Silas Hoadley Miniature Time & Alarm Clock. Shelf, Mantel or wall clock. UU-35.
This is a rare miniature time and alarm clock made by Silas Hoadley of Plymouth, Connecticut. This example is in excellent original condition.
The case is veneered in mahogany and measures only 21 inches tall, 12 inches wide, and 4 inches deep. The perimeter framing is cross-banded. The next section is canted outward towards the room. This is an unusual design and gives this clock a very unusual presence. The traditional design for this box form is to have the case fall inwards towards the door and its decoration. This example builds the door out. The door is divided into two sections. The lower section is fitted with a traditional painted scene, which is painted from the back of the glass, and the colors are excellent. This view has experienced some areas of loss. These areas are not significant. The upper section of the door is fitted with clear glass to view the dial. The door opens to allow access to the dial, hands, weights, and pendulum. The wooden dial is painted, featuring boldly formed Arabic hour numerals around the time ring. Please note the third hand that is used to set the alarm. The "Upside down" wooden geared movement is a thirty-hour time and alarm design. Both trains are weight driven. The alarm strikes on a cast iron bell that is mounted inside the case. The alarm is set by winding the alarm train and then moving the third hand on the dial to the desired hour. The Makers label, which includes setup instructions, is pasted onto the backboard. This is in fine original condition. This clock was made circa 1830.
The simplistic case form permits one to proudly display this model as a shelf or as a wall clock—your choice.
Inventory number UU-35.
Silas Hoadley was born in Bethany, Connecticut, on January 31, 1786. He was the son of Ammi Hoadley and Amy (Thompson) Hoadley. He first apprenticed as a joiner to his uncle Calvin Hoadley. Along with Seth Thomas, he was hired in about 1808 by Eli Terry at the age of 21 to set up and work at Terry's Ireland factory. Shortly after Terry's Porter Contract was satisfied, he and Seth Thomas bought the factory from Terry. Thomas & Hoadley continued to make tall clock movements until 1813, when he purchased Thomas's business shares. He transitioned to shelf clocks, manufacturing movements of his own design. The "Upside down" style is one of the more unique examples. In the late 1830s, he transitioned to manufacturing brass movements. He retired in 1849 as a wealthy man. Silas Hoadly died on December 28, 1870, in Plymouth, Conn.
