Beautiful Antique Clocks from Around the World - Descriptions, Stories, and the History of These Beautiful Clocks

By Anon Anon

This vintage book comprises a guide to some of the world's most beautiful antique clocks, complete with detailed descriptions, interesting stories, and comments on the history of these wonderful pieces. An interesting and informative guide, this book will appeal to those with a keen interest in historical clocks of note, and it is a book not to be missed by the discerning collector. The chapters of this volume include: Curious Griffin Clock—Water-Clock—Frankfort Clock—James I.’s Clockmakers—Clock a Surname—Dutch Musical Clock—Foreign Clockmakers in London—Charles I. charters the Clockmakers’ Company—Early History of the Company—Clock of St. Margaret’s, Westminster— Clock at Augsburg—Clock in London Pageant, etcetera. We are republishing this vintage book now in an affordable, modern edition complete with a specially commissioned new introduction on the history of clocks and watches.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Read Books Ltd.
• Release date: Apr 16, 2013
• ISBN: 9781447482109

Book preview

Curious Griffin Clock—Water-Clock—Frankfort Clock—James I.’s Clockmakers—Clock a Surname—Dutch Musical Clock—Foreign Clockmakers in London—Charles I. charters the Clockmakers’ Company—Early History of the Company—Clock of St. Margaret’s, Westminster—Clock at Augsburg—Clock in London Pageant—Clock in a Jesuits’ College—Venice Clock—Streets named from Clocks—Clock which regulated the time of Charles L’s Execution—Oldest Clock in America—Oliver Cromwell’s Clock—Charles II.’s Gift of a Clock—Clock in Kendal Museum—Evelyn’s Entries about Clocks—Ball or Bullet Clocks—Pepys sees curious Clocks—Elementary, or Earth, Air, Fire, and Water Clocks—Fulham Clock—Sir Edward Lake’s Gift of a Clock—Alarum Clock mentioned in a State Paper—Pepys sees a curious Clockwork—Charles IL’s Clocks—Cosmo III.’s Record of a Clock—St. Dunstan’s Clock—Its Mechanical Figures—Clock at Bristol—Bennett’s Mechanical Clock Figures—Sir Matthew Hale’s Clock—Milton’s Lines for a Clock Case—Dryden’s Reference to a Clock—Duchess of Gloucester’s Striking Clock—Clock by Tompion—Clock at Windsor Castle—Clockmakers’ Tokens—Grollier’s Clocks—Inclined Plane Clocks—Clock mentioned in a Satirical Poem—Derham’s ‘Artificial Clock-maker’—Mechanical Clock made in compliment to Louis XIV.—Versailles Clock—Maria Antoinette’s Clock—Clock of the King’s Death—Clock at St. Cloud.

AT a meeting of the Archæological Institute, held on March 1st, 1861, and also at a meeting of the Society of Antiquaries, held on June 20th in the same year, Mr. O. Morgan exhibited a miniature clock in the form of a square tower surmounted by a dome, on which stood the figure of a boy playing on a lute. The height of the clock without the dome was only one inch and three quarters. The case was of silver gilt, the works of steel. It went twelve hours, struck, and had an alarum. Mr. Morgan believed it to be of German work, and placed its date about the year 1600. It was the smallest standing clock he had ever met with. And at a meeting of the same institute, held on December 7th, 1855, the same gentleman exhibited two clocks of novel design and construction. One was in the form of a griffin, bearing an escutcheon, on which was the dial. The animal constantly rolled its eyes Whilst the mechanism was in movement, and it opened its mouth when the quarters struck, and flapped its wings at the striking of the hour. The other was in the form of a crucifix; the hours were shown on a globe which revolved on the top of the cross. The date of these strangely-shaped clocks was the early part of the seventeenth century. In the South Kensington Museum is another clock arranged as a crucifix. It is of ebony, silver, and gilt and enamelled bronze. It is of French or Flemish manufacture, of the seventeenth century. Its height is fourteen inches and a half. It was purchased for 6l.

The Hon. W. B. Warren Vernon has a clock of gilt metal in the form of a turret, with a pinnacle top, upon a stand of ebony. It has chased silver ornaments, and is of the seventeenth century, and of French manufacture. In the South Kensington Museum is a medallion dock, in a rock-crystal case, supported on a baluster-shaped crystal stem. It is dated 1609. Its height is seven inches and three quarters. It was purchased at the Bernal sale for 14l. Mr. A. J. B. Beresford Hope has a gilt metal clock with columns and pinnacles at the angles, engraved dial, and square repoussé stand. It was made at Strasburg in 1614. Also a gilt metal table-clock of hexagonal shape, with glass panels, resting on six terminal figures. It is of the seventeenth century.

In a manuscript of the beginning of the seventeenth century, preserved in the British Museum, and entitled ‘A Catalogue of Natural and Artificial Curiosities within the County of Oxford,’ mention is made of a clock that goes by water at Hanwell.

In 1605 a clock was put up in the cathedral at Frankfort. It consisted of three parts or divisions; in the lowest, which looked like a calendar, were several circles, the first of which showed the days and months; the second, the golden number, with the age and change of the moon; and the third the dominical letter. The fourth and fifth circles represented the ancient Roman calendar. On the sixth were the names of the apostles and martyrs, the length of the days and nights, and the entrance of the sun into the twelve signs of the zodiac. The seventh and eighth circles exhibited the hours and minutes when the sun rose and set. In another circle the divisions of the twelve signs of the zodiac, the four seasons, and the twelve months were marked. A circle in the centre showed the movable feasts. The figures which struck the hours represented two smiths with hammers in their hands. This piece of mechanism was repaired for the first time in 1704.

In Devon’s ‘Issues of the Exchequer,’ the Pell Records of the time of James I., we find the following entries:—1605, 10th of October. "By Order, the last of September, 1605. To Uldrich Henche, clockmaker, or to his assignee, the sum of 100l. for a clock, in manner of a branch, made by him, and set up in his Highness’s chamber at Whitehall. By writ dated 23rd of July, 1605. 100l.—1607, 5th of July. To Humphrey Flood, goldsmith, or his assigns, the sum of 120l., in full satisfaction and payment for a clock covered with gold and set with diamonds and rubies, and by him delivered to his Majesty’s use, at the price of 220l., whereof received 100l. By a Privy Seal dated the 5th of July, 1607. 120l.—1617, 1st of April. By Order, dated 29th of March, 1617. To Ranulph Bull, keeper of his Majesty’s great clock, in his Majesty’s palace of Westminster, the sum of 56l. 13s. 4d., in full satisfaction and discharge of and for divers sums by him disbursed for mending the said clock, in taking the same and other quarter clocks all in pieces, and repairing the same in the wheels, pulleys, hammers, weights, and in all other parts, and in new hanging, wiring, and cording of the same clock, and other necessary reparations thereunto belonging, the charge whereof, with his own workmanship and travail therein, doth amount to the sum aforesaid, appearing by a note of the particular demands, delivered upon his oath, taken before one of the Barons of his Majesty’s Exchequer, without account or imprest to be made thereof. By writ, dated 27th of March, 1617. 56l. 13s. 4d. It will be observed that the last payment was made to Ranulph Bull. We find in an account of the household expenses of Prince Henry, in 1610, Emanuel Bull, the clocke-keeper," mentioned. Probably he was some relation of the clock-keeper of James I., if not the same identical person.

In the collection of State Papers of the year 1622, in the same king’s reign, there is a warrant to pay 232l. 15s. to David Ramsey, the king’s clockmaker, for repairing clocks at Theobalds, Oatlands, and Westminster, and for making a chime of bells adjoining to the clock at Theobalds. On the accession of Charles I., Ramsey was again appointed the king’s clockmaker, and was also nominated the first Master of the Clock-makers’ Company in the charter of incorporation in 1631.

Among the curiosities of horology is the fact that the word clock has become a surname. Thus, we find in the ‘Calendar of State Papers,’ temp. James I., under date May 1st, 1609, a power-of-attorney from Sir Edward Musgrave, of Hayton, Cumberland, to John Clock, of Staple Inn, Middlesex, to receive on his behalf 20l., lent by him to the king on privy seal, on July 31st, 1604. And in 1618 a man named Peter Clocke was living in St. Olave’s, Southwark. He is thus entered in a return now in the State Paper Office:—Petter Clocke; b. in Turnney; in England 4 yeres; and his wyfe, taffety wever; 2 children borne in Tornney. The ‘Annual Register’ for 1775, tells us of letters patent granted to William Clockworthy, for the sole use of a discovery of certain materials for the making of porcelain.

Among the State Papers of the time of James I. there is an original letter, dated August 4th, 1609, addressed by Sir Julius Caesar to the clerks of the Signet, requesting them to prepare a warrant to pay 300l. to Hans Niloe, a Dutchman, for a clock with music and motions. And on the 17th of the same month Sir Julius wrote from the Strand to Salisbury, stating that he was pressed by Hans Niloe for the 300l. for his clock.

It would seem that foreign artizans were at this period extensively employed in clockmaking in England; and it appears from documents which are now in the State Paper Office, that early in the seventeenth century there were in London fifteen clockmakers and two watchmakers, all of whom were foreigners. By "A true Certificat of the Names of the Straungers residing and dwellinge within