliwal North, South Africa, the week before the child died; and that
copies were sent to John's mother, Jane Watson (nee Harrison).
"Fred Parker" (AWC), "Thomas Parker's Son" (EMKC)
Photo ref A19 (reverse)
Child (4-6) Fred Parker (c1869) was the son of Catherine Cook (born c1844)
Date: c1875 Probably taken the same time as photos A01 and A02 (the mounts are
identical).
Studio: T. Ridley, 35 Park Road, Newcastle
"Grandmother Cook. Mother's Mother" (AWC), "Jane Spoor"
(EMKC)
Photo missing
"Grandmother Watson" (AWC), "Jane Harrison" (EMKC)
Photo ref A20 (reverse)
Woman (50s-60s)
Date: ? Taken at same time as photo A06 (clothing and props identical; mount
is same, except that spelling error of "Scostwood" has been corrected)
Studio: A. D. Lewis, 113 Scotswood Road, Newcastle: Old No 5 Hinde St Studio
Unchanged (ref. 23129)
"Aunt Hannah & Uncle Robert Cook. (Mother's brother)" (AWC)
Photo ref A21 (reverse)
Man (30-ish) Robert Cook (c1839) was brother of Eleanor Cook. Woman (30-ish)
is his wife, Hannah Burns (c1839). Child (1-2) not identified.
Date: ?
Studio: Bannister & Co., Ridly Place, Northumberland St, Newcastle (also
Henry Street, Carlisle)
