Lot 420

Matthew Crockford

An ornamental London eight-day duration quarter hour/hour repeating and hour striking bracket clock with date

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The ebony veneered, profiled case rises on four bun feet. The front door and the sides are glazed. Sound frets with open work brass grilles, lined with red fabric below the bell top. The case is surmounted by a double-inverted bell top with volute grilles and four brass finials at the corners; richly decorated handle on top.
The richly ornamented brass dial has an applied silver chapter ring with inlaid radial Roman hours. In the centre, an opening for the pendulum display and a window for the date at "VI". The four spandrels with gilt winged cherub head escutcheons.

According to Brian Loomes in "Watchmakers and Clockmakers of the World", London 2006, p. 184, Matthew (II) Crockford worked in London and was a member of the Clockmakers’ Company from 1693 until 1718. His father Matthew (I) Crockford worked in Chancery Lane, later near the Royal Exchange; he had been a member of the Clockmakers Company from 1658 on and died in 1698.