Charles Frodsham & Holingue Frères
A Giant Carriage Clock

A rare giant wooden carriage clock by Charles Frodsham with an over-sized movement by Holingue Frères, one of the most important of the French carriage clock makers, and fitted with an English platform escapement.

The eight-duration movement is twice normal size and strikes the hours and half-hours on a bell with a push button to the top allowing for a repeat of the last hour at will.

The backplate of the movement is numbered 265 and engraved along the bottom in script Chas. Frodsham, Clock maker to the Queen, Paris with engraved Slow/Fast regulation to the top.

It is also beautfully engraved on the backplate, but hidden by the bell, Charles Frodsham, Clock Maker to the Queen, 84 Strand, being Frodsham's well-known London address.

The front of the frontplate is stamped H.L. being the initials of the blanc roulant maker Holingue Frères of Saint-Nicolas-d'Aliermont in northern France, and stamped within with their blanc serial number 7327. This number dates the clock to circa 1860.

The round enamel dial has black Roman numerals and is signed Chas. Frodsham, Clock Maker to the Queen, Paris, and has a finely engraved gilded mask of c-scroll and floral decoration. Below the main dial is a subsidiary alarm setting dial.

The case is of English library clock form and has a gilt-brass handle to the top, and glazed sides and top.

Height: 31cm (12 inches), handle up. 26cm (10 inches), handle down.

Interestingly another similar clock with a Holingue movement is numbered 765 and signed Parkinson & Baker, London. That example is also fitted with an English platform escapement. The Holingue movement number on the Parkinson & Baker is 5652.

Very little was known of the Holingue family of carriage clock makers until I undertook my research into their relationship with the famed Parisian makers Pierre Drocourt and his son Alfred. Holingue had supplied both Drocourt father and son with movements, and indeed complete clocks, until Alfred Drocourt took over the Holingue workshops in 1875.

It was only when I delved into the family that it became apparent that the father Jean-Baptiste Holingue had supplied movements to some of the most important early makers from the outset of carriage clock production. These were the pioneering pendule de voyages makers such as Paul Garnier, Athanase Bourdin and Moise Bolviller. Jean-Baptiste's two sons, Jean-François and Louis Holingue then continued to supply the important makers following the founding of their partnership in circa 1842.

More on the Holingue family can be accessed in various articles following the link above Exhibition Catalogues & Articles

Charles Frodsham was a member of the well-known Frodsham family of clock, watch and chronometer makers. Born on the 15th April 1810, the son of William James Fodsham, he atended Christ's Hospital school leaving aged 14 in June 1824 before being apprenticed to his father on the 14th July 1824 for seven years.

Whilst still an apprentice he submitted two chronometers to the Greenwich Trials commencing October 1830 and in 1833 had the rare distinction for one of such a young age of being made a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society.

He founded the business of Charles Frodsham in 1834 and having become one of the leading chronometer makers so it was in 1843 that he approached the excutors of the renowned chronometer maker John Roger Arnold with a view to buying the Arnold business at 84, Strand along with all the stock-in-trade, which he succeeded in doing, becoming J.R. Arnold-Chas. Frodsham.

In 1858 he changed the name to Charles Frodsham, 84 Strand.

Charles Frodsham died on the 11th January 1871, aged 60, at his home 26 Upper Bedford Place, London.

Ref: Vaudrey Mercer The Frodshams The Story of a Family of Chronometer Makers Pub: The Antiquarian Horological Society 1981.

To be Restored

Price: On Application

Ref: 1493