Forestville, Connecticut

The E. N. Welch Manufacturing Company was a joint stock corporation formed July 6, 1864 to succeed an older private firm making clocks under the name of E. N. Welch. Elisha N. Welch (1809-1887) had been making clocks at a factory site on East Main Street at Forestville, Connecticut since taking over the bankrupt business of J. C. Brown about 1856.

A new movement shop was fitted up in 1869, adding to the two factories already in use by the firm. Between 1868 and 1884, a subsidiary firm called Welch, Spring & Company was formed to produce a more expensive line of clocks. The Welch firm was well known for its handsome rosewood cases, though in 1885, with changing styles in furniture, the surviving firm began to introduce new models with solid walnut cases and discontinued some of the older rosewood veneered cases.

After the death of Elisha Welch in 1887, the firm began to decline fast, selling off some of its assets and issuing new stock to raise capital. A new line of clocks was introduced for the year 1893, which appeared to be of much cheaper quality than their discounted line. In May of that year the factory was closed down and a receiver was appointed who spent nearly two years selling off stock and settling the debts of the firm. It was not for another year that the firm resumed production.   John Humphrey Sessions (1828-1899), a wealthy Bristol foundry owner, became a stockholder of the E. N. Welch Mfg. Co. in 1897, serving on a nominating committee for new directors in January of that year.

In 1899, two fires, one in March and a second in December reduced most of the Welch manufacturing complex to ashes. A new brick factory was built and occupied and by April 1900, they could meet their liabilities with the interruption in their cash flow. Members of the wealthy Sessions family were busy at this time buying out former stockholders and eventually took control of the firm in 1902 and changed the name to the Sessions Clock Company on January 9, 1903. William E. Sessions, son of John Humphrey Sessions was chosen president. The Sessions Clock Co. immediately expanded their facility with two new brick buildings in 1903 and others in 1914 and 1917. By 1907 the firm manufactured over 556,000 clocks, an average of about 2,000 per working day.

On August 27, 1920, William E. Sessions died at his Bristol mansion, “Beleden,” and leadership of his clock company passed to his second son, William Kenneth Sessions, (1886-1969). The firm began to manufacture synchronous electric clocks in 1928 and by 1941 electric clocks accounted for 80% of their production.

After World War II profitability of the Sessions Clock Company was on a steady decline and the family gave up ownership and sold controlling interest to Consolidated Electronics Industries on March 20, 1958. After another decade of financial decline, the clock division of the company was sold to United Metal Goods Company of Brooklyn, New York and clock manufacturing ceased by the end of 1968.

THE SESSIONS CLOCK COMPANY

John Humphrey Sessions (1828-1899), a wealthy Bristol foundry owner, became a stockholder of the E. N. Welch Mfg. Co. in 1897, serving on a nominating committee for new directors in January of that year. Members of the powerful and wealthy Sessions family began to eagerly buy stock from former stockholders and soon had controlling interest. The Welch firm’s name was officially changed to The Sessions Clock Company on Jan. 9, 1903. William E. Sessions, son of John Humphrey Sessions was chosen president.

The Sessions Clock Co. immediately expanded their facility with two new brick buildings in 1903 and others in 1914 and 1917. By 1907 the firm manufactured over 556,000 clocks, an average of about 2,000 per working day.

On August 27, 1920, William E. Sessions died at his Bristol mansion, “Beleden,” and leaderships of his clock company passed to his second son, William Kenneth Sessions, (1886-1969). The firm began to manufacture synchronous electric clocks in 1928 and by 1941 electric clocks accounted for 80% of their production.

After World War II profitability of the Sessions Clock Company was on a steady decline and the family gave up ownership and sold controlling to Consolidated Electronics Industries Corporationon March 20, 1958. After another decade of financial decline, the clock division of the company was sold to United Metal Goods Company of Brooklyn, New York and clock manufacturing ceased by the end of 1968.