Clock Makers
Timothy Cheney was born on May 10, 1731 in East Hartford, CT. His parents were Benjamin Cheney (1699 – about 1760) and Elizabeth (Long) Cheney (b.1769 – d.1759). He was the brother of Benjamin Cheney (1725-1815) also of East Hartford, Connecticut. They become well known clockmakers in East… read more
John Child (Childs) (1789-1876) appears in the Philadelphia directories from 1813 through 1847 as a clock and watchmaker. His shop was located at 452 North Second Street. He was a Quaker and made four clocks of note. A bracket clock is known in the collection of the Henry Ford Museum. Very few… read more
William Claggett is included in Patrick T. Conley's Rhode Island's Founders from Settlement to Statehood. Conley's book, written in 2010, lists 57 names of the most historically significant members of the State of Rhode Island. Claggett is the only clockmaker to be included.
William Claggett was a… read more
George was born in 1786 and is listed as working in Bristol circa 1807. In the 1820s, he appears in Wilmington, North Carolina, and then in New York in the 1830s. By 1836, he is listed in Grand Rapids, Michigan, as a clock and watchmaker.
James Charles Cole was born in Boston in 1791 and died in Rochester, NH, in 1867. At an early age, James traveled from Boston to Rochester to learn the trade of clockmaking with Edward S. Moulton. Moulton is listed as moving from Rochester to Saco, Maine, in 1813. In Rochester, James married Betsey… read more
James Collins is known to be buried in Wolcottville, Indiana. His gravestone is still located there. This gravestone gives his birth date of August 8th, 1801, and lists his death on December 8th, 1882. James Collins was born in Goffstown, New Hampshire, the son of Stephen Collins. James married… read more
James Edward Conlon was born in 1880 in Little Rock, Minnesota. For many years he operated a shop at 38 Providence Street in Boston as an antiques dealer and clockmaker/restorer who worked in Boston from the 1910s through the 1940s. He was trained or served his apprenticeship under George Greer in… read more
Clockmaker, watchmaker, gunsmith and brass founder.William Crane was born in Stoughton, Massachusetts on August 12, 1749 and died there on May 8, 1820. In about 1780, William moved to Canton, MA on Packeen Road now Dedham Street and and worked as a clockmaker, gunsmith and brass founder. He had at… read more
William Crawford was born in Rutland, Massachusetts, on October 23, 1745. It is reported that he moved to Oakham in 1750 at the age of five. His father, Alexander, was one of the founders of this town. William and his brother John were both soldiers of the Revolution and eventually made the rank of… read more
George Crow's birth dates have yet to be discovered. It is assumed he trained in Philadelphia and moved to Wilmington. A clock is known that is signed 1744. Public records established him in Wilmington in 1746. It is recorded there that he served as Wilmington's High Constable and was married in… read more
Thomas Crow was the son of George Crow, who was also a Wilmington, Delaware clockmaker. His birth dates are not known. Thomas appears to have been involved in clockmaking as early as 1770. He became one of Delaware's most prolific and best-known clockmakers. He is recorded to have served the public… read more
William Cummens was born in 1768 and died on April 20, 1834, at the age of 66. He worked in Roxbury as a clockmaker as early as 1789. He was trained by Simon Willard, along with Elnathan Taber, Cummens stayed in Roxbury and worked alongside the Willard clockmaking family for many years. Based on… read more
Edmund Currier was born the son of a Doctor on May 4, 1793, in Hopkinton, New Hampshire. He lived until the age of 60 years young and died in Salem, Massachusetts, on May 17, 1853. His first shop was located in Hopkinton. This shop was previously owned by Philip Brown, who was also a clockmaker. As… read more
Lemuel Curtis was born in Roxbury, Massachusetts, on July 3, 1790. He was the son of Samuel and Sarah (Partridge) Curtis, whose sister married Aaron Willard, making him his nephew. It is thought that Lemuel probably trained with Simon Willard in Roxbury. Lemuel had two brothers who were also… read more
The partnership of Curtis & Dunning was comprised of Lemuel Curtis and Joseph N. Dunning. It was formed in 1820 in Concord, Massachusetts, and moved to Burlington, Vermont, in 1821. Their shop in Burlington was located at the corner of Church and College Streets in the Thomas Hotel. They worked… read more
Henry J. Davies operated a clock-related business at No. 5 Courtland Street in New York, New York, from 1858 through 1886. Today, Davies is probably best known for his Crystal Place mantel clock design. This clock, introduced in 1874, was displayed under a glass dome. Oftentimes, figures were… read more
Nehemiah Dodge was born in Wallingford, Connecticut, on December 16, 1774. His parents were Ezrah Dodge Sr (born abt. 1730-1786) and Susannah (Hotchkiss) Dodge (1733-died abt. 1820). Nehemiah was the half-nephew of the clockmaker Seril Dodge. Nehemiah is best known as a silversmith and worked in… read more
Seril Dodge was born in Pomfret, Connecticut on August 19, 1759. His parents were Nehemiah Dodge (1733?-1796? and Lois (Paine) Dodge (1737? - ?) He is thought to have trained with Thomas Harland in Norwich, CT. His movement designs are certainly manufactured in the Harland school having the… read more
Nathaniel Dominy (4th) was born in 1737 and died in 1812. He is listed as living in Sag Harbor and then East Hampton, New York. For a more complete story regarding this family, please read Charles Hummel’s “With Hammer in Hand, published for The Henry Francis du Pont Winterthur Museum by the… read more