J.C. Brown - Forestville Mfg. Co.

J.C. Brown (Johnathan Clark Brown, Jr.) was born in 1807, and died in 1872. He had various business partners from 1832 until 1842 when he bought out Wm. Hills, and formed J.C. Brown & Co. He used both his own name and Forestville Mfg. Co. on the labels.

From 1847-1855 he conducted business without partners as the Forestville Manufacturing Company or the Forestville Clock Manufactory.

Brown’s business failed in 1855, and he was bought out by E.N. Welch. The J.C. Brown factory became part of the E.N. Welch clock manufacturing complex.

Before 1831, Elisha Niles Welch was in business with his father, George, who operated an iron foundry in Bristol, Connecticut. The foundry made weights and bells for clocks. When Elisha Welch formed a partnership with Thomas Barnes Jr., they named the company Barnes & Welch. The firm manufactured wooden-movement shelf clocks and was involved in business with Jonathan C. Brown and Chauncey Pomeroy.

From 1841 until 1849, E.N. Welch partnered with J.C. Brown, who used Forestville Manufacturing Company and J.C. Brown of Bristol, Connecticut as company names. Chauncey Pomeroy was also a partner in these companies. The two factories manufactured eight-day clocks with brass movements.

In 1853, fire destroyed J.C. Brown's Forestville hardware and Clock Company. Welch bought Elisha Manross' failing clock parts business and J.C. Brown's Forestville company after it went bankrupt. He also purchased Frederick S. Otis' casemaking business. He consolidated these new purchases under one name, E.N. Welch, which became one of Bristol's largest clock companies. In 1868, the Welch, Spring & Company was formed. It specialized in high-quality clocks, including regulators and calendars. After Elisha Welch's death in 1887, his son James became the company's president.