Presentation Watch Fob from West Allerdean

Watch Fob found whilst metal detecting in Northumberland
David Ray
Reverse of Watch Fob showing presentation details.

The pictured Watch Fob was found by David Ray whilst metal detecting in Northumberland. The inscription reads as follows

Presented by
Mr and Mrs
T Chisolm
To
Wm Kennedy
For 1 yr regular
Attendance
At W. Allerdean
S.School
1912

West Allerdean PM Chapel is situated just outside Berwick

I have not been able to identify any information about the recipient of the watch fob; William Kennedy. It was common practice to reward attendance at Sunday School by appropriate gifts annually. The type of gift might suggest William was a mature student.
The Chisholm family had a long connection with the chapel. I found an obituary of a sister of Thomas Chisholm , Jane Young Chisholm, which provides some family background.
Thomas Chisholm was born in 1857 at Scremerston, Northumberland – he was a grocer (1881) and is described as a landowner in the 1911 census return – so was probably relatively successful in business. Family trees on Ancestry.com suggest he died in 1932 in Edinburgh – I have not been able to verify that independently.
Thomas married Isabella McLain (1856-1938) in the third quarter of 1891. The 1911 census return describes Isabella as an evangelist.
We would be interested to hear  any information about William Kennedy, the recipient of the fob.

 

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