A fine George III brass mounted mahogany table clock, Eardley Norton, London, circa 1790 The substantial five pillar twin fusee bell striking movement with unusual vertical crownwheel deadbeat escapement regulated by lenticular bob pendulum with banking pins and holdfast to the basket of flowers centred foliate scroll engraved backplate, the 7 inch gilt brass break-arch dial with recessed silvered calendar dial to the finely matted centre within applied silvered Roman numeral chapter ring with Arabic five minutes to outer track, with pierced steel hands and fine foliate scroll pierced and chased gilt brass spandrels to angles beneath arch centred with silvered STRIKE/SILENT selection ring flanked by conforming mounts beneath curved silvered signature plate engraved EARDLEY NORTON LONDON to upper margin, the figured mahogany break-arch case with bow-fronted concave pyramid upstand and brass ball finials above brass fillet inset glazed door flanked by brass stop-fluted canted angles, the sides with sculpted hinged brass carrying handles over arched fishscale sound frets, the rear matching the front, on generous cavetto moulded skirt base with brass ogee bracket feet, 55cm (21.5ins) high. Eardley Norton was thought to have been born into a farming family from Rigsby, Lincolnshire, however he was apprenticed as a clockmaker 25 May 1743 to Robert Dawson of Alford. Latterly he moved to London where he is listed as working at 49 St. Johns Street, Clerkenwell between 1760 and 1794. He was member of the Clockmakers Company being freed in 1770 and remained a member until his death in 1792. He applied for a patent for a new type of striking mechanismfor both clocks and watches on 31 August 1771. Norton enjoyed Royal patronage being perhaps best known for his silver mounted four-dial astronomical clock (made in collaboration with James Ferguson F.R.S.) commissioned by George III for Buckingham House (later Palace) which still remains in the Royal Collection (RCIN 30432). He married Mary Swinnerton of Oswestry and later retired to Stonegrove House (no longer existing), Little Stanmore, Middlesex, in the parish of Whitchurch. On his death, his business was taken over by the partnership of Gravell and Tolkien. He is buried at St. Lawrence's church in Little Stanmore. The current lot has noticeably thick plates, very generous heavy pillars and utilises an unusual form of deadbeat escapement configured with teeth set at ninety degrees to then rim.
A fine George III brass mounted mahogany table clock, Eardley Norton, London, circa 1790 The substantial five pillar twin fusee bell striking movement with unusual vertical crownwheel deadbeat escapement regulated by lenticular bob pendulum with banking pins and holdfast to the basket of flowers centred foliate scroll engraved backplate, the 7 inch gilt brass break-arch dial with recessed silvered calendar dial to the finely matted centre within applied silvered Roman numeral chapter ring with Arabic five minutes to outer track, with pierced steel hands and fine foliate scroll pierced and chased gilt brass spandrels to angles beneath arch centred with silvered STRIKE/SILENT selection ring flanked by conforming mounts beneath curved silvered signature plate engraved EARDLEY NORTON LONDON to upper margin, the figured mahogany break-arch case with bow-fronted concave pyramid upstand and brass ball finials above brass fillet inset glazed door flanked by brass stop-fluted canted angles, the sides with sculpted hinged brass carrying handles over arched fishscale sound frets, the rear matching the front, on generous cavetto moulded skirt base with brass ogee bracket feet, 55cm (21.5ins) high. Eardley Norton was thought to have been born into a farming family from Rigsby, Lincolnshire, however he was apprenticed as a clockmaker 25 May 1743 to Robert Dawson of Alford. Latterly he moved to London where he is listed as working at 49 St. Johns Street, Clerkenwell between 1760 and 1794. He was member of the Clockmakers Company being freed in 1770 and remained a member until his death in 1792. He applied for a patent for a new type of striking mechanismfor both clocks and watches on 31 August 1771. Norton enjoyed Royal patronage being perhaps best known for his silver mounted four-dial astronomical clock (made in collaboration with James Ferguson F.R.S.) commissioned by George III for Buckingham House (later Palace) which still remains in the Royal Collection (RCIN 30432). He married Mary Swinnerton of Oswestry and later retired to Stonegrove House (no longer existing), Little Stanmore, Middlesex, in the parish of Whitchurch. On his death, his business was taken over by the partnership of Gravell and Tolkien. He is buried at St. Lawrence's church in Little Stanmore. The current lot has noticeably thick plates, very generous heavy pillars and utilises an unusual form of deadbeat escapement configured with teeth set at ninety degrees to then rim.
Try LotSearch and its premium features for 7 days - without any costs!
Be notified automatically about new items in upcoming auctions.
Create an alert
.jpg "Source: Christie's")
.jpg "Source: Christie's")
