Good morning Chris...boy do you have an active mind! Your point is absolutely valid, and I would never have thought about it. Being a watchmaker myself I do certainly know the value of good lighting. This would "enchance" the fact that even after James departed the store it remained a jewelery (and watch, and precious metal) operation for another thirty years, that I know of.
Although the website will be done soon (I might actually put it up sooner than later because the details never end), I have James' son who worked the store with his father, and after, plus I have his father, also named James. According the James' marriage certificate his father was a tailor. I do not know where James got his skills, I am quite sure he would have had to apprentice somewhere. However, I can't find James or his father in the 1841 census, so we are still digging.
And we also have Alfred George Foord another watchmaker who as of 1881 was a "jobber" and then had a store at 14 Queens Road from 1884 to 1917. Again, to date I can't nail down Alfred's parentage, and therefore can't tie the families together yet. But, it is such a bizarre surname coincidence that there must be some connection. The overall objective, besides an obvious horological interest (my father was also a watchmaker!), is to try to tie my known ancestors from Maidstone Kent to the Sussex Foord branch, but again I have issues here since I can't get back much earlier than 1850 or so on this side.
But no denying, we are having fun despite all the frustration!
Larry
