An early George III mahogany and gilt-brass mounted quarter chiming bracket clock

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John Ellicott (1706-1772) One of the most eminent clock and watch makers of the 18th century, John Ellicott was the son of a clock and watch maker of Cornish descent, also called John. John senior was admitted to the Clockmakers Company in 1687 and later became Warden. He died in 1733, by which time his son had already established himself in business. John Ellicott took premises in Sweetings Alley, near the Royal Exchange, circa 1728. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1738, serving on its council for three years. He took a keen interest in scientific developments of the day and the famous globemaker John Senex was a friend, as was the astronomer John Hadley. He had an observatory at his home in Hackney, where he conducted experiments. In a portrait of Ellicott by Nathaniel Dance he is shown with drawings of his compensated pendulum and it is for his work on temperature compensation that he is perhaps best known. In 1751 he presented a paper to the Royal Society 'Contrivances for preventing the Irregularity of Pendulums Arising from Temperature'. He also read a paper detailing the 'Influence which two Pendulum Clocks were observed to have on each other'. Above all, Ellicott was renowned for the fine quality of his workmanship and not surprisingly he was appointed Clockmaker to the King. In 1760 he was joined in business by his son Edward and the two worked in partnership until John's death in 1772. THE PROPERTY OF A PRIVATE COLLECTOR

An early George III mahogany and gilt-brass mounted quarter chiming bracket clock

JOHN ELLICOTT, LONDON; CIRCA 1760

Details

An early George III mahogany and gilt-brass mounted quarter chiming bracket clock
John Ellicott, London; circa 1760
The case with foliate cast brass handle to the brass-lined inverted bell top applied with foliate rocaille mounts, brass-lined rectangular glazed panels to the sides, the brass-bound base on foliate scolling feet, the front door set with foliate spandrels flanking the circular convex glazed bezel, with the entire door opening in Ellicott's own manner to the brass dial plate with strike/silent lever to the top left corner, the white enamel Roman and Arabic chapter disc signed Ellicott London, with pierced blued steel hands, the high quality seven pillar movement with triple chain fusees, verge escapement, quarter chiming on eight bells via eight hammers with further hour strike on a larger bell, the backplate signed Ellicott London at the base with profuse foliate engraving centred by an urn within a garland of flowers, lacking pendulum holdfast, with similarly engraved movement securing brackets
18¼ in. (46 cm.) high to hilt of handle

Special notice

No VAT will be charged on the hammer price, but VAT at 17.5% will be added to the buyer's premium which is invoiced on a VAT inclusive basis.

Lot Essay

Ellicott's most famous and accomplished clocks were undoubtedly his longcase regulators, which had superb wheelwork and complicated temperature compensation devices. Like his illustrious colleagues, George Graham and Thomas Mudge, Ellicott also made 'domestic' clocks but they were never ordinary 'London' pieces. The present clock is an excellent example of the type. The elegant case, handsome dial and hands, and the exceptional quality three train movement (no brass spared) are all testament to one of England's greatest 18th century clockmakers.

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