Description
Langley Bradley London Walnut Longcase Clock
This beautiful longcase clock made by a very well respected clock maker in Langley Bradley.
Langley Bradley, who was Master of the Clockmakers Company, made the original clock for St Paul’s Cathedral, about 1706. He also made the clock for St Giles’ Cathedral, Edinburgh. These clocks were made to the accepted design with the driving barrels and weights at the bottom of the frame and the gears immediately above.
The going train was in the middle, the striking train for the hour on the left and the quarter strike on the right. Bradley’s original clock was said to perform very well, but it was replaced by the clock made by Dennison in 1893 which, when installed, was said to be the largest clock in the United Kingdom. It strikes on an hour bell called Great Tom. This bell should not be confused with the well-known, but smaller, bell in Christ Church, Oxford, also called Great Tom.
The Oxford bell has a particularly attractive note, made all the better by its beautiful architectural setting.
The substantial 8 day movement has six pillars, anchor escapement with seconds pendulum and internal count wheel striking the hours on a bell. The case is made of finely figured walnut having a pendulum aperture to the front door, a flat topped hood with concave moulding below, gilded wood capital and an attractively pierced sound fret.
The brass dial plate measures 11” and has a wheatear border with crown and cherub head spandrels, silvered brass chapter ring with engraved with Roman hour numerals and signed ‘ L Bradley, London’. The matted centre with date aperture, ringed winding holes, a seconds chapter and finely cut, blued steel hands.
