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General History of the Grandfather Clock With the stately appearance and comforting presence, a longcase or Grandfather Clock is for many, the most desirable piece of furniture it is possible to own. What is now a piece of furniture today was once a main factor in many peoples lives as the lunar movement would be invaluable for travellers, farmers and hunters who had a real need to know when to expect a moonlit night. Likewise, tidal dials were of considerable interest to sea captains and drovers who required knowledge of the high and low tides. A certain amount of controversy has existed among antiquarian horologists as to which nation first invented the longcase clock: · Dutch 1660 Longcase Clocks appear soon after the restoration of the Monarchy in this year. 1657 A young London clock maker, John Fromonteel, entered the employment of Salomon Coster, master clockmaker at the Hauge where he learnt how the pendulum could be integrated with the clock movement. 1658 John Fromanteel was producing pendulum clocks back in London. John Froanteel had a brother, Ahasurus, who was also a clockmaker who together with Huygens, the Dutch astronomer and mathematician, in designing pendulum clocks. 1685 Charles II died leaving almost 100 clocks which he had gathered during the reign of Henry VIII, which made the Royal Clock collection world famous. Amongst this was a walnut longcase clock with a year movement by Thomas Tompton made in 1695 for William III, also made 3 month movement and a perpetual calendar. 1649 - 1724 Daniel Quore made a year movement Longcase Clock which is now at Hampton Court. 1723 Joseph Antram, a clockmaker to George I. George III interest in clocks lead him to intervene in the controversy surrounding the award made to John Harrison (1693 - 1776) for his chronometer to be used in calculating longitude at sea. 1780 - 1854 Benjamin Lewis Villainy, Royal clockmaker’s reputation suffered so bad that he virtually vandalised many fine clocks in the Royal Collection by fitting his own workings into the clocks for the original ones made by outstanding clock makers of the late 17th and early 18th Century. Rise and decline in the fashion for Longcase Clocks occupied approximately 200 years of the British History. These years divide conveniently into two equal parts - 1660 to 1760 to 1860 and may be subdivided as follows: 1660 - 85 Charles II - Restoration or Carolean period 1675 The Greenwich Observatory was established so that astronomy could be studied in greater detail with the prime aim of establishing methods for improving navigation at sea. Octagon shape by Christopher Wren. The first Astronomer Royal was John Flamstead, whose tables of comparative solar and mean time (produced in 1666) and his tide tables for the Thames at London Bridge probably suggested the idea for equation and tidal dials on Longcase Clocks. Thomas Thompion was commissioned by Sir James Moore to produce two clocks for Greenwich. These were to go for a year and probably the first ever made. They had pendulums 13ft in length and a vibration of 2 seconds. These were wall mounted, one was modified and fitted with a Royal Pendulum and placed in an Oak longcase. It was acquired by the Earl of Leicester but the second of these two remarkable clocks may be seen today in the Clock Gallery of the British Museum in London. 1660 When first longcase clocks came on the scene these were of a simple design, mainly constructed out of pine or fruitwood which was stained black or ebonised, as the process was termeol then waxed. 1680 Carved crestings, often with the popular device of a winged cherub head were fitted to the tops of clocks case hoods. 1670 Shortly before a pendulum measuring 39.1 inches in length appeared, which had a singular characteristic in that it swung or vibrated took exactly one second. This was named the "Royal" pendulum. However, this could not be used with the verge escapement, the arc of vibration being far too great. Anchor escapement was invented which was the ideal counterpart to the Royal pendulum. Who invented what different historians have there own thoughts but it is written: · Dr Hooke (Robert) has the Royal Pendulum Royal Pendulum brought about an increase in Longcase Clock heights this due to width of the case had to increase to accommodate the swing of the pendulum which now hung well down into the case to proportionise right the longcase was now just over 7ft tall. The pendulum was now covered in brass and a lenticle door was fitted either a circular or oval glass window. This was also fitted with a bulls-eye glass as it was said to enhance the movement of the pendulum lenticles useful pointer dating clocks (1675 - 1725). The word "Dial" was derived from the Latin word "Dies" meaning a day. The Cuhushian Top Hood (Late Stuart) As the 17th Century drew to its close, domestic interior design brought about an increase in height of the main rooms. The Longcase Clock was stretched to fit such rooms, many different types ornate hexel units was designed to fit this period. Fact - Many owners of Longcase Clocks would have a sundial in there garden as this would be the only mean of setting the clock if it stopped. (Hence many churches had sundials). The problem with this was because the clock kept average of mean time, while the sundial recorded solar time. Because of the rotation of the earth and the consequent variations of the seasons, a sundial could be as much as fourteen minutes behind Longcase Clocks mean time in February and sixteen minutes ahead in November. For one day only in 4 months of a year, April, June, September and December did the solar time and mean time concur. Hence it was necessary to have some type of key for converting solar time to correct time. This was one of the tasks to which John Flamstead, the first Astronomer Royal, turned his mind to. His resulting equations tables were found in many Longcase Clocks. Fact - Many tradesmen making clocks were fined if they were not trained in such skills. Fact - 1696 Thomas Tompion was the first to use the arch dial in Longcase Clocks. |
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