Riley Whiting of Winchester, Connecticut. A cherry cased tall clock.
This is a very good example. This case is constructed in cherry and exhibits traditional New England proportions. The fact that this clock is housed in a cherry case suggests that it was originally installed in a formal country home. The case is elevated on applied bracket feet. Please note the nicely shaped apron. The base section is formatted with an inset front panel. The grain pattern selected for this location is excellent. A rectangular waist door opens to allows one easy access the original tin cans weights and pendulum. This is necessary due to the fact that one needs to open this door on a daily basis in order to wind the mechanism. Reeded quarter columns are fitted into the front corners of the waist. The bonnet features a whale's tails fret work pattern. Fluted chimney or finial plinths support the three brass ball and spiked brass finials. The bonnet door is an arched form and is fitted with glass. Turned and nicely shaped hood columns visually support the arch molding. These are also decorated with ring turnings. Arched side lights are positioned in the sides of the hood.
This is a very colorfully painted wooden dial. It is signed "R. Whiting, Winchester" across the center. The spandrel areas are decorated with geometric style fans. The arch of the dial features numerous masonic themes. All of the artwork is skillfully executed. The time ring uses Roan style numerals to mark the hours. Arabic numerals are used to mark the five minute markers. This dial also has a subsidiary seconds dial in the traditional location.
One winds this clock by pulling on a cord located inside the case. The movement is a standard thirty hour wooden works design. A count wheel striking system is used to actuate the striking of each individual hour on a cast iron bell that is mounted above the movement.
This clock was made circa 1815. It stands approximately 7 feet 6 inches (90 inches) tall.
Riley Whiting was born in Torrington, Connecticut, on January 16, 1785, the son of Christopher and Mary (Wilcox) Whiting. In 1806, he married Urania Hoadley and served his apprenticeship with her brothers Samuel and Luther Jr Hoadley. They had who had settled in Winchester, Connecticut, in 1803 and were making wooden geared clocks. In 1807, they formed a partnership under the name Samuel Hoadley & Co. Luther Hoadley was killed in Groton, Connecticut, in 1813, fighting in the war. Soon after that, Samuel and Riley changed the name to Hoadly & Whiting. In 1819, Samuel Hoadley sold his share of the business to Riley and continued to make clocks under his name. He also moved the company to the town of Winsted, a location along the Naugatuck River. Riley died there in 1835. It is interesting to note that very few clocks that the two previous firms made are known. Because they were not known to have signed their clocks, Riley changed that practice when he formed his own company. The dials of his tall clocks are boldly signed across the middle. His early production consisted of tall case movements, dials, weights, and pendulums. It is thought that he began to manufacture shelf clock movements in about 1828. During this later period, Riley is thought to have perfected the eight-day wooden geared movement. After his death, his widow and 15-year-old son Riley Jr. continued a limited operation until 1841, when they sold out to William L. Gilbert Co. in Winstead.
