Astronomical longcase clock by Edward
Cockey
Warminister, Wiltshire, England, around AD
1720
Although the most successful and accomplished
clockmakers tended to have their businesses in London, a number
were to be found further afield. One of these was Edward Cockey of
Warmister (1669-1768), best known for a series of astronomical
clocks made at the beginning of the eighteenth century. These were
intended to impress and would have been suitable only for the
largest rooms (the clocks generally stand over 9 feet high). One is
known to have been made for the Marquis of Bath at Longleat and
another is thought to have been presented to Queen Anne. The clocks
are housed in their original cases, each in the form of a
Corinthian half-column.
The
clock shown here is a third example but, unlike the others, has a
later custom-made mahogany case. The dial is very complex and was
designed to act as a detailed calendar. The main dial has a central
rotating disc to show the age (1-29½) and phase of the moon (with a
revolving spherical moon), and a scale and short gilt pointer to
show the sun's position in the zodiac. To each side of the
central dial are moving shutters which show the times of sun-rise
and sunset.
The main
chapter ring is marked I-XXIV and has a minute hand which revolves
once in two hours. Outside the chapter ring is a rotating ring,
decorated with an applied gilt sunburst against a painted blue sky,
showing the hours of the day. Within the chapter ring is the
maker's name and a small aperture revealing a sun to
indicate night hours.
In
the arch above the main dial is a scale to show the
'equation of time'. An upper aperture shows the
month, the date and the sign of the zodiac. The central aperture
reveals a revolving disc engraved with the Sundays in the
Liturgical calendar and the lower aperture shows the days of the
week with their ruling planets. A small dial to the right shows the
date and another to the left has a hand for regulating the
clock.
D. Pollard, The astronomical clockmaker Ed (Warminster, Bedeguar Books, 1998)
T. Robinson, The longcase clock (Woodbridge (Suffolk), Antique Collector's Club, 1981)