COMPARATIVE LITERATURE:
J. Evans, Thomas Tompion at the Dial and Three Crowns, Ticehurst, 2006
R.W. Symonds, Thomas Tompion, His Life and Work, London, 1951
P.G. Dawson,The Iden Clock Collection, Woodbridge, 1987
P.G. Dawson, C.B. Drover & D.W. Parkes, Early English Clocks, Woodbridge, 1982
The case style of No.465 is designated by Jeremy Evans (p.68) as Tompion's Phase III, and came into use c.1698. Comparisons may be made with examples illustrated in Evans (p.68), Symonds (pp.152-155), Dawson (p.98) and Dawson, Drover & Parkes (p.483). A Phase III table clock (No.377) was sold Christie's London, Important Clocks, 7 December 2005, lot 125. As with other Tompion clocks there are variations in the decorative features, some having mounts to the upper case moulding, some with mounts to the lower door railing, some with gadrooned ormolu feet and others with plain block feet. The escutcheons on the present clock are typical but, again, variations are known. The mount to the lower door rail closely resembles that of No.477 (Symonds p.154).
No.465 is a previously unrecorded clock. In recent times it has been in northern Italy and the time side barrel has a restorer's inscription Ceresole 1860. Ceresole Reale in Piedmont is a small village north of Turin where the Kings of Italy once maintained a hunting lodge; Ceresole can also be an Italian surname.
Thomas Tompion took the husband of his niece, Margaret Kent, into partnership in 1700 or 1701. This lasted until 1707 or 1708 when something went wrong with the relationship and Banger is presumed to have left to go into business on his own. There has been much speculation as to what may have caused the rift but all that is known for certain is that Banger carried on making clocks before dying intestate in 1719 (Evans pp.55-58). The plaque on the dial of the present clock, covering a signature for Tompion & Banger with one for Tompion has been seen elsewhere and was probably applied when the clock was returned to Tompion for repair or resale. Tompion No.483, a rare longcase regulator also had a Tompion plaque over a Tompion & Banger signature (see Christie's London, Important Clocks and Scientific instruments from the Collection of the late Professor E.T. Hall C.B.E., 11 July 2003, lot 156), as do two examples in Symonds (figs.39 and 57). Table clocks with covered dial signatures include 401 and 417; generally he seems not to have been concerned with back plate signatures, although that of 435 is covered.
We are grateful to Mr Jeremy Evans for his assistance in compiling this footnote.