A Bit of History about Grandfather Clocks:
A longcase clock, tall-case clock, floor clock, or grandfather clock, is a tall, freestanding, weight-driven pendulum clock with the pendulum held inside the tower, or waist of the case. Clocks of this style are commonly 1.8-2.4 meters (6-8 feet) tall. The case often features elaborately carved ornamentation on the hood, or bonnet, which surrounds and frames the dial, or clock face.
The English clockmaker William Clement is credited with the development of this form in 1670.
Most longcase clocks are striking clocks, which means they sound the time on each hour or fraction of an hour.
The terms “grandfather”, “grandmother”, and “granddaughter” have all been applied to longcase clocks. Although there is no specifically defined difference among these terms, the general consensus seems to be that a clock smaller than 1.5 m (5 ft) is a granddaughter; over 1.5 m (5 ft) is a grandmother; and over 1.8 m (6 ft) is a grandfather.
The origin of the term “grandfather” clock:
During the 19th century, two brothers named Jenkins worked as managers at the George Hotel in Piercebridge, County Durham, England. One of the brothers died and, according to the story told to Henry Clay Work in 1875, the clock (made by James Thompson) began to lose time. Repair attempts were made by the hotel staff and local clockmakers, but failed. When the other brother died at the age of 90, the clock broke down altogether, and was never repaired in remembrance of the brothers. H. C. Work decided to write a song about the story of this clock in 1876, which he called My Grandfather’s Clock. The song became popular, and it is from this song that the current usage derives.
The oldest Grandfather clock I have is a majestic seventeenth century ‘Marquetry’, the newest is a Victorian ‘8-bells’ example.
The ‘Longcase’ or ‘Grandfather’ clock, as it is popularly called is arguably the most interesting and at the same time the most useful antique available to the collector.
The Grandfather clock is unique amongst mechanical devices in that, despite the most exciting requirements of modern life, it still fulfills it’s purpose adequately three centuries after its invention!
The durability of this magnificent item is also remarkable. What other machine has a working life measured in ‘centuries’ of running time?
Grandfather or Longcase clocks were first made in England during the second half of the seventeenth century and they were made in ever increasing numbers during the eighteenth century.