An unsigned New Hampshire Mirror Clock with Wheel Barrel shaped movement attributed to Benjamin Morrill of Boscawen, NH. HH-227.
Although the dial of this New Hampshire Mirror clock is unsigned, we have a pretty good idea of its Maker. This clock has a very distinctive shaped works that we now categorize as a "Wheel barrel movement." This movement gets its name from the unusual layout of the brass gearing. The brass gearing is laid out from left to right on a horizontal plane. On the left, is the largest of the wheels, the main wheel. This wheel gathers the weight cord as one winds the clock. On the far right side is the escape-wheel. Please note the anchor portion of the escapement is mounted on the right side of the escape-wheel. As a result, the pendulum attaches to the movement from this off center position. We have owned numerous examples of mirror clocks that incorporate this unusual setup. Many of which have featured dials signed by the Boscawen, New Hampshire Clockmaker Benjamin Morrill.
New Hampshire mirror clocks exist in many shaped and sizes and varying degrees of complexity. This case is constructed in white pine and is veneered in mahogany. The veneers selected were chosen for their vibrant grain patterns and are strategically positioned for a decorative effect. Another interesting case construction feature are the mitered corners and the canted inward shape of the frame. The surface retains an older finish. The front of this case is actually a door. It is divided in two sections. The lower section features a mirror. The mirror in this example is an older replacement. Fortunately, this replace mirror is period and looks excellent. The upper section of the door features a reverse painted tablet which is original to this clock and is in very good original condition. It features a yellow background and is decorated with gilt designs in each of the four spandrel areas. The center of this tablet is left undecorated. This open area is trimmed with a gilt border that centers the painted dial.
The dial is painted on iron and has had some minor restoration to a couple of the numerals. The steel hands are nicely shaped and a traditional form for the region. The minute hand is an appropriate replacement and matches the style of the hour hand. The door is hinged and will open to allow one access to the dial, the mechanism which is positioned behind it, the lead weight and the pendulum. Because of the location of the escape-wheel, the pendulum hangs from the extreme right side of the works.
This clock is nicely proportioned measuring 30 inches long, 14 inches wide and 3.75 inches deep. This clock was made circa 1835.
This clock is inventory number HH-227.
Benjamin Morrill was born in Boscawen on January 16, 1794, and died on April 21, 1857. His parents were Samuel Morrill and Sarah (Atkinson) Morrill. He was their fifth child. The small village of Boscawen is located just to the northwest of Concord, NH. He lived in the house his grandfather, Reverend Robie Morrill, built-in 1769. It is located on King Street. It was the first framed house in that town. Robie was a graduate of Harvard College in 1755. It is summarized that Benjamin was a practical and educated man. His work demonstrates creative skills in mechanical matters. It is not presently known who trained Benjamin as a clockmaker. He was first recorded as setting up a shop in 1816. Benjamin’s oldest sister Judith married Joseph Chadwick. He was also a clockmaker from the same town and was seven years older than Benjamin. On November 22, 1818, Benjamin married his first of two wives, Mehetable Eastman. She was the daughter of Simeon and Anna (Kimball), Eastman of Landiff, New Hampshire. They had two children before she died on July 6, 1828. Benjamin remarried six months later to Mary Choate of Derry, New Hampshire. Together, they also had two children. Benjamin died on April 21, 1857. As a clockmaker, signed examples of tall cases, banjos, shelves, mirrors, and tower clocks are known. As production clocks made their way into his region, he was also known to manufacture scales and musical instruments that included melodeons and seraphines.
A tower clock made by him was set up in Dover, NH, at the cost of $300. It was installed in the 1st Parish Meeting House. The whereabouts of this clock are not known. A second clock was installed in Henniker, NH. The Henniker clock is now at the American Clock and Watch Museum in Bristol, Connecticut. It was given to them by the late Frederick Mudge Selchow. A third tower clock had been originally installed (date unknown) in the 1839 Advent Church in Sugar Hill, now part of Lisbon, NH.
A fine example of a mirror clock is in the New Hampshire Historical Society collection.
