The E. Howard & Co. was a clock and watch company formed by Edward Howard (1813–1904) and Charles Rice in 1858 after the demise of the Boston Watch Company. The pair acquired some of the material and watches in progress, based upon a lien against the defunct company held by Charles Rice, but they were unable to buy the existing factory or machinery, so they moved to Roxbury. Soon afterwards, Howard bought out Rice's interest and thereafter concentrated on high quality watches based on his own unique designs and eccentric production methods [4]. E. Howard & Co.