John Bailey Jr. of Hanover, Massachusetts. A colorful mahogany case tall clock. NN-3.
This high-style cross-banded and mahogany-veneered tall case clock, signed on the dial by John Bailey Jr. of Hanover, Massachusetts, is not just a timepiece but a piece of history that connects us to the craftsmanship of the past.
This formal mahogany case features choice veneers with long, sweeping grain patterns. These panels are prominently displayed in the cabinet design. This case stands on four flared French feet. They are long and slender, transitioning into a triple-drop apron or curtain that hangs below the base panel. The veneered panel selected for the base features an active grain pattern. It is interesting to note that a tall clock made by Abner Pitts in Taunton, MA, features the same veneer flitch. The panel has been turned upside down during construction. This clock is pictured in Harbor & Home, Furniture of Southeastern Massachusetts 1710-1850 on plate 94.3. Other similarities in design and construction strongly suggest that these two clock cases were built in the same unidentified cabinet shop. The panel is framed with a cross-banded border. A broadly shaped waist molding transitions the base section into the case's long, narrow waist. This section centers the rectangular-shaped cross-banded access door. The veneers used in this location are also nicely figured. The perimeter of this access door is fitted with an unusual applied reeded molding. The front corners of the waist are fitted with boldly reeded inset quarter columns. These terminate in brass quarter capitals. The upper waist molding transitions the case to the bonnet or hood. Fully turned and reeded bonnet columns are mounted in brass capitals. These are positioned on either side of the arched bonnet door. The columns visually support the molded arch. The design of this arch features a bullnose molding at the top. This rounded molding is worth noting because several other Southeastern MA cases of this period share a similar design. Above the arch are three capped finial plinths or chimneys. Each supports a fancy period brass finial. The plinths also help support a very attractive pierced, open-fretwork pattern. This unusual design has been found in other clock cases in Southeastern New England.
This colorfully painted dial is a product of the Boston dial house of Nolen & Curtis. Each of the four spandrel areas is decorated with geometric fan patterns in green, gold, and red. Gilt circles define the time ring. Arabic five-minute markers are separated from the bold Roman-style hour numerals by a dotted minute ring. A subsidiary seconds dial and calendar days appear in traditional locations. The clockmaker's name is boldly displayed in fluid script, with the working location "HANOVER" shown in block lettering below. In the arch of this dial is a moon phase mechanism or lunar calendar. This mechanical almanac was likely made on special order due to the extra work involved. The display was valuable to several colonial-era occupations. Farmers tracked the moon's phases to anticipate nights with the most moonlight, aiding in scheduling tilling and harvesting. Sailors and merchants used lunar phases to know when high tide would allow ships to sail easily to and from port. The tides also influence fishing, and the moon affects the tides. Numerous religious groups had rituals best performed by lunar events. The lunar month lasts 29 days, 12 hours, 44 minutes, and 2.8 seconds. A tall clock's lunar calendar is set to a constant 29.5 days, representing a complete cycle. As a result, a 9-hour setback is needed to keep the lunar display current at the end of a year. The lunar disk features two moons opposite each other, so one can rise while the other sets. Between these are painted scenes: a pastoral scene with two people below a large building and a British ship burning down to water level. The areas framing this lunar display traditionally depict the hemispheres.
This fine movement is constructed in brass and is of good quality. Four turned pillars support the two rectangular brass plates. Hardened steel shafts support the polished steel pinions, recoil escapement, grooved winding drums, and brass gearing. The weight-driven movement is designed to run for eight days on a full wind. It is a two-train, or time-and-strike design with a rack-and-snail striking system. As a result, it will strike each hour on the hour on a cast iron bell mounted above the movement.
This clock stands approximately 92 inches tall to the top of the finial and was made circa 1820.
Inventory number NN-3.
John Bailey II was born in Hanover, Massachusetts, the son of Colonel John (A shipbuilder) and Ruth Randall Bailey on May 6, 1751. He died there 72 years later, on January 23, 1823. It is thought that he learned clockmaking at a very young age and may have been self-taught. John is responsible for training numerous apprentices, including his younger brothers Calvin and Lebbeus, his son John III, Joseph Gooding, Ezra Kelley, and Hingham's Joshua Wilder. Many of these trained apprentices moved to other towns in southeastern Massachusetts and became well known in their local communities. John was the most prolific maker of the six Baileys in the clock business. In addition, he was a Quaker preacher, an ingenious mechanic, and an instrument maker. Other examples of his work include a surveyor's compass in the Hanover Historical Society's collection. He was also an inventor and received a patent for a steam-operated roasting jack. This device was designed to turn the meat over a fire to cook it more evenly.
John's clocks are roughly divided into two categories. The first is a home-developed style. These examples often have sheet brass dials engraved and silver-washed. Several examples of movements constructed in wood are known to us. Others are built in brass, and the plates are fully skeletonized. Some of these later clocks incorporate wooden winding drums. It is interesting to note that he made both types of strike trains. We have seen examples he signed that feature a count wheel setup and the more popular rack-and-snail setup. Very few clockmakers used both setups. The cases are typically constructed from indigenous woods, including maple and cherry. These examples have pleasing country proportions and lack the sophistication of the Roxbury school. The 'Roxbury/Boston influence' refers to the design and craftsmanship styles that were popular in these areas at the time. Sometime around 1790, this influence must have played a significant role in John's production. The movements in these examples are more apt to incorporate fully plated movements. In addition, the cases resemble those being turned out by the Willard School to the North. These feature mahogany cases, often decorated with inlays. This second generation of output is much more formal in appearance.
Our collection over the years has included a diverse range of clocks crafted by John Bailey II. From tall case clocks to dwarf clocks, banjo or wall timepieces, and the unique Massachusetts shelf clock form, his versatility as a clockmaker is truly intriguing.
