Timothy Chandler of Concord, New Hampshire. An inlaid mahogany case made by Choate & Martin. Their cabinetmakers label pasted inside the case. SS-134.
This case exhibits very good masculine proportions. This form was made famous by the Willard family and their numerous apprentices. This fine example is signed on the dial by Timothy Chandler, who worked in Concord, New Hampshire. In addition, this case retains the cabinet-making Choate & Martin Concord, NH label pasted to the backboard. \ This handwritten label reads ‘Made by Choate & Martin / Cabinet & Chair Makers. Concord.” Finding an original cabinetmaker’s label on a tall clock is very unusual. This is an incredible addition to the clocks’ history. Labels by New Hampshire artisans of this period are very difficult to find. It is easy to speculate that a percentage of these types of applied labels have been lost due to neglect, the quality of the adhesive used, or even, in some instances, wear.
This example stands approximately 97 inches tall to the top of the center finial. The case stands on four applied ogee bracket feet. They are applied directly to the bottom of the double-stepped molding. The base panel is richly grained and is decoratively lined inlaid. This inlay pattern is formatted with ovolo corners and centers a fully formed patera in the center of the base panel. The waist section is fitted with a large tombstone-shaped waist door. This door is also line inlaid, features an excellent selection of mahogany veneer, and is trimmed with applied molding. Open this door, and you will have access to the two original tin can weights and brass-faced pendulum. You will also be able to see the cabinetmaker’s label pasted onto the backboard. The sides or corners of the case are fitted with inset quarter columns. These are fully fluted and stopped with brass. The columns terminate in brass quarter capitals. A traditional New England-style fret surmounts the bonnet. Three fluted chimneys or final plinths support the fretwork and the three brass ball-and-spike finials. Fully turned and brass stop fluted bonnet columns or colonnettes visually support the upper bonnet molding. They are mounted in brass capitals and are free-standing. Nicely turned quarter columns are set into the back corners of the bonnet. These are smoothly shaped and terminate in ring-turned wooden capitals—the sides of the hood feature tombstone-shaped side lights or windows fitted with glass. The arched bonnet line inlaid door is also fitted with glass and opens to access the painted iron dial.
This dial is signed below the calendar aperture, “Timo Chandler / Concord.” This example features a moon phase or lunar calendar in the arch. The time track features Arabic five-minute markers. A dotted minute ring separates them from the Roman-style hour numerals. A subsidiary seconds dial and month calendar display are viewed inside the time ring. The four spandrel areas are colorfully paint-decorated with floral subject matter.
This fine movement is constructed in brass and is of good quality. Four turned pillars support the two brass plates. Hardened steel shafts support the polished steel pinions, brass gearing, and recoil escapement. The winding drums are grooved. The weight-driven movement is designed to run for eight days on a full wind. It is a two-train or a time-and-strike design, having 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 fine example was made circa 1795.
The case measures 8 feet 1 inches tall to the top of the center finial. It is 21.5 inches wide and 9.75 inches deep.
Robert Choate and George Whitfield Martin moved from coastal towns in Massachusetts to Concord, NH, and formed a partnership on April 2, 1994. This collaboration ended on May 16, 1796. Choate moved to Orford, New Hampshire.
Robert Choate was born in Newburyport, Massachusetts, on September 6, 1770. He was thought to have moved to Concord, NH, by 1794 because he formed a partnership with George Martin as Choate & Martin in April of that year. This partnership lasted until May 1796. He also married Apphia Worthen in Concord on September 1, 1796. Choate continued to work alone as a cabinet and chair maker until he sold his property to George Whitfield Rogers, who was also incidentally originally from Newburyport. His wife Apphia died in Thetford, Vermont, on August 26, 1809. It is logical to assume that Robert was still with her at the time.
George Whitfield Martin was baptized in Marblehead, Massachusetts, on May 5, 1771. He worked as a cabinetmaker before moving to Concord to join Choate in a partnership. After the dissolution of the Choate and Martin firm in 1796, Martin moved to Essex County, Massachusetts, and settled in Salem, where he married Sally Bullock in April of 1997.
This clock is inventory number SS-134.
Major Timothy Chandler was born on April 25th, 1762, in Rumford, Maine, and died on July 22nd, 1848, in Concord, NH. He is the son of Timothy and Elizabeth (Copp) Chandler and was one of five children. His father died when he was eight years old, and it has been suggested that Timothy traveled to Pomfret, Connecticut, in 1770-1783 to serve an apprenticeship to Jonathan Hale, who was a wool card maker. It is not known who specifically taught him the art of clockmaking. It is speculated that Chandler may have also trained as a clockmaker with Peregrine White, who was at work in nearby Woodstock. (Timothy named one of his sons Peregrine White Chandler.) Timothy moved back to Concord in 1791 and advertised tall clocks for sale. He was also appointed Sealer of Weights and Measures in Concord, NH. It is reported that in November of 1787, Timothy married Sarah Abbott of Concord. This suggests that he must have traveled back and forth to Concord from Pomfret before he settled there. Together they had twelve children.
In Concord, Timothy became a prolific clockmaker until his retirement in 1829. His main competition was Levi and his brother Abel Hutchins. Timothy was responsible for training several clockmakers, including his sons, Timothy Jay, John Bradley, and Abel. It has been suggested that he trained Joseph Chadwick in about 1801, who was from Boscawen. He also apprenticed Deacon Cyrus Eastman of Amherst, NH. Eastman served a seven-year apprenticeship which ended about 1814.
In 1797, Timothy enlisted with the Minute Men and received the commission of Major in 1799. He also served as vice president and then the president of the Merrimack Agricultural Society in the early 1800s. In 1808, he was appointed the Surveyor of Highways in Concord. On the evening of August 17th, 1809, he suffered a fire that originated from his air furnace or forge in his clock manufactory. The manufactory, with all its contents, the house, the barn full of hay, and two other hay barns were lost at a value of $5,000. Interestingly, the citizens of Concord raised $1,200 in order to help offset his losses and to rebuild. Chandler would rebuild and continue his career as a clockmaker.
In 1814, when Governor Gilman ordered the creation of local companies to defend the town in the event of an attack, Chandler, now in his 50s, again volunteered to serve in the militia. In 1819, he served as Chairman of the first "Lancastrian School." In 1820, he and his son Timothy Jay formed a partnership as T. Chandler & Son. This partnership lasted four years until T. Chandler & Co was formed in 1824 and lasted until 1828. This second company also included Timothy Jay.
In 1825, Timothy Chandler was one of the nine officers of the newly formed New Hampshire Mutual Fire Insurance Company, one of New Hampshire's earliest fire insurance providers. In 1827, he served as Chairman of the group that organized the Unitarian Society. From 1829 through 1830, he joined his son Abel under the firm name of A. Chandler & Co. After 1830, he worked alone, served as President of Concord's first Temperance Society, was Vice President of Concord Mechanics Association, and was one of 17 original trustees of the N.H. Savings Bank. In 1834, he named three of Concord's streets.
We have owned numerous examples of his work. These include tall clocks, timepieces, mirror clocks, and shelf clocks. A fair number of silver items are also known.
