A 1902 Birmingham-Hallmarked Watch and Claims of Looting in Nnewi

I believe my Omuagu Otolo family’s silver watch offers evidence of what happened in Nnewi during the British colonial period. Its Birmingham hallmarks—the anchor, sterling-silver lion and date letter—appear to date it to 1902. I also found a 1902 Southern Nigeria colonial file that reportedly records an Obi house being burnt in Omuagu Otolo and items, including a watch, being taken. The matching year, village and item raise serious questions for me about how the watch left the community. The British Museum describes a related object as a gift, but I question that account in light of the colonial record. I also believe a Nnewi stool remains in the museum’s collection. Did colonial forces take watches, stools or other objects from your Obi house between 1902 and 1906?

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