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Lot Essay
ILLUSTRATED
Percy G. Dawson, C.B. Drover & D.W. Parkes, Early English Clocks, Antique Collectors' Club, 1982, pp.408-410, pls.580-583
Charles Goode is recorded as being made a Free Brother of the Clockmakers' Company in September 1686. In the Register of Apprentices he is only noted to have taken two apprentices; Mougham James and Lewen Bloomer. He is thought to have died in 1730. He is recorded in the Company Books as contesting a patent application by John Hutchinson, claiming that he had made a watch 14 years earlier to do the same as Hutchinson's, which was to wind it without an aperture in the case.
Not being a prolific clockmaker Goode's clocks do not appear at auction very often. But judging by the quality of the present clock he is however a maker deserving of more attention.
Three train clocks at this period were just begining to become fashionable. Hitherto such clocks required a complex system on countwheels with interconnecting levers. This was complicated, expensive and liable to go wrong, Joseph Knibb was perhaps the most famous exponent of the grande sonnerie or double-six system. The rack strike was a much more simple, reliable and adaptable system. The present clock was made within this pioneering period when the rack system began to be used. It is a particularly interesting example for many reasons but principally because Goode obviously recognised that the new rack system was ideal for quarter chiming clocks and this is one of the earliest of its type. It is discussed at length in Early English Clocks, op. cit.. Conversely split front plates were being phased out, presumably because the rack system meant there was more mechanical interaction on the front plate. This meant that split plates using latches were now more of a complication than the original intention which was simplification.
The case of Goode's clock is also most worthy of comment. The ogee bolection-moulded door is most uncommon and followed contemporary architectural mouldings, notably those used for architraves and particularly chimney pieces. The present clock also has an unusual layered and moulded top supporting a Quare-style double-S handle.
All of these unusual features make this clock a very interesting and rare example from a period of considerable change in English clockmaking.
Percy G. Dawson, C.B. Drover & D.W. Parkes, Early English Clocks, Antique Collectors' Club, 1982, pp.408-410, pls.580-583
Charles Goode is recorded as being made a Free Brother of the Clockmakers' Company in September 1686. In the Register of Apprentices he is only noted to have taken two apprentices; Mougham James and Lewen Bloomer. He is thought to have died in 1730. He is recorded in the Company Books as contesting a patent application by John Hutchinson, claiming that he had made a watch 14 years earlier to do the same as Hutchinson's, which was to wind it without an aperture in the case.
Not being a prolific clockmaker Goode's clocks do not appear at auction very often. But judging by the quality of the present clock he is however a maker deserving of more attention.
Three train clocks at this period were just begining to become fashionable. Hitherto such clocks required a complex system on countwheels with interconnecting levers. This was complicated, expensive and liable to go wrong, Joseph Knibb was perhaps the most famous exponent of the grande sonnerie or double-six system. The rack strike was a much more simple, reliable and adaptable system. The present clock was made within this pioneering period when the rack system began to be used. It is a particularly interesting example for many reasons but principally because Goode obviously recognised that the new rack system was ideal for quarter chiming clocks and this is one of the earliest of its type. It is discussed at length in Early English Clocks, op. cit.. Conversely split front plates were being phased out, presumably because the rack system meant there was more mechanical interaction on the front plate. This meant that split plates using latches were now more of a complication than the original intention which was simplification.
The case of Goode's clock is also most worthy of comment. The ogee bolection-moulded door is most uncommon and followed contemporary architectural mouldings, notably those used for architraves and particularly chimney pieces. The present clock also has an unusual layered and moulded top supporting a Quare-style double-S handle.
All of these unusual features make this clock a very interesting and rare example from a period of considerable change in English clockmaking.