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  1. #1
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    Default Old grandfather clock

    I'm a dunce when it comes to clocks, although I did once make a case for a Vienna regulator out of red cedar as per supplied drawing which worked out pretty good.
    Anyway I thought this may interest you clockies?
    I have been left this clock by a recently departed beloved Aunt.
    The photos are pretty average as its so big, about 7ft tall and I live in a tiny house so its hard to picture the thing in its entireity.
    I was told that this clock was originally a "one hander" ie, the one hand told the minutes and the hours. As evidenced by the graduations between the numbers. Not your normal setup.
    Was also told it was made in the 1700's by the chap who's name is on the face. Joseph Shepard of Sheffield.
    It does work.
    And ticks and tocks very loudly.
    Chimes on the half hour.
    Strikes the relevent hour hourly.
    And drove me and the missus crazy.
    It's in the shed now.
    As you can see the case has pretty intricate carving on it .(English oak)
    The star carving subject is Saint Steven (whoever he was) proudly holding a severed head with his trusty "cock"/chook by his side.
    Really just looking for opinions,comments,etc on this thing. And hey, not many forums have a clock section attached to em, so what the blazers?

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  3. #2
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    [QUOTE=artful bodger;1811610]I'm a dunce when it comes to clocks, although I did once make a case for a Vienna regulator out of red cedar as per supplied drawing which worked out pretty good.
    Anyway I thought this may interest you clockies?
    I have been left this clock by a recently departed beloved Aunt.
    The photos are pretty average as its so big, about 7ft tall and I live in a tiny house so its hard to picture the thing in its entireity.
    I was told that this clock was originally a "one hander" ie, the one hand told the minutes and the hours. As evidenced by the graduations between the numbers. Not your normal setup.
    Was also told it was made in the 1700's by the chap who's name is on the face. Joseph Shepard of Sheffield.
    It does work.
    And ticks and tocks very loudly.
    Chimes on the half hour.
    Strikes the relevent hour hourly.
    And drove me and the missus crazy.
    It's in the shed now.
    As you can see the case has pretty intricate carving on it .(English oak)
    The star carving subject is Saint Steven (whoever he was) proudly holding a severed head with his trusty "cock"/chook by his side.
    Really just looking for opinions,comments,etc on this thing. And hey, not many forums have a clock section attached to em, so what the blazers?[/QUOTE)
    OOPS here are some pics...DSCF0689.JPGDSCF0690.JPGDSCF0674.JPGDSCF0673.JPGDSCF0670.JPG

  4. #3
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    Mar 2007
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    Picton, NSW
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    143

    Default

    Wow! What a nice clock!

    The 4 graduations between the numbers would indicate that it was a one handed clock. Each mark indicating a 1/4 hour. Each 1/4 hour mark is then further divided into 3, making 5 minutes. A clock with a minute hand (most normal clocks) would have 5 divisions between each number, one for each minute. HOWEVER, it would not be an easy conversion to change it from a one handed clock to a three handed clock (your's has a subsidiary seconds hand) So, I am not sure that it makes sense to me. It would be great to see some photo's of the mechanism inside. Clocks made in the 1700's were very different in design to modern clocks!

    Gee. If you don't want it in your house, I will happily look after it for you! Just stick it on a raft and float it up to Sydney!

    Cheers
    Walesey

  5. #4
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    Quote Originally Posted by Walesey View Post
    Wow! What a nice clock!

    The 4 graduations between the numbers would indicate that it was a one handed clock. Each mark indicating a 1/4 hour. Each 1/4 hour mark is then further divided into 3, making 5 minutes. A clock with a minute hand (most normal clocks) would have 5 divisions between each number, one for each minute. HOWEVER, it would not be an easy conversion to change it from a one handed clock to a three handed clock (your's has a subsidiary seconds hand) So, I am not sure that it makes sense to me. It would be great to see some photo's of the mechanism inside. Clocks made in the 1700's were very different in design to modern clocks!

    Gee. If you don't want it in your house, I will happily look after it for you! Just stick it on a raft and float it up to Sydney!

    Cheers
    Walesey
    Sounds like you know your stuff Walesey!
    This is a more precise version of what I know about it.
    It was originally made 1710-1710 as a single handed longcase clock of 30 hour duration.
    The movement was changed to 2 handed eight day from an from an early18th century to give an eight day duration- a popular conversion to make clocks more useful. The seconds hand was added at the same time.

    I did have pictures of the mechanism but alas I cant find them. The mechanism is very brassy and impressive.
    The lead weights that sit behind the pendulum are pretty hefty too.

  6. #5
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    I would think that the dial is original, but the movement has been replaced.
    Chris
    ========================================

    Life isn't always fair

    ....................but it's better than the alternative.

  7. #6
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    Apr 2011
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    Dandenong, Vic
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    Default

    That's a fantastic clock.
    You can't leave it in a shed hidden away.

    See if you put it on display somewhere so others can see it if you don't like the ticking.

    Local council foyer, maybe the local library will put it on display for you.
    You'd still own it but they would just display it for you so others can see its magnificence.

    Peter

  8. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by chrisb691 View Post
    I would think that the dial is original, but the movement has been replaced.
    You are spot on there Chris, I did try to make that clear in my last post.

    Quote Originally Posted by Fly
    That's a fantastic clock.
    You can't leave it in a shed hidden away.

    See if you put it on display somewhere so others can see it if you don't like the ticking.
    Thanks Peter. I agree it is an impressive looking clock. The fact that it was made in about 1700 and originally as a one hander would seem to indicate that it is really something special as well. My aunt left it to me as she knew I was impressed by the carving work on the case. It came with an article out of the Sydney Morning Herald about the value of old grandfather clocks. To my surprise some of the clocks in the article were valued at over forty grand and they did not look a patch on this one.
    Curious as to what the value of this one might be I sent photographs and cash in an envelope to a guy in Pommyland to get a valuation and appraisal. He said that the clock face was probably the best example from this maker that he'd ever seen!. Apart from that the appraisal was one of the most deflating documents I have ever read.
    Because the movement had been changed from one hand to two it was no longer original and therefore no serious collector would be interested in it. Also the case is from a later clock maybe 1790 and originally plain, it was probably carved in the early 1900's in the gothic style and the english oak stained black to make it look even more spooky. The original case by this maker were very plain.
    While the clock certainly does have some value, and I'd rather not disclose the actual value he put on it, it was not even in the ball bark to what I had imagined. In other words it'd be a bit of a lemon to a serious collector. All that glitters is not gold.
    Still, it is visually impressive and unless you were an expert on this type of clock you wouldn't know. It isn't sitting in my shed in total disgrace it's just my house is so small there's not really enough space for it. That might change on day If I ever get round to extending/adding on.

  9. #8
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    Beautiful Old Clock....not sure how long you had it in the house before shifting it to the shed but we have a Mantle clock above the fireplace and it chimes every 1/4 hour with time gongs on the hour but it is amazing how quickly your brain tunes it out to the point where you don't notice the chimes.

    Visitors will notice it but your hearing becomes immune to the chimes....a bit like living on a busy main road or next to a railway line.

  10. #9
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    Jun 2007
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    Queanbeyan NSW
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    Default Noisy clocks

    Quote Originally Posted by skot View Post
    Beautiful Old Clock....not sure how long you had it in the house before shifting it to the shed but we have a Mantle clock above the fireplace and it chimes every 1/4 hour with time gongs on the hour but it is amazing how quickly your brain tunes it out to the point where you don't notice the chimes.

    Visitors will notice it but your hearing becomes immune to the chimes....a bit like living on a busy main road or next to a railway line.
    My partner has informed me that I am only allowed to have clocks in the house if I do not start them - so the others are in the workshop wound and running with only the Ansonia (my first one) with everything including alarm wound
    Neil

  11. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by brontehls View Post
    My partner has informed me that I am only allowed to have clocks in the house if I do not start them - so the others are in the workshop wound and running with only the Ansonia (my first one) with everything including alarm wound
    Neil
    Maybe you should put the partner in the shed, and keep the clocks nice and comfortable indoors, where they can be nicely looked after! (just kidding!!

    What clocks do you have?

    I have about 10 that I wind up every Sunday morning and a Cuckoo that needs to be wound up every day, plus one that I am working on (well, two that I am working on, but the Vienna "Springer" is wound each week, as it is just the case that I am building for it.- see post elsewhere) When you add in all the quartz and electric clocks and alarm clocks, I think I counted 21 clocks that I had to re-set when Daylight Savings came around.

    Cheers
    Walesey

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