An oak amd mahogany crossbanded longcase clock with an eight-day duration movement which strikes the hours on a bell with unusual pull repeat. The twelve-inch arched dial is beautifully engraved below the arch and has a silvered chapter ring engraved with black Roman numerals, Arabic five minute markings and fleur-de-lys half-hour decoration. The matted dial centre has a subsidary seconds dial, date aperture and raised silvered and engraved surround, whilst to the four corners are four cast-brass 'female-head' spandrels with further dolphin spandrels to the arch either side of a convex silvered boss engraved with the maker's name 'Robt Cawley, Chester'. The well proprtioned oak case has crossbanding to the base and trunk door with further mahogany panels to the hood and three-quarter hood pillars which have gilt-wood capitals. The top of the hood has a typical Chester broken-arch pediment with a brass ball and spire finial sitting on a mahogany block and shaped glazed sides.
Height: 7ft 3 inches.
* There are two Robert Cawley’s recorded as clockmakers, father & son, coming from a large family of Cheshire makers. Robert Snr was granted his freedom in 1727 and is known to have died in 1742 whilst in office as a sheriff of the town. His son was granted his freedom in 1762 and was working in Eastgate Street from before 1781, the year it is believed he died. A longcase clock by him is in the Virginia Museum and there is another in the Grosvenor Museum, Chester. This clock would have been made by the father.
Price: £6,500.00