Description
This stunning quarter chiming longcase clock boasts the high quality workmanship associated with this fine period of clockmaking excellence. A truly stunning case would not look out of place amongst royalty, with the beautiful mahogany case, attractive dial and comprehensive movement to match. This is a wonderful clock that would complement any collection.
Movement: The substantial movement held by six knopped and finned pillars is of 8-day duration, with three brass bound weights driving the clock. The movement runs three trains for the going train; to tell the time and date, the hourly strike train; striking a single bell upon the hour, and the quarter chiming train; striking two smaller bells, where each strike represents each quarter hour passed. Using Graham’s dead-beat escapement, with a considerable iron and wood rod pendulum, with a very heavy lenticular brass bob and silvered engraved rating nut.
Case: A wonderfully grand mahogany veneered case. The elegant deep flamed Mahogany case with pagoda top and blind fret above a long shaped moulded door with canted corners and typical London applied panel base upon a double plinth. The clock is complete with all three original “ball and spire” finials.
Dial: The 13” Break-arch brass dial with elegantly matted centre, Date aperture above VI and silvered engraved seconds subsidiary dial below XII featuring Arabic 10 second markers. Surrounded by the silvered engraved chapter ring featuring both roman numerals and Arabic five minute markers. The rococo spandrels have all been deep cast and then chased to improve finishing and definition. There is a strike/silent subsidiary situated in the arch of the dial allowing the silencing of the strike. The dial is completed with original all finely shaped and blued steel hands.
John Ellicott – B.1706 – D.1791
John Ellicott was born in 1706, the son of a clockmaker of the same name. He was one of the outstanding clockmakers of the 18th century, producing many quality clocks for the home market and export. John Ellicott developed his own form temperature compensated pendulum and was instrumental in the perfection of the cylinder escapement. He made very thin watch movements and paid great attention to detail. His reputation brought him to the attention of the Royal Court and he was elevated to the position of Clockmaker to King George II, later to George III and designed public clocks, including that of the London Hospital. King George III paid John Ellicott 150 pounds per annum as was George Lindsay (watchmaker). He worked from St Swithins Alley, Royal Exchange, London.
Ellicott was elected a fellow of the Royal Society on the 26th of October 1738. He published two articles on clocks and also an equation of time table in their Philosophical Transactions for the Society. Ellicott supplied portable regulators to astronomers notably; Nevil Maskelyne, Charles Mason and James Cook for the recording of the transit of Venus. Ellicott was also a keen astronomer and observed the transit of Venus in 1761 from an observatory built in his home in Hackney.
He died in 1772 and was followed by his son, Edward, who became Master of the Clockmakers Company in 1834.
Serviced and guaranteed for 3 years.
Height: 102″ or 259 cm
CIRCA. 1740
Provenance: Private collection U.K.
*This clock is delivered and set up for free within the UK. We regularly ship clocks all over the world with our approved and well-established Antiques and Fine Art Packers & Shippers. Please ask for a quote should you require this service.
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