Beschreibung:

A rare George III small English iron framed hooded wall timepiece with alarm George Wood, Nailsworth, dated 1760 The single-handed short duration movement with three-wheel train and anchor escapement regulated by seconds pendulum swinging outside the case to the rear, the alarm train set behind the going train with vertical hammer arbor fitted to the inside of the rear upright and sounding on a bell mounted on top of the case, the iron strip frame constructed with central pivot bar riveted to the wide horizontal top and narrow bottom plates each terminating with pinned tenons to take the dial plate and movement front and back bars, the rectangular single-sheet brass dial measuring 7 by 5.5 inches with alarm disc and single iron hand to centre within engraved Roman numeral chapter ring with stylised cruciform half hour markers, the lower angles signed Geo., Wood opposing stylised engraved doves to upper margin, the rear of the dial with engraved date 1760 to lower left hand corner, the simple oak and elm wall hung box case with open front, removable top panel and incorporating movement top plate locating hooks to inside of the arched backboard, the rear with protruding iron backcock and external pendulum crutch between iron hanging hoop and spurs, 28cm (11ins) high. George Wood is recorded in Dowler, Graham GLOUCESTERSHIRE CLOCK AND WATCH MAKERS as working in Nailsworth during the mid-18th century. Dowler cites two notices seeking the recovery of stolen watches bearing his name, the first dated 23rd December 1740, the second 22nd September 1766. The current lot can be closely compared to an earlier small hooded wall alarm timepiece which is also included in this sale (see previous lot). The movement of this other example is of similar construction to the present clock with significant differences confined to the truncated rear movement bar, narrow top plate and the provision of verge escapement regulated by side swinging short bob pendulum. Both timepieces also share similarly proportioned rectangular single-sheet dials and the same basic design of case. Another comparable movement and dial, dated 1707 and also with side-swinging short bob pendulum (but in later case), was sold in these rooms on Tuesday 17th March 2014 (lot 64). In addition to these an alarm timepiece featuring a similarly configured iron-framed movement by John Coates of Cirencester is also known. This example is illustrated and described in TIME & PLACE as exhibit 48, pages 164-5, however differs from the current lot in that the dial is of traditional design complete with chapter ring and spandrels. The 'saltbox' case is also more akin to the standard hooded wall clock case than that housing the current lot. Ultimately the basic design and layout of the movement of the current lot has its roots in the earliest of wall-hung alarm timepieces made by makers of the first fully developed English lantern clocks. One such timepiece, attributed to Robert Harvey London, and dating to around 1600 is also included in the current sale (see following lot). It would seem that the presence of the current timepiece together with the example by Coates would suggest that this particularly early design of iron-framed wall timepiece movement persisted in the West Country, particularly Gloucestershire, long after other areas had adopted alternative designs. Condition report disclaimer