Dating Brass Dial Longcase Clocks.

In my November blog 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 clocks made after about 1730.
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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. Humphrey junior would have completed his apprenticeship by about 1714 and by 1717 he was working in Wrexham. An interesting example of Humphrey Maysmore junior’s clocks (Fig. 1) is housed in the Wrexham Museum. The dial of the clock shows a remarkable resemblance to features shown on some of Daniel Quare’s clocks.

Figure 1: 8-day arched dial clock by Humphrey Maysmore Junio c.1730 - 40

​The 8-day arched dial clock made c.1730-40, in a mahogany case, is nicely engraved. The date ring in the arch has a matted centre and is flanked by dolphin pattern spandrels. The subsidiary dials below the arch are similar to those on Quare clocks, with strike/silent dial on the left and regulating dial on the right, both with engraved centres. The corner spandrels are the male mask design. Inside the chapter ring is a seconds dial at the top and below centre there is a day of the week aperture with the astrological symbols in the roundel below representing the different times of the year. The winding holes have turned engraving around them. The chapter ring shows half-quarters in the outer minute numbering band and fine half-hour markers in the hour ring.
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Astrological signs were popular with a number of London Clockmakers including Joseph Williamson who made a number of clocks displaying these zodiac symbols (see Fig.2) representing different times of the year.

Fig. 2. Astrological signs or Zodiac Symbols

Moving on to our next clock which is an 8-day arched dial clock by Thomas Gardener of London c.1740 (Fig.3) housed in a beautiful figured walnut case. ​

Fig 3. Thomas Gardner of London - 8-day arched dial clock. C. 1740

​The dial has a strike/silent disc in the arch flanked by dolphin spandrels and the urn pattern corner spandrels. In the matted dial centre the name disc has a seconds ring above and square date aperture below it. We can note that the half quarter markers and half hour markers have both been omitted from this chapter ring. Thomas Gardner was a freeman of the Blacksmiths’ Company who died in 1740 so this clock must have been made prior to that date.

​John Greaves of Newcastle was working from about 1745 until his death in 1794; he was quite a prolific maker but his clock in (fig 4) is rather unusual.

 It dates from about 1760 and has urn pattern corner spandrels and dolphin arch spandrels flanking an arch disc which contains, a half-penny or Halifax moon, a 24-hour hand inner ring and date hand to the outer ring. The dial centre is matted but has a seconds ring above and square date aperture below with no engraving. The chapter ring has no half-quarter markers but does have engraved half-hour markers. This clock is housed in a fine mahogany case. John Greaves dated some of his clocks and the one illustrated in Clockmakers of Northumberland and Durham is dated 1754 and has the earlier male mask corner spandrels.

Fig. 4. John Greaves of Newcastle. C.1760

​Our next clock is a fine example of engraving by the Beilby and Bewick workshop and has a disc in the arch with the date 1765 engraved on it. 

This 8-day arched dial clock was made by William Clarke of Morpeth (fig.5) with dolphin arch spandrels and urn pattern corner spandrels. The dial centre is finely engraved with seconds ring above and date ring below the central hand bosses, as well as floral engraving around the winding holes. The chapter ring has no half hour markers. It is interesting to note the serpentine minute hand (introduced about 1760) but the hour hand is a later replacement. Clarke moved to Belford about 1770 but was back in Morpeth in Aug 1774 when he had his watch-plate altered by the B & B workshop.

Fig. 5. 8-day arched dial clock by William Clarke.

​Some single sheet arched dials were used in London from c.1760-1800 but a number of round dials were also introduced in the Capital at that time. An interesting example of a round dial is illustrated in Fig. 6 which has an 8-day round dial by James McCabe, Royal Exchange, London, made about 1780. 

Fig. 6. James McCabe, London. C.1780

​It has a plane round, single sheet dial with engraved hour ring and seconds ring, a spade hour hand and slender straight minute hand. This clock, in a beautiful mahogany case, is fitted with a dead-beat escapement, grid-iron pendulum and could be used to regulate other clocks in the house. McCabe produced some very fine clocks including chronometers at the end of the 18th and beginning of 19th centuries.

​By 1780 painted dials were more popular in the provinces but a few single sheet silvered brass dials were used at the end of the century. One example of a single sheet brass dial (Fig.7) is by John Liddell of Morpeth and was made c. 1790-1800. 

This is also a Beilby and Bewick engraved dial. The partnership broke up in 1790, Beilby selling out to Bewick. The dial is an arched 8-day silvered brass dial with an engraved cartouche in the arch containing the makers name, and a small bird perched on it. The engraved scroll corners, chapter and seconds rings and scrolled branches around the winding holes are typical of B&B engraving. The clock is housed in a flat-topped mahogany case.

Fig. 7 John Liddell of Morpeth

Most of the provincial clocks produced from c.1780 had painted dials but London dials remained in brass single-sheet or with solid chapter ring into the 19th century. After 1800 most, if not all provincial dials were painted ones.

If you would like some orientation regarding dating an antique clock, feel free to get in touch with me here. 

If you would like to read more about Antique clock and watchmakers, perhaps you would be interested in my new book, Early clock and watchmakers in the Blacksmiths' Company.