Josiah Wood of Dartmouth and New Bedford, Massachusetts.

Josiah Wood of New Bedford, Massachusetts. A gunsmith, Clockmaker, watchmaker, goldsmith, silversmith and jeweler.

Josiah Wood was born in New Bedford on February 21, 1774. Currently, his parents are not known. Josiah was first recorded as a “Dartmouth Gunsmith” when he sold five acres of land in that town in March of 1794. He also married in October of that same year, Philadelphia Thomas in New Bedford. He soon moved to New Bedford in 1797, where he was listed as a “Goldsmith” in a land transaction. He purchased a house lot on the northwest corner of Walnut Street and Second Street in the village of Bedford in New Bedford. In 1799, he advertised that he had a clock and watch-making business “in the best and neatest manner.” It is not known who trained him as a clockmaker. Over the next four decades, Wood had several locations, including Main Street and No. 62 Union Street. All the while, he was expanding his businesses. He soon made clocks, repaired watches, performed engraving work, gold and silversmithing, and sold a general assortment of dry goods. He became a successful importer and retailer of European and West India goods. It is currently thought that he made very few clocks over his lifetime. This is based on the very limited number of clocks that appear in the marketplace. The New Bedford Whaling Museum has a fantastic example that we sold to them in 2005. They also have a wonderful miniature portrait on ivory of him in their collection.