Cowan's Auctions, Inc., Paintings, Furniture and Decorative Arts Auction / June 17, 2006 Lot 118, illus.

According to the inscription on the gold cover of the works, the watch descended from Franklin to his nephew Timothy Folger (1732-1813), to Folger's son, Benjamin (1769-1836), to James Ahern (also spelled Athern and Athearn) Folger (1835-1889). It was owned in the 20th century by members of the Jones family of Falmouth, MA.

An online search for James Folger revealed the history of James A. Folger, son of Samuel B. Folger, who went west in 1849/1850, perhaps with two older brothers, and spent a year working as a carpenter in San Francisco for a coffee and spices merchant, Willliam Bovee. James went to the mines carrying samples of the coffee and spices being marketed by Bovee; he traded in them for the next 14 years, returned home to become a partner in the coffee company and eventually to buy it. It is still known as Folger's Coffee, though now owned by Proctor and Gamble.

James Folger died in 1889 and is buried in Oakland, CA. See an image of his grave at www.thecemeteryproject.com/images/Famous%20DeadPeople/Folger_James

The connection between James Folger and that family is not yet established firmly, but research conducted for the catalogue of Cowan's Auctions suggests that the watch may have been given to a member of the Jones family before James Folger went to California. The young man whose photograph is included in this entry may be George Washington Jones of Falmouth, MA.

Andrew Richmond of Cowan's Auctions brought this object to our attention, and his research has been helpful in the creation of this entry.