- Museum number
- 1944,1101.1
- Description
-
Brass standing clock in classical style; steel pillars at four corners; steel hour disc; modern hands and later dial; open-work dome-shaped top, back and side panels detachable; engraved outside with pictures of various buildings; inside with arms of Mardaunts of Turvey; sunrise and sunset tables for latitude 50 degrees 30 minutes (modern) or 51 degrees (old) apprpriate for a location somewhere in the south of England.
Movement replaced
- Production date
-
1570-1580 (clock)
-
18thC (movement)
- Dimensions
-
Height: 9.50 inches
- Curator's comments
- The following text is the entry for this object from the unpublished catalogue of pre-pendulum clocks by John Leopold, former Assistant Keeper of Horology at the Museum. This information is unedited and should be used accordingly.
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VERTICAL TABLECLOCK, English, end of the 16th century.
Originally with quarter-striking. The movement now replaced by an 18th century one.
Given by Mrs Mary Colville-Hyde, Prior's House, St.James' Court, London SW1; reg.1944,11-1,1.
SIGNATURE.
No signature or mark. On the back of the dial-plate several repair-inscriptions, including one which reads "Vuilleumier & Amezdroz 1867", and another one dated 1870. Vuilleumier & Amez-Droz are recorded in London 1863-69 (Loomes [1976]).
DESCRIPTION.
Case and dial.
Made of gilded brass, with steel corner-pillars and silver chapter-ring. All the visible sides of the brass parts are gilded. There is no case in the conventional sense, rather the movement has attached to it a base and a top, and four panels are inserted in its sides.
The base consists of a rectangular band (built up out of four parts brazed together), which has been riveted and brazed to a profiled ring (also composed of four parts); the four feet (each consisting of two parts) are brazed to the strip. The base is secured to the frame of the movement by a rectangular plate recessed into it and screwed to the bottom plate of the movement by a steel screw with a large, flat head having two holes for a double male key.
The top has a complicated structure. The rectangular part consists of the pierced band (brazed out of four parts with L-shaped strengthening in the corners), which is friction-tight inside the ring above it, to which it is pinned. The profile ring (itself brazed out of four parts) is riveted to the horizontal plate, which has a large round hole. Into the hole a pierced band is splayed; the band consists of a strip bent into shape and brazed at the join. The top of this band has a double profiled ring brazed around it, into which the pierced dome is splayed; a profiled ring is brazed around the lower part of the dome. A finial and an ornamental ring are screwed to the top of the dome. - The entire top-structure is now pinned to the top of two of the pillars of the movement; originally it will have been secured by the top finial which was screwed to the bellstand (see sommentary).
The dial-plate is secured to the movement by two rough latches which catch behind the front-pillars. The dial consists of an ring with minute-divisions (numbered 5 - 60) which holds the silver chapterring (marked I-XII with half-hour marks), which in turn is centred by a second hour-ring engraved on the plate (marked 13-24). The steel hands are 18th-century.
The back-plate and the two side-panels each have a small lug riveted to the bottom, which fit into holes in the bottom plate; the plates are then secured by revolving latches at the top.
The clock is engraved on all vertical sides to represent a stone building with archways giving onto small townscapes. The centre of the dial has sections of foliage alternating with "double-post standards". The horizontal plate of the top has strapwork with fan-like ornament in the corners. It is surrounded by an egg-and-dart band as is the dial; the ring around the dome has a simplified version of the same ornament.
The insides of the side panels are engraved with a table for sun-rise and sun-set throughout the year; that on the right has a hole, presumably to unlock the striking behind the dial.
The inside of the back-panel is engraved with a coat of arms (see commentary). This panel has two winding holes (corresponding to the present movement), which interupt the engraving of the arms. The function of a third, filled hole is not clear; it does not interupt the engraving and may have served to tell the position of the original countwheel.
Movement.
Of the original movement only the posted frame remains. It consists of two brass plates, joined at the corners by four steel pillars. The pillars have brass bases and capitals, and near the tops brass rings; they are secured by brass nuts at the bottom, and by steel latches at the top. The top plate has two brass studs for the original bell-stand (the present bell-stand, in the centre, was added in the 18th century).
Some details of the original movement can be detected from traces in and on the plates of the frame and other parts of the clock.
The wheels were held between two broad bars. The back bar had two lugs top and bottom which were inserted into holes in the plates of the frame. For the front bar there are remains of riveted studs, which enabled this bar to be removed while the frame remained secure (see commentary). - The top plate has two brass studs which held the original bell-stand.
Two key-holes in the top plate and two corresponding plain holes in the bottom plate show that there were two hammers, suggesting quarter- and full-hour striking (the dome has space for two bells). The vertical arbors for the hammers were positioned between the movement and the dial. Oposite the key-holes, toward the back of the clock, there are two elongated holes for the return-springs (one holes still contains a steel fragment).
The top-plate shows no traces of the original balance-cock, and it is very likely that the large square holes in the bottom plate served this purpose. This means that the going train was constructed "upside=down". The dial-plate is slightly recessed at this point.
All this suggests that there originally was a 3-train movement, consisting of one striking train (for the quarters?) constructed in the conventional way, flanked on the left by another striking train and on the right by the going train, the latter two trains both being "upside-down" (see Commentary).
The present movement is a conventional hour-striking verge movement with rack-striking on one bell, and fusees for both trains; English, end of the 18th century. It was probably installed in or shortly after 1770 (see commentary). It fits snugly between the plates of the original frame, being secured by two screws to the bottom plate, and appears to have been made to measure for the purpose.
CONVERSIONS.
The "upside-down"-construction of the going train made it virtually impossible to convert the movement to pendulum. This may have been the principal reason why it was replaced entirely, a change which presumably took place in or shortly after 1770 (see Commentary).
MEASUREMENTS.
Clock: Hight - 249 mm
Width - 122 mm
Depth - 93 mm
Original movement: distance between the plates of the frame - 115 mm
Distance between the bars - 39 mm
Thickness of the bars - ca. 2.2 mm
HISTORY AND PROVENANCE.
According to the arms made for one of the Lords Mordaunt, most likely Lewis 3rd Lord Mordaunt of Turvey (1538-1601, succ.1571), Drayton House, Lowick, Northants.
By decent: the Earls of Peterborough, then Elizabeth Lady Germain, sold 1770. It is suggested that at this time the new owner had the present movement fitted.
1898 in the dining room at The Salterns, Parkstone, Dorset, property of Captain Butts. At this time the arms were thought to be those of Butts before the augmentation of 1547 (see commentary), and the clock was judged to be more than 300 years old. "The shade of this clock is cut out of a very fine piece of rock cristal, and measures more than 13 inches in height".
In 1937 this clock, "domed and pillared like one of Wren's churches", was remembered as being still in the dining room at The Salterns and with the same tradition by Mary Butts, daughter of F.J.Butts, at the time of the death of her father; she does not mention the cristal dome.
In 1944 given to the Museum by Mrs Mary Colville-Hyde, Prior's House, St.James' Court, London SW1; reg.1944,11-1,1. The work done by T.D.Kendrick at the time brought him into contact with Ilbert and Bailie.
COMMENTARY.
The tables on the inside of the side-doors are for the time of sunrise and sunset, in steps of (mostly) 6 days. The Equinoxes are at 10 March and 13 September (arguing a date well after 1583).
At midsummer (9-15 June) sunrise is 3h 50m and sunset 8h 10m; at midwinter (9-12 December) sunrise is 8h 10m and sunset 3h 50m. Therefore the longest day/night = 16h 20m, which corresponds to Latitude 50 30' (modern) or 51 (Regiomontanus).
The arms, which previously had been thought to be an early version of the arms of Butts, were (to the surprise of the donor) identified by T.D.Kendrick of the BM in 1944 as:
1 MORDAUNT 2 ALNETO ?
3 LATIMER 4 VERE
and correctly ascribed to one of the Lords Mordaunt.
1, 3 and 4 are without doubt; the second quarter poses problems. It was already part of the Mordaunt arms at the 1566 visitation of Bedfordshire, and was then identified as Danno: Eustace MORDAUNT marr. Alice dr. and h. of Willm. DANNO. R.Halstead, Succint Genealogies of the Noble and Ancient Houses of ... Mordaunt (London 1685) pp.1-15 has this marriage as: Eustace MORDAUNT mar. Alice dr. of William DE ALNETO Lord of Turvey, and claims that Alice was heir to her brother Hugh DE ALNETO Lord of Turvey (on p.443 she is called Alice ALNO). The Victoria history of the County of Bedford III (London 1912) 109-111, which mis-quotes Halstead, states that a connection between the two families could not then be proven, but that it was likely because the Alneto's undoubtedly preceded the Mordaunts at Turvey.
Halstead, however, gives the arms of ALNETO quite different: "argent, a lion rampant gules, charged on the shoulder with a shield bearing or three martlets azure". This is, indeed, the way in which they are incorporated in the arms of the Earls of Peterborough (John 5th Lord Moraunt was created Earl of Peterborough in 1627/8). But in the seals of his predecessors Henry 4th Lord, Lewis 3rd Lord and John 2nd Lord Mordaunt the corresponding positions are taken by the arms as on the clock (which are not described or explained by Halstead); moreover, Halstead shows these arms as part of armorial bearings in windows at Drayton House, Lowick, Northants., the family's main seat (Halstead, o.c., 229, 597, 604, 625, 640, 663).
Whatever the name of the original family, it seems clear that in the 16th and early 17th century the arms of the 2nd quarter were thought to be those of the family from which the Lordship of Turvey had decended to the Mordaunts.
Sir John Mordaunt married Edith, daugter and co-heir of Sir Nicholas Latimer. Their son, Sir John Mordaunt (ca.1480/85-1562, created Lord Mordaunt in 1532) married 1499 Elizabeth, daughter and co-heir of Sir Henry Vere. These two marriages greatly increased the importance of the family, and explain the last two quarterings. From the Vere's they inherited their claim to Drayton House which formed part of a complicated settlement; the Mordaunts appear to have obtained complete ownership in 1544. The 1st Lord's son, John 2nd Lord Mordaunt (1508-1571) was the father of Lewis 3rd Lord Mordaunt (1538-1601), who is described as a lover of the arts; he enlarged Drayton House, adding the NE-wing in 1584, and died there. (The Victoria History of the County of Northamptonshire III [London 1930] 231-9; G.E.C., The Complete Peerage IX [London 1936] 193-7).
Drayton House remained the seat of the Lords Mordaunt. John 3rd Lord Mordaunt (1598/9-1644) was created Earl of Peterborough in 1627/8; he was succeeded by Henry 2nd Earl (died 1697). He was survived by a daughter, Lady Mary Mordaunt (ca.1659-1705), who through her first marriage became Duchess of Norfolk, but subsequently married Sir John Germain (1650-1718). Sir John inherited Drayton House and left it to his second wife, Lady Elizabeth Germain (1680-1769). After her death much property was sold in 1770, the catalogue including: "A curious antique clock of the old Earl of Peterborough's", sold for 3/15/- (Sale cat. Langford, Covent Garden, 7 March 1770 ff.; 4th day lot 45).
It may be noted that, besides this clock, the Earls of Peterbrough owned Dr.Dee's magic mirror and a clock said to have belonged to Sir Francis Drake, and that apparently they also were the owners of the so-called Anne Boleyn clock.
Dee's mirror was described among the contents of Strawberry Hill in 1784: "It was in the collection of the Mordaunts earls of Peterborough .... From the Mordaunts it passed to lady Elizabeth Germaine, and from her to John last duke of Argyll, whose son lord Frederic Campbell, gave it to Mr Walpole" (see H.Tait, "'The Devil's Looking Glass': the Magical Speculum of Dr. John Dee", Horace Walpole: Writer, Politician and Connoisseur [New Haven 1967] 195-213 [195,200]). The heir of Lady Germain was Lord George Sackville, who in accordance with her will took the name Germain. The Duke of Argyll was therefore not automatically entitled to the mirror, and indeed he probably bought it at the sale: 2nd day no.1 is a combined lot which contains a.o. "a polished stone mirror".
Francis Drake's clock is mentioned in the sale of Lady Elizabeth Germain, 3rd day no.63: "The curious CLOCK that SIR FRANCIS DRAKE had with him in his voyage round the world; in a case embellished with antique figures in basso relievo, on a crystal pedestal, mounted on a brass stand, with a white japan figure on each side". The present whereabouts of this clock are not known.
Anne Boleyn's clock: Strawberry Hill sale (no.48 of 17th day, 13 May 1842) states: "This bijou was a gift of Lady Elizabeth Germaine to Horace Walpole". It may be noted that John 1st lord Mordaunt was involved both with the coronation and the trial of Anne Boleyn. This clock is now in the Royal Collection (Wood [1866] 58; Jagger [1983] 232-9).
It may be noted that an equation long-case clock was made by Thomas Tompion for Sir John Germain and Lady Mary in ca.1700; this clock remained at Drayton House until 1928 and is now in the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge (Symonds [1951] 269) 1).
One clock similar to the present one is known to exist. It is also unsigned, but it is larger than the present clock (H - 370 mm), of square section, and both movement and dial have been replaced (the present movement and silver dial by George Graham, London). In the course of the conversion large portions of the plates of the posted frame were cut away, so that it is now no longer possible to determine precisely how the original trains were arranged. It is clear, however, that the clock had a spring-driven posted-frame movement, probably with three trains (two in front, perhaps at right angles to the dial, and one in the back, paralel to the dial); the third train may have been a musical one. The case of this clock is even richer than that of the BM-clock; the top is secured to the movement by the top finial which is screwed to the bellstand (the original construction in the BM-clock was probably similar to this) 2).
Otherwise the closest paralel to the present clock is the weight-driven musical clock by Nicolas Vallin of 1598 (CAI 2139, q.v.). The engraving of the vertical panels of all three clocks is so similar, both in design and execution, as to suggest a single casemaker. It may be noted that the sides show the archway in straight perspective: in Flemish clocks it appears to be more common to show these in oblique perspective. In addition the engraving appears to be bolder than usual in Flanders.
The ornament at the centre of the dial is also found on a watch by Ghylis van Gheelle, a Flemish maker working in London, dated 1589 (reg.1874,7-18,13), and a simpler version is on an alarum-watch by Isaac Simms, London ca.1600 (reg. 1894,7-20,1). It seems to derive from a model by Jacques Androuet du Cerceau: ...
Although there is no absolute proof all the evidence points to this clock being made in England by a maker of Flemish origin, possibly Nicolas Vallin.
-------------------
1)
2) Private coll. According to the inscription on the back of an old photograph this clock passed through the hands of Percy Webster previous to 1944 (object file). Subsequently it went to America: a repair-inscription in the clock reads "S.Worthington June 18 1946 Phila Penna W Hamer Clock Shop". In more recent years the clock has been in three auctions: Sotheby Parke Bernet New York, 10 June 1975, lot 162 (coll.Bernice McIlhenny Wintersteen, Villanova, Pennsylvania); Philips London, 1977, lot ; Sotheby's London, 7 March 1996, lot 289.
BIBLIOGRAPHY.
Auction Cat. Langford, Covent Garden, London, 7 March 1770 ff (coll.Lady
Elizabeth Germain), 4th day lot 45.
Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Antiquarian Field Club XIX
(Worcester 1898) lxix (report on a visit to The Salterns, 1 June 1898).
M.Butts, The Crystal Cabinet, my childhood at Salterns (London 1937) 167.
Goaman (1967) 51.
Joy (1967) 20.
Dawson etc. (1982) 21, 31.
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1) For the particulars of the Mordaunt family this see DNB and Complete Peerage.
The closest paralel to the BM-clock is a small spring-driven clock in Milan (Museo Poldi Pezzoli). It's dial has been replaced, and it is signed "Filassieri" (thought to be a later inscription). This clock retains the original two-train movement consisting of going train and full-hour striking and separate alarum-movement, both main trains without fusee and the striking part constructed upside-down. Like in the present clock the removeable bar is the front one, so that when dismounting the clock the dial has to be removed first. (Museo Poldi Pezzoli, Milan; see Pipa [1966] 12-16; Brusa [1974] 26).
The fan-like ornament in the corners of the top is a characteristic Flemish feature: it is found on both other clocks, on a clock by J.Vallin (Brussels or London; Musée International d'Horlogerie, La Chaux-de-Fonds; see cat. La Chaux-de-Fonds [1974] 11) but also on a clock by Hans de Evalo of Madrid, dated 1581 (Toshogu Temple, Shizuoka, Japan; see Tardy III [1974] 725-732). Devalo is known to have been of Flemish origin (Montañes [1961] 23-28; Monañes [1964] 27-34). A simpler version of the same ornament is on the spring-clock by Vallin of 1600, no. .
The construction of the frame is similar to the Vallin clock of 1598: nuts at the bottom, top plate held on differently (in Vallin: pinned).
The screw-on base also found on early 17th-century Flemish clocks, but these often have a completely brazed posted frame (like Waddesdon clock).
The so-called Anne Boleyn clock is of a different type. It has a frame movement with pillars housed in a case with its own decorative corner-pillars (Jagger [1983] 232-240). This is also the case with the Evalo clock of 1581. The Boleyn-clock has, incidentally, a vertical hammer-arbor (on the side of the movement). This clock has the bars wedged (app. including the central one), like a lantern clock; the pillars have nuts at the bottom and pins at the top, like the Valin 1598.
For another conversion dateable to the 18th century see no. (1888,12-1,125).
The Butts family. The Thomas who was a friend of Blake and related to the Butts' of The Salterns, may have been the cousin of the novelist Mrs.Sherwood née Butt (her part of the family dropped the s).
Carey Butt x Elizabeth Marten
1708-1781 │ died 1789, dr. of Thomas Marten
_______________│___________________________________________
│ │ │ │
Alice Butt George Butt D.D. John Marten Butt Rev.Thomas Simon Butt
died 1801 died 1795 died sp.1769. (born 1750)
x x 1773 x 1773
Charles Salt Martha Sherwood Bessy Congreve
│ │ │
4 children. John Marten Butt (born 1774, Thomas Butt
10th March, p.18) (1½ year younger than
x I Mary Ann Congreve the writer, p.27.)
II Jemima Hubbal
Mary Martha Butt (1775-1851,
the writer, born 6th May,
p.18) x Henry Sherwood
For this genealogy see: S.Kelly, The Life of Mrs.Sherwood (London 1854) 4, 5, 8. In the years 1856-60 this genealogy was extensively discussed and the earlier part shown to be unreliable (possibly due to forgery by the notorious William Sidney Spence) in a series of communications to Notes and Queries (2 S I 34; II 17-18, 478; III 16, 74-76; IV 257; VIII 435-6; IX 61-2, 149; X 106-7). The genealogy makes an unwarranted connection between these Butt's and the Butts family in: W.Berry, County Genealogies ... Kent (London 1830) 257 ff, who have the arms "Az. on a chev. three estoiles or, as many lozenges gu." These arms were quite similar to those on the clock, which explains the misunderstanding. What justification there was to think that the chevron with the lozenges was an augmentation (and its date) remains unclear.
Life of Mrs.Sherwood 24, 26 ff.: visit to her grandfather Carey Butt, at Pipe Grange, near Lichfield, when she was "not four years old". P.7: Carey Butt mentioned in J.Hawkins, Life of Samuel Johnson (1787) p.9: in his house "on holidays and school vacations he (the young Johnson) was ever welcome". P.10: glowing report on his personality; he "retired to an estate called Pipe Grange, about a mile from Lichfield, and there taking to building, he impoverished himself in no small degree".
In ca.1791 William Blake (poet and engraver, 1757-1827) met Thomas Butts, who for the next thirty years was to be a steady buyer of his work (DNB).
G.Keynes, Letters from William Blake to Thomas Butts 1800-1803 (Oxford 1926). P.vii: "Thomas Butts (1759-1846), Muster Master General, was Blake's friend and generous patron for over thirty years from about 1794 until his death in 1827." It appears that Butts lived in London most of the time.
Pp.viii-ix: "This collection of MSS. is here reproduced in facsimile by permission of Mr.W.Graham Robertson, by whom it was acquired from Butt's grandson about 1903." The letters had been previously printed in:
Gilchrist, Life of Blake (1863) vol.II.
A.G.B.Russell, The Letters of Blake (1906).
Blake, Writings, Nonesuch ed. (1925).
The letters several times mention Mrs.Butts, wife of Thomas.
A.C.Fox-Davies, Armorial Families 7th ed. (London 1929) 286:
"Butts, late of The Salterns (H. Coll). Azure, on a chevron between three estoiles or, as many lozenges gule. ....
Only surv. son of Capt. Frederic John Butts of The Salterns, late 77th Regt., b. 1833; d. 1905; m. 2nd, 1889, Mary Jane, d. of Rev. James Briggs M.A.: -
Anthony Bacon Drury Butts, Gentleman, b. 1901. Seat -."
F.J.Butts not in Who was Who or Times Index (both for 1905). Query: is he in the earlier Who is Who's? No Colville-Hyde in Fox-Davies (under either name).
On Anne Boleyn's clock see letter by to Ilbert, 28th January 1942 (ARCH ).
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BIBLIOGRAPHY (Pauline Wholey – 2019)
Auction Cat. Langford, Covent Garden, London, 7 March 1770 ff (coll.Lady
Elizabeth Germain), 4th day lot 45.
Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Antiquarian Field Club XIX
(Worcester 1898) lxix (report on a visit to The Salterns, 1 June 1898).
M.Butts, The Crystal Cabinet, my childhood at Salterns (London 1937) 167.
Goaman (1967) M.Goaman, English Clocks (London 1967).
Joy (1967) E.T.Joy, The Country Life Book of Clocks (London 1967).
Dawson etc. (1982) P.G.Dawson, C.B.Drover & D.W.Parkes, Early English Clocks (Woodbridge 1982).
- Location
- On display (G38/dc4)
- Acquisition date
- 1944
- Department
- Britain, Europe and Prehistory
- Registration number
- 1944,1101.1