WATSON, JAMES, & CO. *

Stained-glass manufacturers, of Youghal, Co. Cork.  According to family tradition, James Watson, who was born in England circa 1860, came from a long line of English stained-glass makers.   After working in London for COX & SON, in 1888 he moved to with his wife, Mary, and his sons Hubert and Maurice, to Youghal,(1) where MICHAEL J.C. BUCKLEY MICHAEL J.C. BUCKLEY , whose firm had merged with Cox & Son in 1881, had established a Decorative Arts Guild.  Watson appears to have taken over the business from Buckley, in 1894, changing its name to James Watson & Co., also known as The Art Works.  His second and third sons, Maurice, born in England in 1887, and Clement, born in Ireland in 1888, worked with their father in the business, which passed to Clement, then to Clement's six sons. One of these sons, Cecil (d. 2012), became the principal artist;  another son, James, set up a stained-glass business in Belfast.  The Youghal firm passed eventually to Cecil's grandson, Peter, who died in August 2004.  

Watson & Co. exhibited stained glass at the St Louis World's Fair of 1904(2) and was awarded a gold medal at the Munster and Connacht Exhibition of 1906.  The firm appears to have been represented in London for a time, as some of its glass is inscribed 'James Watson & Co., Youghal & London'.    In 1918 the firm patented a system of ornamenting the back of pieces of sheet glass which were to be attached to walls and ceilings.(3) 

Address: 85 North Main Street Youghal, 1911;  North Main Street, Youghal, 1915.(3)

See WORKS.

References

Information in this entry not otherwise attributed is from the 1901 and 1911 censuses of Ireland,rom Jo Kerrigan, 'Stained glass through the centuries: the Watson family of Youghal, Co. Cork', Ireland of the Welcomes  50, No. 2 (Mar-Apr 2002), 24-31(illus.). and from Patricia Butler, Nun's Cross Church, Co. Wicklow, and its treasures (2016), 120-122. 


(1) Paul Larmour, The Arts and Crafts Movement in Ireland (1992), 114-5.
(2) Building News 115, 21 Aug 1918, 133.
(3) Guy's Cork Almanac and Directory (1915), 442.

12 work entries listed in chronological order for WATSON, JAMES, & CO. *

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Building:	CO. WEXFORD, KILLEGNEY, CHURCH (CI)
Date:	1900
Nature:	2-light window in N wall of nave (Christ as Good shepherd; Christ as Light of the World).
Refs:	Gloine, http://www.gloine.ie/gloine/diocese/building/2897/ (last visited, Dec 2016).

Building:	CO. TIPPERARY, CLONBEG (AHERLOW), CHURCH OF ST SEDNA (CI)
Date:	1902;1907;1908;1916
Nature:	8 stained glass windows.
Refs:	Gloine, http://www.gloine.ie/gloine/diocese/building/3003/ (last visited, Nov 2016),

Building:	CO. CAVAN, BAILIEBOROUGH, CHURCH OF ST COLUMBA (CI, BAILIEBOROUGH ALIAS MOYBOLOGUE PARISH)
Date:	1906
Nature:	Celtic-patterned stained glass window in memory of Sir John Young, baron Lisgar (d. 1876), 1906.
Refs:	Kevin V. Mulligan, The Buildings of Ireland: South Ulster (2013), 148.

Building:	CO. TIPPERARY, LITTLETON, CHURCH (CI, BORRISOLEIGH PARISH)
Date:	1908
Nature:	Stained glass E window (Ascension).
Refs:	Gloine, http://www.gloine.ie/gloine/diocese/building/3022/ (last visited, Nov 2016);  illus. in Claude Costegalde & Brian Walker, The Church of Ireland: an illustrated history (2013), 337.

Building:	CO. LIMERICK, MURROE, CHURCH OF OUR LADY OF THE HOLY ROSARY (RC)
Date:	1910-1922
Nature:	21 windows in church designed by firm between 1910 and 1922.
Refs:	Information from Marian Neville, Murroe, Co. Limerick, Aug 2011.

Building:	CO. CORK, INNISHANNON, CHRIST CHURCH (CI)
Date:	1916p
Nature:	Window in N wall of nave (Faithful Warrior and St Patrick) in N wall of nave.in memory of Rev William The O'Hanlon of Orior (d. 1916)..
Refs:	Gloine, http://www.gloine.ie/gloine/diocese/window/15136/ (last visited, Jan 2017).

Building:	CO. CAVAN, REDHILLS (NEAR), CHURCH (CI, KILLOUGHTER PARISH)
Date:	1919ca
Nature:	Stained glass window (I have fought the good fight) in S wall of nave, 1919ca.
Refs:	Kevin V. Mulligan, The Buildings of Ireland: South Ulster (2013), 516.

Building:	CO. KILKENNY, INISTIOGE, CHURCH OF ST MARY (CI)
Date:	1925
Nature:	2-light stained glass window in S wall of nave (Risen Christ appears to Mary Magdalene), designed by George Measures Parlby.
Refs:	Gloine, http://www.gloine.ie/gloine/diocese/building/3012/ (last visited, Dec 2016).

Building:	CO. CORK, FERMOY, CHURCH OF ST PATRICK (RC)
Date:	1937
Nature:	Renovation of windows at cost of £313.5s.2d.
Refs:	Parochial accounts of St Patrick's church, Fermoy (information from Mgr James O'Brien, Buttevant, Co. Cork, Aug 2010).

Building:	CO. CORK, BUTTEVANT, CHURCH OF ST MARY (RC)
Date:	1959
Nature:	New stone tracery for 6 nave windows.
Refs:	Information from Mgr James O'Brien, Buttevant, Co. Cork

Building:	CO. CORK, CORK, WILTON ROAD, CHURCH OF ST JOSEPH (RC)
Date:	?
Nature:	Stained glass. For Society of African Missions.
Refs:	St Joseph's Church Wilton Centenary 1887-1997 (1997), 12

Building:	CO. CARLOW, BAGENALSTOWN, CHURCH OF ST ANDREW (RC)
Date:	?
Nature:	Windows in nave signed by Watson of Youghal.
Refs: