A late 18th century turret clock movement with dial and bell
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
late 18th century
The source reports this late eighteenth-century two-train turret clock movement is attributed to Ainsworth Thwaites based on comparison with an example in Isleworth Church.
Built in a wrought iron birdcage frame with corner inverted baluster finials and three pairs of splayed uprights secured by square-headed nuts, the mechanism features six-crossing wheelwork, ring-turned bushes, maintaining power, and a deadbeat escapement with jewelled pallets. Accompanying items listed by the source include a convex 34.25-inch black painted brass Roman dial with gilt copper heart hands, a cast bronze bell, a four-legged wooden stand, and an eight-foot three-inch steel pendulum rod with an iron-cased lenticular bob.
Evidence at a glance
- Linked sources
- 1
- Photograph views
- 1
- Catalogue references
- 0
Counts describe this entry’s documentation, not authenticity, rarity or completeness. Photographs may show one specimen; check each caption and licence.
Technical characteristics
- Type
- Turret clock
- Hands
- Gilt copper heart hands
- Escapement
- Deadbeat escapement with jewelled pallets
- Place recorded
- United Kingdom
- Dial Description
- Convex 34.25 inch black painted brass Roman dial
- Frame Dimensions
- 58cm high by 55cm
- Frame Construction
- Wrought iron frame with inverted balluster finials
- Maker / attribution
- Ainsworth Thwaites (attributed to)
Design
- Visible features
- • Wrought iron open birdcage movement sitting on a four-legged wooden stand • Large black circular convex Roman dial leaning behind a cast bronze bell • Gilt heart-shaped hands affixed to the center of the dial • Turned baluster-shaped finials mounted atop the frame corner posts
- Movement Mechanism and Escapement
- The cataloguer records the movement as a two-train mechanism fitted with six-crossing wheelwork, maintaining power, and substantial ring-turned bushes. The escapement is catalogued as deadbeat with jewelled pallets. The accompanying pendulum components listed by the source include an 8-foot 3-inch steel pendulum rod and an iron-cased lenticular bob. However, the full length of the pendulum rod and the lenticular bob are not fully shown in the primary photograph.
- Frame and Structural Configuration
- The turret movement is housed in a wrought iron open birdcage frame described as having inverted baluster finials at the corners and three pairs of uprights splayed toward the base, which are secured with square-headed nuts. The catalogued dimensions for the frame are 58 cm (23 in) high by 55 cm (21.75 in) wide. Observation of the lot shows the wrought iron birdcage structure mounted on a four-legged wooden stand. The turned baluster-shaped finials are positioned atop the four outer corner posts.
- Attribution and Comparative Context
- The movement is attributed to Ainsworth Thwaites based on comparative analysis rather than a recorded maker's signature. A footnote compiled with the assistance of Christopher McKay notes a very similar movement by Ainsworth Thwaites in Isleworth Church, dated to circa 1775. The cited similarities between this lot and the Isleworth Church example include the shaped finials, six-crossing wheelwork, jewelled pallets, brass bushes, and maintaining power. The original commissioning location or previous installation site for this movement is not recorded in the source.
- Dial, Hands, and Associated Accessories
- The lot includes a convex 34.25-inch black painted brass dial displaying Roman numerals, fitted with gilt copper heart hands. Visual observation confirms the large black circular convex Roman dial leaning behind a cast bronze bell, with gilt heart-shaped hands affixed at the center. In addition to the dial, the source lists a cast bronze bell and a wooden stand among the accompanying components presented with the movement.
Identification
- Source note
- Facts transcribed from the linked source listing or collection record. Attribution and specifications are source-reported and have not been independently authenticated.
Catalogue references
No catalogue numbers recorded. Numbers are only published once transcribed from a verified edition of a standard catalogue — they are never inferred.
Research required
- Research required: Maker attribution to Ainsworth Thwaites is traditional and comparative rather than signed on the movement.
- Research required: The 8-foot 3-inch pendulum rod and iron lenticular bob mentioned in the text are not fully displayed in the photograph.