Alexander Willard of Ashby, Massachusetts. Tall case clock. OO-42.
This is a unique example in that it retains its original paint decoration. It is done in a solid shade of ivory. This has to be considered an unusual color selection for a tall case clock. Very few country tall clocks retain their original painted surface.
This form is quite typical of the production that one would expect to see from the Ashby school of clockmakers. The case is constructed in pine and is painted. This case is elevated by the cutout bracket feet. The pattern is very unusual, having spurs incorporated in the design. The long waist section is fitted with a simple rectangular-shaped waist door. This opens to access the interior of the case. The door never did have a lock, or a knob mounted to it. Four smoothly turned columns support the molded arched bonnet. Each is free-standing. The top of the hood displays a pierced and open fret work pattern that resembles a gallery. Three chimneys or plinths support it. Evidence suggests that these plinths were never fitted with finials. The bonnet door is an arched form. Interestingly, it is not fitted with glass.
The wooden arched dial is nicely decorated with paint. The floral designs and coloring used here are pretty typical for this Maker. The Clockmaker’s name is on the dial within the large seconds track. This clock is signed in script, “Alex Willard / Ashby.” This dial displays the time in an unusual format. The minutes and hours are located below the seconds. This is a format that this Maker employed in some level of frequency later in his career. The wooden geared movement is the construction one expects from this Ashby clockmaking school. These types of wooden geared movements are designed to run for 30 hours on a full wind and strike the hour on a cast bell. Two weights power it. One for each train. Both of which are made of soapstone. In fact, the pendulum bob is also soapstone. This is supported by the original wooden rod.
This fine clock was made circa 1810. The overall height of this example is 7 feet 3 inches or 87 inches tall.
Inventory number OO-42.
It is recorded that Alexander Tarbell Willard was a direct descendant of Col. Simon Willard (1605-1676), a co-founder of Concord, Massachusetts, in 1637. Col. Willard had three wives who bore him seventeen children. The descendants of which made the Ashby / Ashburnham Willard families relatives of the Grafton / Boston Willard clockmaking families. I wonder if they knew of each other?
Alexander T. Willard was the son of an Ashburnham, Massachusetts farmer, Jacob Willard (1734-1808), and his wife, Rhoda Randall of Stow, Massachusetts. Alexander was born in Ashburnham on November 4, 1774. He had one brother named Philander Jacob Willard, who was also a clockmaker. Current research suggests that he served his clockmaking apprenticeship with the Edwards Brothers of Ashby. Alexander worked in Ashburnham for only a brief time (1796-1800). On May 24, 1800, Alexander married Tila Oakes of Cohasset. She was employed as a school teacher working in Ashby. They married and moved to Ashby shortly after. It has been recorded that she painted some of the wooden tall clock dials for his clocks.
In Ashby, Alexander made a large number of wooden geared tall clocks and became a prominent citizen of that town. He served as the town's first postmaster starting on January 27, 1812, through 1836. His term lasted twenty-seven years and seven days. He was also commissioned as Justice of the Peace in 1811. He worked as the Town Clerk from 1817 - 1821. Alexander also invested in and managed the construction of the Ashby Turnpike. The turnpike ran through Ashby center from Townsend to New Hampshire. We know that he made many 30-hour wooden movement tall clocks because we have personally seen and own a large number of them. We have also owned an eight-day wooden geared clock that is said to have been installed in the wall of his home. It is also reported from various sources that he made the following items; a musical clock, tower clocks, timepieces, old fashion theodolites or compasses, gunters chains, scales, timers, seraphones (A forerunner of the reed organ), rifles, and repaired watches. I have no personal knowledge of any of these other items.
