Martin Jackson, Master of the Clockmakers' Company
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June  2022

Martin Jackson son of Martin of Helmdon Row, Brancepeth, Durham was baptised on 20th July 1671. He was just one of a number of boys from the village who were trained as metal workers; John Dowthwaite trained as a goldsmith in Newcastle, Francis Batty was apprenticed to John and the Threlkelds, Deodatus and his nephew William trained as clock and watchmakers, while William’s younger brother Ralph trained as a goldsmith also in Newcastle. Read more about Martin Jackson here

About author Keith Bates & Pendulum Publications

Pendulum Publications is a small, specialist publisher established in 1980 by Keith Bates. "Early clock and watchmakers of the Blacksmiths' Company" is the 4th book to be published by the company. Keith has also had several articles published in Horological magazines. The company is run by a small but dedicated family team. Read more...

More from our blog:

Thomas Tompion's Apprentice - William Moraley.

Thomas Tompion had set up his workshop in Water Lane, off Fleet Street, in early 1671 at the age of 32. Very little is known about his earlier life and his training, apart from the fact that he would have been trained by his father as a blacksmith at a very young age.  Read about Tompion's apprentice William Moraley. ​

Edmund Beckett Denison and the Westminster Clock.

 The Astronomer Royal, Sir George Airy was asked to provide the parameters for the new Westminster clock. He said that it should be capable of keeping time within one minute a week and the first stroke of the hour was to be within a second of true time.​ Read about the 3-legged gravity escapement and the Westminster clock. 

Who built Big Ben?


When talking about the history of Big Ben, Benjamin Hall, Charles Barry, Augustus Pugin, Edmund Beckett Denison and Edward J. Dent all get a mention. But what roles did they play? Read more about Big Ben 

Daniel Quare Master Clockmaker

Daniel Quare is thought to have been born about 1648 in Somerset and apprenticed to an unknown master 1662-1669 and probably worked as a journeyman until 1670. He was working in the parish of St Martin-le-Grand, Westminster by 1671 when the Clockmakers' Company discovered him and made him a brother of the company on 3 April 1671 as a great (turret) clockmaker.
Read more about Daniel Quare

The Higginson brothers - Clockmakers at the end of 17th Century.

At the end of the 17th Century, some clockmakers from the B.C. were supplying movements to other clockmakers, consequently very few of their signed clocks have been recorded. The Higginson brothers John and Nathaniel trained a number of later successful clockmakers and so must have produced a large number of clock movements but very few of their fine clocks have survived. 
Read about the apprentices they trained

"Great" clockmakers in the Blacksmiths' Company

One of the most important “great” clockmakers of the 17th century and probably the least well-known, was William Clement. He is the un-sung hero of horology. If it had not been for William Clement, clocks might still have been treated as objects of amusement and not useful timekeepers.
William Clement invented the anchor escapement about 1665. ... Read More. ​

Great Clockmakers of the 17th Century

After the Great Fire of London in 1666 the Clockmakers’ Company (C.C.) were enrolling new members, 28 of whom were described as “great clockmakers” between 1669-1690; However, in 1636 the C.C. had signed an agreement with the B.C. saying that they would not enrol any “great clockmakers of iron clocks”, now called turret clocks. 
. ​... Read More. 

Dating antique Brass Dial Longcase clocks. - Part 2

In Part 1.  I attempted to show some of the problems facing prospective buyers of early 18th century clocks. Following on from that theme I would like to look at some clocks made after about 1730.
After Humphrey Maysmore’s death in 1706 his widow Mary turned their son Humphrey over to Richard Vick in the C.C. who had been trained by Daniel Quare.  ​... Read More. 

Was Thomas Tompion the leading clockmaker at the end of the 17th Century?

Thomas Tompion has been described as the father of English clock and watchmaking by a number of writers. In 1697 the Blacksmiths’ Company (BC) made the following declaration :- “ the greatest Artists therein [clockmaking] of this day were Originally Smiths” .....We then have to ask was Thomas Tompion one of the greatest artists in clockmaking, if so, was he a member of the BC? ​.....Read More. ​

Dating Early Antique Longcase Clocks
​- Part 1

 We will look at different date ranges to make it a little easier. It can be quite difficult dating early 18th century longcase clocks because the brass dials were square before 1720 but about this date an arch top was added to London clocks​.......Read More. 

Sophia Metcalfe - Memoirs of a lady watchmaker

Sophia Metcalfe, born 1881, was the daughter of Ralph Metcalfe watchmaker and jeweller at 168 Scotswood Road, Newcastle and apprenticed to her father 1895-1899. 
"Now I will commence at the beginning of my apprenticeship at 14 years of age. I was never idle one moment and we were always busy. At that particular time.....Read More

Richard Craile - a watchmaker in the Blacksmiths' Company

Richard Craile was one of the early 17th century watchmakers. He was born in 1600, the son of William Craile a curate of Grantham and apprenticed to Robert Grinkin about 1615. He took his freedom of the BC on 18th January 1626/7 . ​ ... Read More. ​

Astronomical clocks for King Charles II - Samuel Watson

Watson made two astronomical clocks for King Charles II, one in 1682 for £215 and the second was a special commission which took Watson from 1683-1690 to complete.
​Read more

Antique Clockmakers & their freedom from the London Guilds

All trade in the City of London, from very early times, was controlled by the trade guilds or companies. A craftsman had to be a freeman of one of these guilds in order to trade within.....Read more

Plague epidemics & their effects on Clockmakers

When I wrote  about the effects of the plague at different times in our history, I never dreamt that we would be experiencing a pandemic similar to what the clock and watchmakers experienced in 16th and 17th centuries. Read More

William Moraley, watchmaker of Newcastle

Many years ago, while researching London clockmakers I came across a report in the London Gazette for 31st May 1729 which stated that William Moraley, watchmaker of Newcastle had been declared .... Read More

Was your ancestor a clock or watchmaker?

Here is a fascinating story,  tracing the family tree of  a lady who was the descendant of a clockmaker. If you think your ancestor may have been in the clock and watchmaking trade and you would like ... Read More

John Walker, clockmaker extraordinaire

Apprenticed to Charles Thompson on 6th June 1734 but not freed in the BC until 1749. The competition for a clockmaker in London must have been very strong at that time because John..... Read More

A right Royal Clock


​I was on a visit to Newton Hall, Northd., in the late 1970s when I noticed a turret clock in the stable block. I asked if I could see the movement of the clock and Captain Widdrington, the owner ....Read More


​The William Clement clock at Middle Temple


​The Society of Middle Temple is famous for its turret clock which was made by William Clement, who agreed to make a clock to go above the porch of their hall by Michalmas (29th September) 1667 for.....Read More
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Chronometer makers in the Blacksmiths' Company

My interest in chronometers and chronometer makers was aroused by a two part article written by Charles Aked on the subject of “Longitude and the Marine Chronometer” in ......Read More