Lot Essay
While the early history of the clock is unknown, it is very likely that it was made for a member of Jacob Godschalk's family, perhaps even for the clockmaker himself. In the early twentieth century, it was owned by Vernon Godshall Nyce (1895-1942) and his wife, Stella F. Wile, who resided in Souderton, Montgomery County. "Godshall" is a later spelling of "Godschalk" and Vernon Godshall Nyce was a direct descendant (great-great-great grandson) of John J. Godschalk (1737-1814), the clockmaker's younger brother. The plain walnut case contrasts with the superbly engraved dial and epitomizes Godschalk's early work from the 1750s and 1760s before he moved to Philadelphia.