Clock Cabinet
ca. 1725 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
The cabinet is said to have been made in Plymouth. The musical clock was made by Mayne Swete as a gift for his brother, Adrian Swete of Trayne, Modbury, South Devon, who became High Sheriff of the county in 1724 and died in 1733. Mayne Swete had a private forge where he made this mechanical instrument, taking seven years to complete the task at a cost of £200. He was also a keen campanologist and headed the bell-ringers of Modbury when they won a competition held at Totnes.
Inside the top section of the cabinet is a bell to strike the hours and a carillon with 27 bells tuned in semi-tones, played by means of a small keyboard or by a brass cylinder set with pines in the manner of a musical box. The latter plays a tune every three hours and the cylinder can be replaced on Sundays to play a psalm.
Inside the top section of the cabinet is a bell to strike the hours and a carillon with 27 bells tuned in semi-tones, played by means of a small keyboard or by a brass cylinder set with pines in the manner of a musical box. The latter plays a tune every three hours and the cylinder can be replaced on Sundays to play a psalm.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Parts | This object consists of 21 parts.
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| Materials and techniques | |
| Brief description | Clock and carillon, made by Mayne Swete, Trayne, Modbury, Devon, in about 1725 |
| Physical description | Clock in square case of walnut with arched top, decorated with acanthus moulding and fretwork frieze and side panels, surmounted by four scrolls which meet to support a gilt pineapple. It stands on a cabinet made in two parts. The upper half has a gilt pineapple at each corner. In front are two doors with moulded panels. The lower part has two doors in front with moulded panels and rests on four small feet. Inside the upper half are the works and twenty eight bells tuned in semitones to play three octaves by means of an ivory and ebony keyboard. The dial has a gilt symmetrical design of openwork scrolls in the arch and in the spandrels is similar ornament with masks. |
| Dimensions |
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| Credit line | Purchased from E Lyall Swete, London |
| Object history | Clock with carillon by Mayne Swete, between 1700-1735, purchased for £115 on 15.10.25 from E Lyall Swete (108, St. Mary’s Mansions, W2) Notes from R.P. 25/7446 There is extensive correspondence on R P files and reports from E Lyall Swete regarding the history of the clock, its maker, and detailed reports of provenance and repairwork. These are best summed up by a 1957 letter from F & W in response to an inquiry about the clock (attached here). 24/9/25 minute paper notes that Mr Lyall Swete altered the date on the non plate "but this could be removed". 26/10/25 minute paper, O Brackett notes that "the clock is of considerable importance and of fine workmanship……the design of the lower part (forming a cabinet for the works) is excellent…" 27/10/25 minute paper, E Maclagan writes "It is an extremely fine piece of work and in every way suitable for a Museum. The comparatively plain lower part would….be of greatest service to practical designers". Information regarding the provenance is recorded in the department object file. |
| Summary | The cabinet is said to have been made in Plymouth. The musical clock was made by Mayne Swete as a gift for his brother, Adrian Swete of Trayne, Modbury, South Devon, who became High Sheriff of the county in 1724 and died in 1733. Mayne Swete had a private forge where he made this mechanical instrument, taking seven years to complete the task at a cost of £200. He was also a keen campanologist and headed the bell-ringers of Modbury when they won a competition held at Totnes. Inside the top section of the cabinet is a bell to strike the hours and a carillon with 27 bells tuned in semi-tones, played by means of a small keyboard or by a brass cylinder set with pines in the manner of a musical box. The latter plays a tune every three hours and the cylinder can be replaced on Sundays to play a psalm. |
| Bibliographic reference | F.A.B. Ward, “The clocks of the Victoria and Albert Museum” in Antiquarian Horology, June 1975, Fig 7
“A clock which defies normal classification is a chiming, musical and carillon clock in a cabinet, by Mayne Swete of Modbury, Devon, from the early 18th century (see Fig. 7).
It is in the form of a fine two-stage walnut cabinet, with a break-arch dial housing above; this latter surmounted by four scrolls which meet at the top to support a gilt pineapple finial.
The entire cabinet is filled with mechanism, which includes the hand-operated carillon with 37 bells and 74 hammers, these latter serving also the musical movement of the clock.
The clock is a ‘one-off’ job made by Swete as a gift to his brother, Adrian Swete, who was High Sheriff of Devon in 1724.” |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | W.64:17-1925 |
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| Record created | September 24, 2008 |
| Record URL |
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