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Lot Essay
Quare, Daniel, London. Born circa 1647/48 in Somerset, he became a Brother in the Clockmakers' Company in 1671 (described as 'a Great Clockmaker'), Assistant in 1700, Warden from 1705, Master in 1708 and attended until his death in 1724.
One of England's greatest clockmakers from the 'golden age' of English clockmaking, Daniel Quare was a Quaker by religion. Consequently he was unable to swear oaths and would have been Royal Clockmaker but for his inability to swear the necessary Oath of Allegiance. Even so, he had free access to the Palace by the back stairs.
Quare was undoubtedly highly successful and the measure of this success may be seen from the list of guests at his daughter Ann's wedding in 1705, which included the Envoys from Florence, Hanover, Venice, Portugal, Sweden, Denmark and Prussia. The weddings of a further son and daughter in 1712 added the Earl of Orrery, the Duke of Argyll and other noble dignitaries to the guest list, whilst in 1715 the Prince and Princess of Wales only failed to attend his daughter Elizabeth's wedding because of an Act of Parliament forbidding them from attending Quaker meetings - nonetheless the Princess attended the wedding banquet. For a fuller account of Quare's career see Cedric Jagger Royal Clocks, London, 1983, pp.46-49.
Quare took Stephen Horseman as an apprentice in January 1701 and Horseman was free in September 1709. Some time after, probably circa 1718, the two entered into partnership. Quare died in 1724 but the business continued under the name Quare and Horseman as previously, with the serial numbers on clocks and watches continuing as if nothing had changed. Horseman, however, proved not to be as successful a businessman and was made bankrupt in 1733.
One of England's greatest clockmakers from the 'golden age' of English clockmaking, Daniel Quare was a Quaker by religion. Consequently he was unable to swear oaths and would have been Royal Clockmaker but for his inability to swear the necessary Oath of Allegiance. Even so, he had free access to the Palace by the back stairs.
Quare was undoubtedly highly successful and the measure of this success may be seen from the list of guests at his daughter Ann's wedding in 1705, which included the Envoys from Florence, Hanover, Venice, Portugal, Sweden, Denmark and Prussia. The weddings of a further son and daughter in 1712 added the Earl of Orrery, the Duke of Argyll and other noble dignitaries to the guest list, whilst in 1715 the Prince and Princess of Wales only failed to attend his daughter Elizabeth's wedding because of an Act of Parliament forbidding them from attending Quaker meetings - nonetheless the Princess attended the wedding banquet. For a fuller account of Quare's career see Cedric Jagger Royal Clocks, London, 1983, pp.46-49.
Quare took Stephen Horseman as an apprentice in January 1701 and Horseman was free in September 1709. Some time after, probably circa 1718, the two entered into partnership. Quare died in 1724 but the business continued under the name Quare and Horseman as previously, with the serial numbers on clocks and watches continuing as if nothing had changed. Horseman, however, proved not to be as successful a businessman and was made bankrupt in 1733.