Description:
Tall case clock made by Simon Willard (1753-1848) (not labeled), with the white dial inscribed in black, "Warrented for Mr. Calvin Allen." There was a Calvin Allen listed in Boston directories from 1833-1842, who was known as an ornamental carver who would have worked on clock bonnets and fluting on legs. According to former owner, Julia Snow, her mother, Mrs. Francis J. Snow (nee Eugenia Marie Williams), bought the clock in 1899 from Mrs. William B. Sanger of South Athol, Massachusetts, aged about 72 at the time, the grandaughter of Calvin Allen. If a clock was desired to keep accurate time and sent the message of status, the reputation of the Willard family for fine, eight-day timepieces drew patrons from throughout northeastern United States. The eldest brother, Benjamin Willard (1743-1803), was the first of three generations of Willard clock and watch makers who started working in Grafton, Massachusetts. In 1766; when the clockmaker Nathaniel Mulliken Sr. of Lexington, Massachusetts, died in 1767, Benjamin moved there and took over his business, while his younger brothers, Aaron (1757-1844) and Simon, stayed behind in Grafton continuing to make clocks and watch repairs. Simon also experimented with new forms that reduced the size of clock movements, and in 1801, introduced a wall clock with a patented design (patented 1802) with its Patent Timepiece movement, later known as a "banjo" clock. Benjamin Willard set up shop in Roxbury in 1771, followed by Simon and Aaron whose names first appear on the tax roles in 1783, each working in a separate location. Their sons and a grandson continued the profession: Simon's sons, Simon Jr. (1795-1881) opened his own business in Boston in 1828 specializing in manufacturing chronometers and Benjamin (1803-1847) worked with his brother, and Simon Jr.'s son, Zabdiel Adams (1826-after 1911) continued making pocket chronometers; Aaron's sons, Aaron Jr. (1783-1864) took over the business in 1823, which Aaron Sr. had moved to Boston about 1792, and Henry (1802-1887) specialized in making clock cases. The Willards were so successful that that a number of craftsmen moved to the Roxbury-Boston area, including apprentice clockmakers, cabinetmakers, carvers, gilders and dial and glass painters such as John Doggett (1780-1857) who supplied such items as gilded eagles, brackets or pedestals, and ball swags, painters John R. Penniman (1782–1841) and Charles Bullard (1794-1871), and cabinetmakers, Samuel (1769-1797) and William (1770-1844) Fiske. These "Roxbury" cases are characterized by the use of mahogany, French feet, pierced fretwork, and inlay. Simon Willard continued to make tall clocks until about 1815, and Aaron Willard until about 10 years later. The case has three brass ball finials with spike tops on plinths over pierced fretwork on the black-painted hood. The white-painted iron dial has two multi-colored birds in the tympanum, multi-colored floral sprays, and black Roman numerals. The small case has inlaid decoration, reeded quarter columns with brass capitals on the hood and waist, shaped skirt, and French feet. The brass works have the anchor recoil escapement and rack-and-snail striking system usually used by the Williards.
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https://museums.fivecolleges.edu/detail.php?t=objects&type=ext&id_number=HD+62.238 |
