The Acropolis clock was presented to
Charles Abbott on his retirement in Presented to Mr Charles Nash
1882. It is now owned by BBKA Abbott of Southall Middlesexby a few well wishers and
(photo: IBRA) friends as a token of their
appreciation of his service
rendered by him to
beekeeping by his
Abbott's frame design used a tapering establishment and editorship
shape, ie, narrower at the bottom for upward of nine years of
than at the top the British Bee Journal
25 April 1883.
Journal to the Reverend Herbert The Revd Peel duly presented the
Richard Peel of Thornton Hall, Stoney clock to Charles Abbott alluding to the
Stratford, for £2000. The Revd Peel nearness of the Acropolis to Mount
was at the time Honorary Secretary Hymettus, famous for its honey and to
of the British Bee-Keepers' Mr Abbott being like St Paul who had
Association. Mr John Huckle became preached at the Acropolis.
Britain plus five for American pattern the Journal’s manager. Kent and Co,
hives. In Europe there were some 22 The Acropolis Clock passed to Charles’and Messrs Strangeways continued
nationally used frames of varying grandson CP Abbott and, from him toas its publishers and printers
sizes. the International Bee Researchrespectively.
Association, who presented it to theIn his Beekeeping New and Old,
Although Herbert Peel had purchased BBKA in 2007. William Herrod-Hempsall traces the
the British Bee Journal from Abbott,development of the frames used in Having relinquished his direct interest
Britain before the BBKA agreed the he wrote in the December 1882 issue in the BBJ and handed over the day to
dimension of what was to become the that the journal was now the official day running of his appliance business
British Standard brood frame. This organ of the BBKA. This anomalous to his sons, Charles Abbott threw
frame has an external measurement of position of a privately owned himself into the running of the
14” by 8 ½” with an optional top bar magazine functioning as the Fairlawn Estate and its associated
length of 17”. The dimensions of a beekeepers official organ continued properties. He also published the
smaller frame for honey was not until 1943. Southall News and was generally
specified as most beekeepers at that involved in local affairs.
time worked for sections. CHARLES ABBOTT RETIRES In his last years he was also drawn
Before the adoption of the standard The Reverend Peel responded to a back to the Parish Church. During the
frame, Charles Abbott received first request to mark Charles Abbott’s winter of 1893 his health declined. In
prize at the Glasgow 1874 show for a retirement by launching The Abbott February 1894 the BBKA conferred on
'Taper' frame, ie, one that had side Testimonial Fund in January 1883 to him Honorary Membership. He died on
bars sloping inwards to fit a hive with 2 March aged 64. He was buried inwhich 92 beekeepers in all subscribed
inward sloping sides. The frame shown the St George’s cemetery, Hanwell.some £37. A framed illuminated address
at Glasgow lacked a bottom bar. When
competing in 1875 at the Crystal Palace on vellum was prepared, together with a Probate of his will was granted to his
he again took first prize, this time with handsome black marble dining-room widow Ellen, his estate being valued
a frame which still had a taper but was chiming clock, designed after the style of at £2935 10s and 6d.
fitted with a bottom bar. the temple at the foot of the Acropolis at Abbott’s work attracted four entries in
Athens, with bronze bas-relief figuresBBJ CHANGES HANDS Eva Crane’s World History of
representing priests sacrificing to Beekeeping. z
In the autumn of 1882, Charles Abbott Minerva. Attached to the clock was an
negotiated the sale of the British Bee inscription plate which read: [To be continued.]
Bee Craft digital December 2008 Page 21
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