Benjamin Willard of Roxbury, Massachusetts. Number 207. RR32.
This is a fine Chippendale mahogany case tall clock featuring an engraved brass dial that is finished with a silver wash. It is signed by the clockmaker "Benja. Willard, Roxbury. No. 207."
Benjamin Willard is the oldest of four Willard clockmaking brothers. His younger brother Simon is considered by many to be America's most famous Clockmaker. The two other younger brothers that also made clocks include Ephraim and Aaron. Benjamin was born March 19, 1743. As a New England Clockmaker, he never stayed in one location for an extended period of time. In December 1764, he advertised himself as a maker of shoe lasts and that he was located in East Hartford, Connecticut at the home of Benjamin Cheney. Because Cheney was and established clockmaker, it is logical to assume that he received some wooden geared clock training from him. In fact, two signed Benjamin wooden geared clocks are known and interestingly, both feature the Cheney construction form. Returning from Hartford to Grafton sometime in 1766 and by early 1767, Benjamin relocated to Lexington, Massachusetts. Here it is recorded that he worked with and then succeeded the brass clockmaker Nathaniel Mulliken. It is thought that Benjamin received some level of brass construction clockmaking training from Mulliken before he past in late 1767. Shortly there after, he hired a John Morris to teach himself and his brothers Simon and Aaron brass clockmaking. During this period, he advertised that he maintained separate shops in both towns until 1771 when it appears he moved the Lexington shop to Roxbury. The Roxbury shop then moved to Brookline in 1775. During the period 1777-78 he advertised being located in Medford. Benjamin moved back to Grafton and then later Worcester and then to Baltimore, Maryland where he died in September of 1803.
This nicely proportioned tall clock case is constructed in maple and features a weathered mellow finish. The case is supported on a boldly formed double stepped molding. The lower molding has been shaped to form the bracket feet. The feet retain very good height. The waist section is long and centers a large tombstone shaped waist door. This door is trimmed along the outside edge with a simple molding. In the arch of this door is a large fan carving. This door opens to access the pendulum and weights. The hood or bonnet features a pierced an open New England style fret work pattern. Three finial plinths, each of which are capped at the top, are fitted with large brass finials. The front bonnet columns are smoothly turned and are mounted in brass capitals. The back columns are wonderfully shaped and neatly fitted into the corners of the case. The sides of the hood feature tombstone shaped side lights. The bonnet door is also an arched form and fitted with glass. This door opens to access the dial.
This dial is constructed from a sheet of brass. It gets it's silver color from a wash that is applied after it has been engraved. The engravings are skillfully executed in filed with black wax. Some of the areas are highlighted with red. The dial is signed and numbered by the Maker. The "No. 207" can be found inside the subsidiary seconds dial. The Maker's name and working location "Benja' Willard Roxbury" is positioned in the center of the dial and can be plainly seen. The name is signed in a script format. The working location is presented in large block lettering. In the arch, a phoenix and the Latin inscription Ab hoc Momento Pendet Eternitas. This loosely translates to From this moment eternity hangs or therefore starts. The time ring is laid out in a traditional format. The hours are indicated in Roman numerals and the five minute markers are indicated in an Arabic form. The day of the month is also displayed through a small circular opening above the Roman numeral "Six." The spandrels are wonderfully engraved in a rococo scroll pattern.
This clock features an eight day brass movement. It is weight driven and wound with a key. It is designed to strike each hour on a cast iron bell. The movement is of good quality. It is interesting to note the quality of this example because we have owned and seen numerous other signed Benjamin examples where the quality is somewhat crude.
This clock stands approximately 89 inches tall to the top of the center finial. The upper bonnet molding is approximately 21 inches across and 10 inches deep.
This clock was made circa 1780. This date is based on the fact that A dial signed Benjamin Willard No. 131 is dated 1772 and No. 359 is dated 1789. That calculates to 228 clocks being manufactured over that 17 year period. This loosely averages to approximately 13 clocks per year. This example is number 207 or the 76th clock manufactured after No. 131. This would calculate to sometime around 1778.
Benjamin Willard is the oldest of four Willard clockmaking brothers. His younger brother Simon is considered by many to be America’s most famous Clockmaker. The two other younger brothers that also made clocks include Ephraim and Aaron. Benjamin was born on March 19, 1743. As a New England Clockmaker, he never stayed in one location for an extended period of time. In December 1764, Benjamin advertised himself as a maker of shoe lasts and was working in East Hartford, Connecticut, at the home of Benjamin Cheney. Because Cheney was an established Clockmaker, it is logical to assume that he received some wooden geared clock training from him. Two signed Benjamin wooden geared clocks are known, and both feature the Cheney construction form. He is also recorded as buying land from his Father in Grafton on May 18, 1864, and then a second lot on August 20, 1766. Returning from Hartford to Grafton sometime in 1766, and by early 1767, Benjamin relocated to Lexington, Massachusetts. Here it is recorded that he worked with and then succeeded the brass clockmaker Nathaniel Mulliken Sr (1722-1776). It is thought that Benjamin received some level of brass construction clockmaking training from Mulliken before he passed in late 1767. Shortly after that, he hired John Morris to teach himself and his brothers Simon and Aaron, brass clockmaking. During this period, he advertised that he maintained separate shops in both towns until 1771 when it appears he moved the Lexington shop to Roxbury. The location of this shop is not currently known. It is thought to have been on Roxbury Street. The Roxbury shop then moved to Brookline in 1775. This is an important date because it represents the changeover from Roxbury Signed clocks to the Grafton examples. During the period 1777-78, he advertised being located in Medford. Benjamin moved back to Grafton and Worcester and then to Baltimore, Maryland, where he died in September of 1803.
Benjamin Willard numbered many of his clocks. The highest number recorded to date is No. 699. Robert Cheney reports to have seen No. 16 and has stated that this clock is dated 1768 and is signed Grafton. The Willard Museum owns No. 18. It is also dated 1768, but this clock is signed Lexington. No. 80 is also signed Lexington (Masonic Museum). The next few clocks recorded are No. 104,105, 114, and 115. These clocks are signed Grafton. No 131 is in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It is signed Roxbury and dated 1772. This starts a long stretch of clocks, including 132, 135, 138, 142, 146, 153, 154, 155, 157, 163, 175, 181, 191, 198, 202, 207, 209, 213, 219, 221, 232, 239 that are all signed Roxbury. Very few of the clocks in this sequence of Roxbury place locations are signed Grafton. These numbers currently include 146 and 228. By number 269, the changeover from Roxbury to Grafton occurs. All clocks know after 269 are signed Grafton if they have a place location listed.
On September 3, 1789, Benjamin advertised in the Herald and Worcester Recorder that he had moved from Grafton to Worcester and that he had manufactured 359 clocks in the past 23 years. That works out to approximately 15 or 16 clocks per year during that period. He also states that he had left Roxbury in 1775. Current research suggests that somewhere shortly after clock number 239, he moved from Roxbury, and these are perhaps pre-revolutionary.
