Longcase Clock thumbnail 1
Not currently on display at the V&A

Longcase Clock

c.1700 (made), early 20th century (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

The engraved panel, within the dial, has the inscription of Henricus Jones/Londini Fecit, who was based in Inner Temple Lane and was clockmaker to Charles II and Master of the Clockmakers Company in 1691.
The clock is also illustrated by Britten "Old Clocks & Watches", 6th ed., 1932, fig. 773. However there is now some doubt concerning the date of the casework and it may be 1900-20.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Parts
This object consists of 2 parts.

  • Longcase Clock Case
  • Movement
Materials and techniques
Brief description
Long case clock, inscribed ‘Henricus Jones Londini Fecit’, possibly early 20th century copy, oak casework with ebonized varnish
Physical description
Dial:
Ten inch square. Brass dial plate with engraved, matted centre. Circular calendar aperture enclosed by a ringed decoration above which is a lambrequin, its polished surface containing the signature Henricus Jones / Londini fecit. The reverse of this plague is hammered. Engravings of birds in the matting are pierced by plain winding holes, whilst restrained foliate patterns surround the apertures for the hands and calendar. Silvered calendar ring. Winged cherubs head spandrels screwed to corners of dial plate; further towards the edges of plate are plugged holes. Minute band at outer edge of silvered chapter ring, having Arabic five minute numerals, the double figures being split either side of each five minute stroke. Roman hour numerals. Cruciform half quarters and quarter hour divisions with half hour marks of arrow heads and semi-circles. Reverse of chapter ring hammered between VII and V with consequent slight unevenness of the surface on front. On front, chapter ring locating feet appear as visible rings in silvered surface; at the back, plugged holes evident close by these feet. Foot closest to XII is largely removed to accommodate calendar mechanism. Dial attached to front plate by four dial feet; adjacent to each are remains of the originals.

Hands:
Blued steel minute and hour hands.

Movement:
8-day, brass and steel, weight driven, two train movement with verge escapement. Hour striking on bell (missing) controlled by an inside countwheel. Five pillar movement, each slender pillar having fins and a semi-circular central knop, being riveted to backplate, pinned at front. Laying out scribe lines present on outside of front plate. Some collets where used to mount the wheels are of semi-circular profile, others of a two-section shape, including Third, Contrate and Crown wheel of Going side. The fly of nominally rectangular shape with friction spring mounted on one vane. Both great wheels have their teeth cut on a slant, each tooth face being at an angle to direction of motion. Screwed to front plate, Crown wheel lower cock is constructed from part of a finned pillar and has screw type bearing. Upper cock also attached to front plate with modern screw. On backplate, plugged holes evident around Third and Contrate pivot holes with unused threaded and steady pin holes by backcock. Backcock itself with plugged holes. Similar work around verge pivot hole in front plate. Pendulum missing. Steelwork plain.

Description and notes by Francis Brodie, c. 2008
Dimensions
  • Height: 224.8cm (Note: measurement converted from department register)
  • Width: 49.5cm (Note: measurement converted from department register)
  • Depth: 29.2cm (Note: measurement converted from department register)
HWD: 224.8x49.5x29.2cm (From file)
Credit line
Bequeathed by Rev. E G Winstanley
Object history
Henry Jones Long-case clock, bequest of Rev. G H Winstanley, Cornwall 27 March 1946

Notes from R.P. 138-46

Listed as
"1 Long-case clock; ebonized by Henry Jones, English; 18th century"

17/1/46 letter, Mrs Winstanley to the Museum
offer of clock collection includes mention of "Grandfather clock by Henry Jones - short pendulum"

26/2/46 memo, Thorpe to Edwards, includes report of inspection of collection of clocks includes
"2. Long-case clock. Height 7 ft 4 ins. Width 1 ft. 7 1/2 ins. (pediment), case mainly 9ins. Wide. Ebonised, barley sugar columns, plain panels, high narrow proportions. Marked Henricus Jones/Londini ffcit, who was master of the Clockmakers' Company in 1691 and an eminent clockmaker. The clock seems to me elegant in form and is illustrated, though not well, by Britten, 6th edition, figure 773.

He also notes that he personally like the Jullion, the Church Stoke and the Form of the Jones.

27/3/46 list of clocks
note in pencil next to Jones clock "door damaged"

19/4/46 letter, Mrs Winstanley to Thorpe
explains that the majority of the clocks were from (Shapland?) of 207 High Holborn.

Members of the Antiquarian Horological Society, visiting in 2000, suggested that the case might date from the period 1900-1920.


Comments:
'Would appear to be a late 17th century long pendulum, longcase clock movement converted to verge escapement and short pendulum, then attached to a made up dial.

Dial:
The dial plate with its matted centre appears 18th century in style. Judging by the way the winding holes have broken into the engraving within the matting tends to imply that the dial may not have started out with winding holes but rather came from a 30-hour clock which would not be key wound through the dial. By hammering up the back of the dial, a suitable signature could be engraved within the lambrequin and in order to make the whole more convincing, a later 17th century chapter ring was attached to the dial plate. That the minute ring is at the edge of the Chapter ring indicates a date ca.1685 but at this date the signature most likely would have been either below the chapter ring in the dial plate, or in the chapter ring itself between the hours of VII and V, as seen in other examples in this project. In this case, the latter applies, hence the presence of hammer marks on the reverse of the chapter ring around V and VII applied to obliterate an 'unsuitable' signature on the front. In transplanting the old chapter ring to the later dial, it was found that the positioning of the original locating feet did not correspond with existing holes in the dial plate and so were filed down. Replacements were riveted in none too carefully, resulting in the aforementioned visible rings in the silvered surface. The ‘fitting up’ also would account for the need to reduce the size of the foot closest to the calendar mechanism. Rather than make new holes in the front plate, the dial feet were similarly removed and replaced. Interestingly, the spandrels of an early design appear to have been moved in from the edges, judging by the presence of adjacent plugged holes. Presumably this was carried out to enable the dial to fit the present case; either the dial had been in a different case previously, or a mistake was made when measuring up the ‘Jones’ dial.

Hands:
Of an early pendulum clock style but of very even appearance and well preserved, indicating not original.

Movement:
There are pointers that the movement was not originally fitted with a verge escapement and that alterations have occurred:

The presence on the backplate of vacant threaded and steady pin holes unrelated to the present verge backcock. These could be explained if a long pendulum backcock once had been fitted. The most unorthodox shape to the lower crown wheel cock; also the securing by modern screws.

That both crown wheel cooks are mounted on the front plate is unusual and could indicate an escapement that turns in the reverse direction; Jones has been known to use this method in a spring clock (P.G. Dawson, C.B. Drover & D.W. Parkes, "Early English Clocks", 1982, Antique Collectors’ Club, Woodbridge).

Most unusually in a verge escapement longcase clock, this movement has a third wheel in addition to the usual contrate wheel. The presence of the extra wheel is a possible reason for the reversed action of the escapement and raises suspicions.

The presence of later profiles to the collets implies alterations to the gear train, as are the plugged holes in the plates adjacent to existing pivot holes.

The relative fineness of the gear teeth, particularly of the great wheels are more typical of later, long pendulum movements.

In conclusion, a clock fitted up for a relatively unsophisticated purchaser, although as has been seen, some attempt has been made at achieving a period feel.

The clock is illustrated in F.J. Britten, Old Clocks and Watches and their Makers, 6th edition, E. & F.N. Spon, London, p584.'

Description and notes by Francis Brodie, c. 2008
Summary
The engraved panel, within the dial, has the inscription of Henricus Jones/Londini Fecit, who was based in Inner Temple Lane and was clockmaker to Charles II and Master of the Clockmakers Company in 1691.
The clock is also illustrated by Britten "Old Clocks & Watches", 6th ed., 1932, fig. 773. However there is now some doubt concerning the date of the casework and it may be 1900-20.
Collection
Accession number
W.22:1-1946

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Record createdSeptember 24, 2008
Record URL
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