Gawen Brown of Boston, Massachusetts. A pre-revolutionary tall case clock made in 1755 and numbered 77. T-26.
This is a very rare and important mahogany case tall clock made by Gawen Brown of Boston, Massachusetts. This movement is engraved with the Maker’s name, “G. Brown,” dated “1755” and numbered “No. 77” on the front plate. Currently, this is the only example found to date that is dated and numbered.
This rare clock is typical of the early Boston form. It stands on a large double-step molding that rests flat on the floor. The waist door is tombstone shaped and fills the waist or middle section of the case. The bonnet features a caddy top with two carved gilt finials that surmount this clock. The bonnet door is arched in form and opens to a composite brass dial signed by the Maker.
This style of dial predates the painted dial form. It is composed of a brass sheet and is decorated with applied brass spandrels, name boss, and time or chapter rings.
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 bell is mounted above the movement. This clock was made circa 1755. We know this because the front plate is skillfully engraved, “G. Brown 1755. / No. 77.” This inscription is a wonderful and important discovery. Before this discovery, it was not known that Brown numbered any of his clocks. One wonders if his shop log will one day be found.
This example stands 7 feet 8 inches tall overall.
Inventory number T-26.
Gawen Brown, a key figure in Boston’s colonial era, was born in England in 1719 and died in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1801 at the age of 82. He emigrated to the American colonies sometime before 1749, during a period when Boston was a thriving center of commerce and craftsmanship. On February 6, 1749, Brown advertised in The Boston Evening Post as a "...Clock and Watchmaker lately from London," announcing his new shop at Mr. Johnson's Japanner in Brattle Street, Boston, near Mr. Cooper's Meeting House. This advertisement not only evidences his arrival but also reflects the transatlantic connections that brought skilled artisans like Brown to America.
One of Brown’s earliest public contributions was repairing the clock in the Old North Church, a historic landmark that played a role in the American Revolution. The church’s clock had been silent for nearly thirty years until Brown was hired to convert its escapement from a balance to a long pendulum arrangement—an innovative improvement at the time. His successful restoration was completed before December 1749, demonstrating both his expertise and the growing demand for precision timekeeping in colonial society.
Between 1752 and 1760, Brown’s shop and residence changed locations several times, which was typical for tradesmen adjusting to the city’s dynamic growth. He became particularly renowned for his work on the tower clock in Boston’s Old South Church—a significant civic project. The church, built in 1730, originally lacked a clock, and Brown’s installation between 1768 and 1770 provided the city with an important public timepiece, symbolizing both technical progress and community pride.
Brown’s business was closely tied to the transatlantic trade, as he regularly imported English clocks and watches, according to period newspaper advertisements. From 1789 through 1796, he was consistently listed as a watchmaker in Boston business directories. Today, numerous tall clocks crafted by Brown survive, serving as enduring testaments to his craftsmanship and his place in Boston’s historical narrative.
Gawen Brown married three times and had 12 children. On April 5, 1750, he married Mary Flagg. Together, they had six children before she died in 1760. She was only 31 years old. His second wife, Elizabeth Byles, was Mather Byles' daughter. Mather was a well-known clergyman who presided over the Hollis Street Church. Elizabeth lived only three more years and had no children. She died in 1763. In 1764, Brown again married, this time to Elizabeth Hill Adams. Elizabeth Hill Adams was the widow of Dr. Joseph Adams, who was the brother of Samuel Adams. Elizabeth bore him six more children.
