Note: Temporary Photos
A small oak thirty hour longcase by this well known and well recorded maker. The thirty hour movement strikes the hours on a bell with an outside countwheel and brass covered wooden weight pulley, with the ten inch square brass dial signed 'Saml. Roberts, Llanwair' and numbered and dated on the rear '457', '1777'. The silvered chapter ring has black Roman hour numerals, diamond half hour markings and an inner aspect engraved with the quarter hours with a single blued steel hand. The dial centre is engraved to the top with the maker's name with further decoration engraved above VI o'clock (see description below). To the four corners are cast brass spandrels of the 'shell with waves' style. The oak case has quartered and fluted trunk pillars, a shaped trunk door, a plain base and a flat topped hood with free standing pillars
Samuel Roberts (died June 1880) is a well recorded clockmaker with a whole book dedicated to him, 'Samuel Roberts, Clockmaker' by W.T.R. Pryce and T. Alun Davies. This book gives a detailed account of his life and work and contains references to the workshop records kept by Samuel Roberts as well as details of many known examples. In the book the design of the movements, dials and cases are all discussed in fine detail. Almost identical lower dial engraving to the example here is shown on the dial of clock number 498, made in 1779, illustrated on page 193 and described as 'tulip or lily design with ribbon-like foliage and scrolls' being very much a design common to his work at this period. Interestingly the almost identical 'foliage' style engraving is shown on page 190 where the dial is described as being from clock number 457 which is an obvious mistake by the authors as, although having the same number and date, it is not the clock shown here, indeed it is signed 'Roberts and Son, Llanwair' and is a double handed clock whereas my example is single handed and signed just for Roberts himself. The design of corner spandrels, 'shell and wave' is described and illustrated on page 141, fig. 45(h).
The wooden pulley for the weight, with brass bound covering to simulate the more expensive brass pulley is a typical feature of Roberts's clocks. (see page 74)
Interestingly Samuel Roberts was not only a clockmaker but a noted farmer in the district within which he lived, by the time of this clock's manufacture he was working from a workshop situated 'over the Markett House' in the square of Llanfair Caereinion for which he took on the lease in 1775.
The case on this clock was almost certainly made by the case maker John Lloyd who made many of the cases for Roberts with this example being very similar to that on clock number 463 made in the same year and signed by Lloyd.
Height: 74½ inches (6ft 2½ inches)
Price: £4,450.00
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Shows small height compared to a normal longcase clock