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Baldwin & Storrs of Northampton, Massachusetts.

Jedidiah Baldwin was born in Norwich, Connecticut, on March 29, 1768. He was the oldest son of Jabez and Lydia (Barker) Baldwin of that seaport town. Jedidiah was to apprentice to Thomas Harland, who was also working in Norwich. Harland was a very accomplished clockmaker, watchmaker, silversmith, jeweler, instrument maker, and engraver. Baldwin is thought to have finished his apprenticeship with Harland in 1791. On April 10 of that year, Baldwin married Abigail Jones of Norwich (born June 26, 1772) and soon moved north to Northhampton, Massachusetts. He set up a shop and advertised "Clock & Watch Making & Repairing. Together with Jewelry in its various branches." It is interesting to note that Samuel Stiles and Nathan Storrs were also listed as being in this business at this time in this town. On July 20, 1791, the partnership between S. Stiles and J. Baldwin was advertised in the New Hampshire Gazette. Their shop was to be located in Stile's current place of business which was located nearly opposite the Meetinghouse. This partnership lasted almost a year before Stiles left Northampton and moved first to Windsor, Connecticut, and then to Chester, Massachusetts, where he is thought to have died in 1826. On the 4th of July, 1792, Baldwin & Nathan Storrs ran an advertisement in the New Hampshire Gazette announcing their newly formed partnership. Storrs had been working as a clockmaker, watchmaker, gold and silver smith in town for at least a year. Their shop was "...the Shop lately occupied by STILES & BALDWIN." (A cherry case tall clock is known and signed by this firm. It is interesting to note that the engraved silvered brass dial is signed Baldwin & Storrs / Northampton and is dated 1793.)

Nathan Storrs was born in Mansfield, Connecticut, on August 7, 1768, the son of Amariah and Mary Gilbert Storrs. The family is a well-known and documented Silversmiths from Connecticut. It is currently thought that he was trained as a clockmaker by Jacob Sargeant. Nathan first advertises in Northampton, Massachusetts, in 1791 and that he is open for business and is lately from New York. In 1792, he formed a partnership with Samuel Stiles as Stiles & Storrs. This partnership quickly dissolves, and in 1792 and Nathan takes on Jedidiah Baldwin as Baldwin & Storrs until 1793, when Baldwin moves to Hanover, NH. In 1827, Storrs & Cook (Benjamin F. Cook) formed a partnership that lasted until 1833. In 1829, they opened an additional outlet in Amherst, Massachusetts. Nathan retires in 1833 due to poor health and dies in 1839. 

In January of 1794, Baldwin & Storrs advertised that the partnership had dissolved. Jedidiah left Northampton and moved North to Hanover, New Hampshire, sometime in the latter part of 1793. In the village of Hanover, as well as being a clockmaker, Baldwin served as the postmaster in of town from 1797-1811. He is also recorded to have trained his younger brother Jabez while working here. Jedidiah left Hanover in 1811 and moved to New York State, where he moved several times. His first stop was in Fairfield, New York, and is listed there as a silversmith until 1818. From 1818 to 1820, he is listed as working as a watchmaker and silversmith in Morrisville, New York. In 1834 he is listed as working in Rochester, and in 1838 he is listed as having a shop on Washington Street. Baldwin died on March 29, 1849, in Rochester.

Clocks From This Maker

Baldwin & Storrs of Northampton, Massachusetts. A cherry case tall case clock. SS-131.
This cherry-case tall clock was made by the partnership of Baldwin and Storrs of Northampton, Massachusetts.  The case is constructed and is narrowly proportioned. The cherry wood selected is somewhat unusual because the grain has a tiger-stripe… read more