Specialists in re-homing old Grandfather Clocks!
Here are just a few examples of the wide variety of Longcase Clocks
or Grandfather Clocks
as they are popularly known that have passed through our hands over the years.
From important Royal Clockmakers working in London to unknown provincial craftsmen producing clocks in villages and towns throughout the country
oak and mahogany cases - stunning Japaned cases with Chinoiserie
decoration...
walnut and marquetry clocks
from the golden age - you'll find them here..
Established in 1973 David Gibson
set out to offer only the finest and most exceptional
grandfather clocks for sale - whether a 30 hour cottage clock by a village clock-smith or a year going masterpiece - we consider them to be living moving works of art
More than 50 years of excellence!
Jacob Lovelace of Exeter
Circa 1730
Such a special clock - this important Exeter Longcase Clock by the celebrated maker Jacob Lovelace who is recorded working 1712 - 1750
The walnut veneers have a rich original patination and the brass dial was particularly fine
Sold to a private client.
Circa 1695
A fine example of a London Walnut Longcase Clock from the 'golden age' by a top maker
Sold to a private client
Thomas MIlner of London
Circa 1720
A Stunning blue japaned Longcase Clock by this top maker
Sold to a descendant of the maker
From something exotic to something quite simple - we love early 30 hour cottage grandfather clocks
- it's what we started with in 1973 and we still can't resist them today!
Here are few of our favourites
Peter Bower - Redlynch
Wiltshire
Circa 1750
John Holland - Droxford
Hampshire
Circa 1770
J.Langbridge - Torrington
Devon
Circa 1790-1800
George Routleigh - Launceston
Cornwall
Circa 1770
John Best - Padstow
Cornwall
Circa 1770
Obadiah Boddy - Battle
Sussex
Circa 1720
Humphrey Jennens - Hales Owen
Staffordshire
Circa 1705
James & John Thristle - Stogursey
Somerset
Circa 1810
A very rare and early example of an anonymous North Oxfordshire Quaker
clock with a 9 inch 'zig-zag' Dial and Lantern type movement always housed in its original deep Elm case which has developed a most pleasing colour and patination
Sold to a private collector
John Nottle of Holsworthy
Devon
circa 1760
Height 77 in.
Charming and rare Devon antique cottage grandfather clock with 10 inch brass dial and birdcage movement in its original
primitive scumbled pine case
Across West Devon and East Cornwall a number of makers produced simple 30 hour cottage clocks for the local population.
Brass dials with robust 'birdcage' or posted frame movements where the order of the day - mostly housed in primitive pine cases that were sometimes given a wash over of a simple varnish or paint to protect the wood or occasionally as here a painted and grained effect to look like a more expensive wood then protected with 'scumble glaze'.
Most have suffered the ravages of time and damp climate and are long gone. However this example is possibly the most complete clock of its type I have seen and therefore very rare. The clock is in remarkable condition and we have been able to retain almost all of the original finish to the case. The dial and movement are of course original to the case ...........
sold to a private collector
John Belling of Bodmin
Cornwall
Dated 1764
Wonderful example of the work of this important Cornish Clockmaker
Signed John Belling - Bodmyn
and dated 1764 housed in its original small primitive stained pine case
John Belling was an interesting Cornish clockmaker and the firm he established in the eighteenth century continued as clockmmakers and engineers through several generatiions
Eventualy becoming the Belling Cooker Company in the early 20th century and famous for the 'Baby Belling Cooker' - designed in the best engineering traditions in a shed at the bottom of the garden by a direct descendant of the clockmaker!
Sold to the owners of Belling Company for their museum
From simple 30 hour cottage grandfather clocks through 8 day country house grandfather clocks this is one of the finest provincial longcase clocks we have sold - something quite exceptional in all ways and extremely rare
More than 50 years of excellence!
John Harrison of Newcastle upon Tyne
Circa 1770
This important musical clock was made by John Harrison around 1770. It is musical and has an interesting automota to the dial - the arch is painted in the manner of Claude Lorainne probably inspired by the Grand Tour with a depiction of a seaport and classical ruins with a flotilla of ships arriving to a musical accompaniment on the hour! The upper right hand dial allows for the choice of seven tunes and the left hand dial is a strike / silent feature. The wonderful mahogany case almost certainly by Gillows of Lancaster.
John's father Thomas was also a clockmaker and came from Carlisle. John Harrison set up his workshop in 1765 in Newcastle upon Tyne. He was a great friend of William Beilby - and the the fiirm of Beilby and Bewick were responsible for the engraving work on John's dials. Beilby, famous for his painting on glass painted a beautiful wedding glass for John's wedding to Elizabeth Michael of Ovingham
Bibl: Clockmakers of Northumberland and Durham Keith Bates
Sold to a private client
Country House Grandfather Clocks by makers in Cornwall and the South West of England
Thomas Olive - Falmouth
Cornwall
Cornwall
Circa 1770
exceptional automata dial
John Bilbie - Axbridge
Somerset
Circa 1760
Thomas Field - Bath
Somerset
circa 1760
sold to a descendant of the original maker
George Harris - Truro
Cornwall
Circa 1760
Jonas Pollard - Crediton
Devon
Circa 1795
William Wills - Truro
Cornwall
Circa 1800
Richard Drake - Beaminster
Dorset
Circa 1809
William Reynolds - Launceston
Cornwall
Circa 1820
Thomas Wroth of Wellington
Somerset
Circa 1690
Thomas Wroth came to Wellington in Somerset towards the end of the 17th century having learned the art of bellfounding from Hodson of White Chapel, London. He is said to have assisted Hodson in casting the bell of "Great Tom" in Oxford in 1681 and became something of a celebrity in his time
Across Somerset are bells still in use by him dated 1694 and 1701
Only three of his clocks are recorded
Sold
The Wills family of Truro
were highly regarded Cornish clockmakers throughout the 18th / 19th centuries - this grandfather clock by Richard Wills of Truro Cornwall
with a lovely engraved brass dial is over two hundred years old and typical of the high quality of their work
Sold and back home in Cornwall
Samuel Shortman of Penzance Cornwall
circa 1800
Interesting automota dial of a rural scene with two characters operating a 'pit-saw'
We have some favourite makers amongst them
John Whitehurst of Derby the famed scientist geologist clockmaker and a founding member of the Lunar Society of Birmingham - an interesting story in itself!
More than 50 years of excellence!
John Whitehurst and Thomas Collumbell of Derby
Circa 1809
This unique timepiece by John Whitehurst II
was an early 'Noctuary Clock' numbered 459 (see dial centre)
The unusual Regency Period case with its waisted shape and fine carvings is signed T Collumbell - Derby
a prominent Derby Cabinet maker.
It was made for the owner of a large fashionable house believed to be for Michael Henly of The Friary Derby
The clock is illustrated and discused in the following book:
Clockmakers and watchmakers of Derbyshire
by Maxwell Craven
For further information about John Whitehurst of Deby see:
John Whitehurst of Derby Clockmaker and Scientist 1713 - 88
by Maxwell Craven
The importance of this clock was recognised by Derby Museums and purchased by them for display at Pickford's House Museum 41 Friar Gate Derby
Circa 1745
An extraordinary longcase clock by this interesting maker. There is an automata
to the arch depicting a game of 'Battledore'. The case is veneered in the finest burr elm
veneers and not the more usually encountered walnut.
Battledore and shuttlecock, or jeu de volant, is an early game related to that of modern badminton. This game is played by two people, using small rackets,
You may find a photograph of this exceptional dial on our potfolio page - here
Sold to a private client
Long duration clocks are rare - one month and occasionally three months are encountered but one year duration is almost unheard of. The most famous is probably the year going clock made by Thomas Tompion
for the Pump Rooms in Bath
Here are two of the finest provincial ones I have had the good fortune to sell!
More than 50 years of excellence!
John Smith of York
Circa 1750
Important one year going
clock by this celebrated maker
Sold to a private client
Circa 1780
A rare and important George III period mahogany longcase clock of one year duration
Made circa 1780 to the order of Thomas Maddison esq a wealthy landowner of Birtly House County Durham
Sold to a private client
See our for sale
page for a selection of Classic London Longcase clocks
- here are a few previously sold examples
More than 50 years of excellence!
John Miller of London
Circa 1710
Queen Anne period walnut longcase clock of one month duration
Sold to a private client
Jeremiah Chiswell of London
Circa 1690
Walnut and olive wood marquetry clock by this well regarded maker
Sold to a private client
Langley Bradley of London
Circa 1710
Made the clock for St Pauls Cathedral and a watch for the Architect Sir Christopher Wren
John Wise of London
circa 1710
Walnut Queen Anne period longcase clock by John Wise of London - cousin of Joseph Knibb
John Wise
London
circa 1710
Walnut Queen Anne period longcase clock by John Wise of London - cousin of Joseph Knibb
John Andrews
London
Circa 1690
one month going walnut marquetry clock by this well regarded maker
Edmund Martin
London
Circa 1770
A maker famed for his automata dials
Peter Mallett
London
Circa 1690
A classic London Marquetry longcase clock by a distinguished maker
Booth & Baker - Hull
East Yorkshire
Circa 1770
Humphrey Mason - Gosport
Hampshire
Circa 1760
James Smoult - Newcastle upon Tyne
Northumberland
circa 1740
John Stripe - Chichester
Sussex
Circa 1740
George Searle of Chudleigh
Devon
circa 1795
Anonymous Quaker clock
Westmorland
Circa 1705
John Chambley - Wolverhampton
Staffordshire
Circa 1810
John Oatway - Torrington
Devon
Circa 1765
sold to a descendant of the original maker
Obadiah Boddy - Battle
Sussex
Circa 1720
Samuel Roper - Crewkerne
Somerset
Circa 1740
James & John Thristle - Stogursey
Somerset
Circa 1810
John Smorthwait of Colchester
Essex
Circa 1710
Wonderfull example of the work of this enigmatic and highly skilled early maker
similar examples by this maker wanted
Watkin Owen of Llanwrst
Conwy North Wales
Circa 1770
Only 72 inches tall - a diminutive Welsh Grandfather Clock by this sought after maker
similar examples wanted
Thomas Stripling of Barwell
Leicestershire
Circa 1760
30 hour oak cottage clock by a well documented maker - stunning colour
Jones and Bamford of Neath
Glamorgan
Circa1780
John Walton - Alston
Cumberland
Circa 1780
John Walton was an 18h century maker working in Alston the highest market town in England in the old county of Cumberland This example of his work is a small 30 hour cottage grandfather clock with a very pretty painted dial with a rare rocking ship automata
Joseph Atkinson - Chesterfield
Derbyshire
Circa 1740
Derbyshire 30 hour oak and walnut cottage grandfather clock by this enigmatic maker - lovely small size
William Newby - Kendal
Westmorland
Circa 1770
The Newby family of clockmakers in the English Lake District produced some of the finest work of the period they had an alliance with Gillows the famous Lancaster cabinet makers
John Bullock - Bishops Waltham
Hampshire
Circa 1775
Only 80 inches tall - a lovely elegant example of the work of the Hampshire maker John Bullock
with a very early and interesting painted dial
