LONG CASE CLOCK Marquetry of walnut and other woods Inscribed ‘William Clement, London’, made about 1685

V&A — Summary

William Clement (1638-1704) was a leading London clockmaker of the late 17th century. Born at Rotherhithe, he initially made anchors for local shipbuilders. He turned to clockmaking when he moved to Southwark and eventually became Master of the Clockmakers Company in 1694; he joined as a brother in 1677. Clement was one of the earliest makers to apply the anchor escapement to clockwork, thus making the long pendulum practicable. The case is of oak veneered with walnut and the floral marquetry on the hood, the door and on the base is possibly inspired by Dutch marquetry. The mechanism is weight-driven and has an anchor escapement, which may be a later replacement. This is significant as Clement is one of three possible contenders, with the scientist Robert Hooke and the clockmaker Joseph Knibb, for the invention of the anchor escapement. Clement’s claim to this invention is surprising given his origins as an anchor smith and blacksmith. The hour striking on a single bell is controlled by an externally mounted count wheel.

V&A — Physical description

Dial: 10 inch square brass dial with leaf pattern engraving at the sides and top. The bottom, below the chapter ring engraved Wm Clement Londini fecit . Silvered chapter ring with Roman hour numerals, arrowhead half-hour divisions. The minute chapter has divisions for each minute and Arabic numerals in every five. The inner portion of the chapter ring is engraved with hour and half-hour divisions. Separate, silvered subsidiary seconds ring below twelve with Arabic numbers in multiples of fives but with 48 divisions. The main body of the dial has a matted centre with matted winding hole shutters with an engraved pattern, around the chamfered square calendar aperture located above six. The date is indicated by Arabic numerals engraved on a silvered disc carried behind the dial. The dial corners have cast brass, cherub head form spandrels. The dial feet are attached to the front plate of the movement with latched. Shaped steel hands. Movement: Brass and steel weight driven two-train movement, of month duration with count wheel (or locking plate) striking on bell, regulated by a long pendulum of one and a quarter second period. The count wheel with concentric lines turned on it, is located outside on the back plate. Six pillars of the finned form are riveted to the back plate and latched to the front. Going train with intermediate wheel, striking train with striking pin wheel carrying a large number of pins; the hoop wheel with two spaces for locking. Maintaining power is applied to the teeth of the centre wheel, the driving spring for this attached to the inside front plate. Where present, wheel collets tend to be half round in profile; arbors are non-parallel in section, tending to fatten towards their centres. Anchor recoil escapement. The back cock has thin chops through which the suspension spring passes. Above this, mounted on a shaped bracket, is an adjuster, having a square section hook connected via a vertical screw thread to an engraved adjustment wheel. Description and notes by Francis Brodie, c. 2008

V&A — Object history

Long case clock bequeathed by Major J H Selwyn Payne deceased Notes from R.P. 28-4956 16 May 1928 report, Oliver Brackett "The clock is @ 1689 with oval panels of floral marquetry on the door. The dial is signed 'Wm.Clement (Londini Fecit)' - - a maker to whom Britten gives some space. The decoration on the base is peculiar consisting of a semi-circular panel of marquetry. The clock….(is) consistent with the period and acceptable". 18 May 1928 minute, H Clifford Smith concludes that the inlay is in some respects unusual and the clock is a fine example of the period of Wm & Mary. 22 May 1928 letter, from Payne's solicitors explains that Payne, formerly of Badgworth Court in the County Gloucester was a Major late in his Majesty's Army. (N.B. - not from R.P.) A note in the registered description of this object includes information re. William Clement "admitted to the Clock Makers Co. 1677. Applied to clocks the anchor escapement invented by Dr Hooke about 1676 - see Britten's Old Clocks & Watches - Master of the Company 1674. In 1684 William Clement, presumably his son, was apprenticed to him. Notes from R.P. 3310-18 Oak case with walnut & floral marquetry, signed on face Wm. Clement Londini Fecit Wm. Clement of London was admitted to the Clockmakers Company in 1677 and made master in 1694. Remarks: Nice details on some parts of the steelwork, such as striking levers, springs. The escape wheel appears slightly different in colour and crispness than the rest of the train; the leaves of the pinion extend into the arbor, not seen on the other arbors (except the fourth), suggesting the entire replacement of this component. Fourth arbor (Going side) likewise with leaves cut into the arbor. Front plate with three holes for the pallet arbor (now located in the uppermost). Below the upper hole is a bushed, vacant hole and below this a plugged hole. The three holes now planted in line with a fine, vertically-scratched scribe line on the outside front plate. Back cock likewise has three pivot holes, two redundant. This component is of a fabricated construction having the chops sub-assembly attached the main body, whilst the inside has a rectangular space above those three pivot holes. The pendulum adjustment has the appearance of an English Spring (bracket) clock crown wheel, without the teeth. The engraved number ‘8’ appears contemporary with the clock, whilst the ‘5’ appears later. The fly has a rectangular, eighteenth century appearance with the friction spring across the brass. One night have expected to see an end-mounted friction spring and a less rectangular shape to the fly. The present spring for the maintaining power is a curly affair. On the front plate, just below the Going side barrel pivot hole is a plugged hole (perhaps two?), presumably the original site for the spring. The large bell has a later appearance. A repairer's mark is scratched on the outside front plate: “T B a b o”? “T” or “F 2 85” “8” Three crossings of the minute wheel have been filled at a later stage. Depending on sources, variously Clement, Hooke or Knibb have been attributed with inventing the anchor escapement for clocks. Certainly, Clement is regarded as one of the earliest makers to apply this escapement to clockwork, making the long pendulum practicable. The anchor escapement would allow a pendulum to swing through an arc of a few degrees, or less, unlike the verge escapement which typically requires the pendulum to swing through some 45 degrees, making the use of a long pendulum difficult. Description and notes by Francis Brodie, c. 2008