Abel Hutchins of Concord, New Hampshire. A country tall case clock in maple. 29113.
This is a fine country maple case tall clock made by Abel Hutchins of Concord, New Hampshire.
This case is nicely proportioned and stands approximately 7 feet 10 inches tall to the top of the center finial. The case is constructed in maple, and the secondary wood is white pine. Note that the maple does exhibit some tiger grain structure. The finish is excellent. It is a honey coloring. This case stands on an applied bracket base. The feet have good height and transition to bold returns. The waist section features a simple rectangular-shaped waist door. The bonnet features a simple variation of a New England-style fretwork design. This includes the three brass ball and spike finials, which are mounted or supported on finial plinths or chimneys. The bonnet columns are turned and fluted. The door is arched in form and is fitted with glass.
The dial is paint-decorated. The colors are wonderful and include red, gold, and green. This painted dial is signed by the Maker. It also lists his working location as “Concord, N. H.” This dial is of Boston origin and was most likely painted by one of the Spencer Nolan dial firms.
The movement is constructed in brass and is weight driven. It is designed to run eight days on a full wind and strike each hour on a cast iron bell. The striking system features a rack and snail setup. The cast iron bell is mounted above the movement. The movement is of good quality.
This clock stands 7 feet 10 inches tall to the top of the center finial or 7 feet 2 inches tall to the top of the arch. It was made circa 1810.
Inventory number 29113.
Abel Hutchins worked with his older brother Levi in partnership from 1786 through 1803. Both boys were born in Harvard, Massachusetts, the sons of Colonel Gordon Hutchins & Dolly or Dorothy Stone. They had eleven children. Levi was born on August 17, 1761, and Abel was born two years later, on March 16, 1763. Both men lived into their nineties.
On December 6, 1777, the brothers entered into an apprenticeship with Simon Willard of Grafton, Massachusetts. At this time, Levi was sixteen, and Abel was fourteen years old. In 1780, Levi moved to Abington, CT, for approximately eight months to learn some watchmaking skills. He then moved to Concord, New Hampshire, and opened a shop on Main Street. Levi was the first clockmaker to manufacture brass clocks in New Hampshire. Abel worked for a short time in Roxbury after his commitment to Simon was over. Abel is listed in the Roxbury tax assessor's records in 1784. In Roxbury, he was also appointed a fireward along with Aaron Willard and Elijah Ward. It is in Roxbury that Abel married Elizabeth Partridge on January 22, 1786. Two of her sisters also married clockmakers Aaron Willard Jr. and Elnathan Taber. Shortly after their marriage, it appears that Abel moved to Concord, NH, and formed a partnership with his brother sometime in 1786.
Abel and his wife lived in Concord for 67 years, having five sons and eight daughters. Soon after their marriage, Abel partnered with his brother Levi in a three-story dwelling house in the central part of the main village. Here they began what must have been a very productive business of making clocks. In 1793, Levi & Abel purchased a farm approximately three miles from their original home on the western side of Rattlesnake Hill, also called Granite Hill. In the early part of 1807, Abel bought out his brother's interests in the partnership. He continued making clocks in the same location downtown. (Levi lived on the farm.) The shop was destroyed by fire on November 25, 1817. Abel built the Phoenix Hotel on the same site. It opened for business on January 1, 1819. He prospered as an innkeeper until he retired in 1832 when his son Ephraim took over the business.
