A CHARLES II BRASS LANTERN CLOCK

A CHARLES II BRASS LANTERN CLOCKWILLIAM HOLLOWAY, STROUD, DATED (16)78The separately wound trains with brass cheeked pulleys now running with chains, the going train with reinstated verge escapement regulated by short pendulum incorporating anchor-shaped flutes to the bob swinging within the frame at the rear, the strike train sounding the hours on a bell mounted above the frame via a countwheel, the dial with vacant circle within concentric band of engraved scrolling foliage issuing from a flowerhead to the lower margin and interrupted by engraved signature William Holloway, of Stroud '78 to the upper edge, within applied silvered Roman numeral chapter ring incorporating wheatear half hour markers, with sculpted steel hand and radial leaf engraved infill to the corners, the frame with one-piece corner castings formed as Doric columns beneath vase finials with acorn shaped caps, the front and sides applied with symmetrical scroll pierced cast brass frets with the front incorporating foliate engraved detail, beneath domed bell bearer capped with a vase finial, with original concentric ring decorated brass side doors and iron hanging hoop to rear, on integral inverted acorn shaped feet.41cm (16.25ins) high, 16.5cm (6.5ins) wide18.5cm (7.25ins) deep. William Holloway is recorded in Loomes, Brian LANTERN CLOCKS & Their Makers as the son of the clockmaker John Holloway born in 1732 at Market Lavington, Wiltshire. In 1658 he moved, along with his father and younger brother Richard, to Stroud in order to take-on the workshop of the recently deceased John Snow. Holloway was married to Hester Hieron in 1664 and continued working until his death in 1694. William Holloway had three sons one of which, John, continued the business in Stroud after his death; the other two, William and Arthur, moved to London to pursue the trade in the capital. William Holloway was a confident, accomplished and relatively prolific maker who used distinctive castings for his frames which appear almost unique to the Holloway family. His early clocks (1661 to circa 1680) used castings loosely based on the London second period style but were one-piece (i.e. finials and feet were cast integral with the posts) with tall slender finials capped by distinctive acorn turnings. Three examples by Holloway with this type of frame are illustrated in White, George English Lantern Clocks on page 246 (Figures V/78-80). The second type of frame used was much more akin to the standard London third period pattern but again employed one-piece castings and appeared to be short-lived as they are only seen on clocks dating to the first five or six years of the 1680's (see White, page 247, Figure V/81). The third pattern was again based on London third period practice but was much more generous with distinctly bulbous swellings to the finials and feet, two clocks with this type of frame are illustrated in Loomes, Brian LANTERN CLOCKS & Their Makers pages 207 and 209 Figures 13.8 and 13.13. Other traits of Holloways work include the continued use of separate winding for each train long after most other makers had adopted Huygens' single-weight endless rope system. Clocks with separately wound trains are characterised by having hour bell hammers positioned to the right hand side of the movement. Loomes suggests that Holloway may have continued this practice as it allowed straightforward disablement of the strike train by simply removing or not winding the strike weight. Another unusual feature peculiar to Holloway was that he often used four wheel trains in order to give a longer duration. The current lot is a typical of Holloway's first phase of work with one-piece castings incorporating acorn-shaped feet and caps to the finials. Indeed the clock can be very closely compared to another example by Holloway dated 1674 illustrated by George White on page 246 (Figure V/79).Condition Report: As catalogued the movement has been re-converted to its original configuration of verge escapement with short pendulum having previously been converted to anchor escapement regulated by long pendulum swinging outside of the case to the rear. The re-conversion has been executed to reasonable standard however the contrate and escapewheel are noticeable replacements due to having slightly different feel (mostly in their weight) to remaining original wheelwork. The potances are well-executed and appear to utilise the original holes; the anchor-shaped pendulum bob is probably a little heavy and has been re-attached using solder. The top plate has spare holes to the rear edge from the previous anchor long pendulum backcock and an enlarged slot beneath the escape wheel to provide space for the previous anchor pallets escapement. The going train second wheel arbor (original) has ben thinned adjacent to the pinion to allow additional clearance for the previous anchor escape wheel. In addition to the above evidence of previous conversion to anchor escapement to long pendulum there is an additional pair of pivot holes (towards the top of the front and centre movement bars) the indicating that the clock may have also been fitted with an anchor escapement with short pendulum (facilitated by increasing the train to four wheels). It is possible that the pendulum for this configuration utilised the same space as the present pendulum which would account for the slot cut in the bottom plate beneath the anchor-shaped bob to allow additional clearance for slightly longer pendulum. The backplate is no longer present and was most likely removed along with the alarm mechanism which would have been mounted to the exterior of the plate at the time of conversion to long pendulum. The original hanging hoop is still present; the corresponding spurs would have most likely been fitted to backplate hence it is most probable that the clock was housed in a tall 'pencil case' type longcase after conversion to long pendulum.Except for the escapement both trains appear to be entirely original and in good order; the pulleys probably originally ran with rope lines. Although the clock is in working order a gentle service/lubrication is advised. The dial is in good original condition with some historic scratching, wear and surface casting texture to the vacant centre where the alarm disc would have been (removed at time of conversion to long escapement); the hand appears original and is nicely made. The frame is in fine original condition and the frets appear original. The bell is a replacement (domed support appears original); the top finial is also a replacement. The side doors are rare original survivors.Clock has two lead weights. Condition Report Disclaimer