Lot 107
107
A Charles II walnut, ebonised and floral marquetry month-going longcase clock with case for 1¼ seconds pendulum
No VAT will be charged on the hammer price, but VA… Read more THE PROPERTY OF THE REVEREND CANON JOHN RHAM
A Charles II walnut, ebonised and floral marquetry month-going longcase clock with case for 1¼ seconds pendulum

RICHARD JARRATT, LONDON. CIRCA 1685

Details
A Charles II walnut, ebonised and floral marquetry month-going longcase clock with case for 1¼ seconds pendulum
Richard Jarratt, London. Circa 1685
The formerly rising hood now with door, with spiral-twist columns, the trunk door with panels of bird and flower marquetry and the sides of the trunk and plinth with line-inlaid panels, the latter with oval lenticle glass above further floral marquetry, raised on later ebonised base with bracket feet, the 10 in. square brass dial signed along the lower edge Richard Jarratt Londoni (sic), with cherub mask and foliate spandrels to silvered Roman and Arabic chapter ring with fleur-de-lys half hour markers and dot half quarter hour markers, matted centre with subsidiary seconds ring (calibrated with 48 divisions) and date aperture, sculpted blued steel hands, the movement with six latched and ringed pillars, high position outside countwheel, escapement altered and lowered to accommodate seconds pendulum; pendulum, two weights (one brass), crank key
80 in. (203 cm.) high
Provenance
The property of Elizabeth Fry and thence by family descent. The clock was given to the present vendor by his mother Richenda Fry, who received it from her aunts Isobel, Mary and Beryl Fry of Loughton, Essex. Their father, Walter Joseph Fry, received it from Joseph Fry of Fairkytes, Hornchurch, Essex. Joseph Gurney was the son of Joseph and Elizabeth Fry and is believed to have received it from his parents. The vendor's great aunt Isobel Fry recalled seeing the clock at Fairkytes.
Special notice
No VAT will be charged on the hammer price, but VAT at 15% will be added to the buyer's premium which is invoiced on a VAT inclusive basis.

Lot Essay

Longcase clocks with 1¼ seconds pendulums are particularly rare. The first longcase pendulums were short, for the verge escapement. As this required a wide arc of swing it was not practical to apply a longer pendulum as the case width restricted the arc of swing. But it was appreciated before the invention of the anchor (1669/70) that a longer pendulum would produce more accurate timekeeping. For a short time afterwards there was some experimentation with the length of pendulums for this new escapement. The 1¼ seconds pendulum has the advantage of reducing timekeeping error, owing to its slower swing and smaller arc. However, it has a tendency to rock the case, sometimes causing the movement to stop altogether. The present clock's escapement has been changed for a seconds pendulum but remarkably the original plinth lenticle for the longer pendulum and 1¼ seconds subsidiary ring remain.

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