William Cummens of Roxbury, Massachusetts. A fine mahogany case tall clock. DDD-21.
This pretty mahogany case tall clock exhibits excellent proportions and a painted dial signed by the Massachusetts clockmaker William Cummens of Roxbury.
This mahogany case example features the traditional proportions and construction characteristics of a cabinet made in Roxbury, Massachusetts. The current shellac finish accentuates the rich, natural color of the wood. The color and depth are excellent, giving one a reasonable visual interpretation of what this clock case would have looked like when it was constructed for Cummens and his original client back in the late 1700s. The case stands on four nicely formed ogee bracket feet. These original feet are applied to the double-stepped molding at the bottom of the base. The waist section is long and narrow and prominently features a rectangular waist door framed with applied molding. Through this door, one gains access to the interior of the case. Brass-stopped fluted quarter columns flank the sides of the case. These terminate in brass quarter capitals. The bonnet columns are also stopped-fluted with brass and mounted in brass Doric-style capitals. These are positioned on both sides of the hood door and visually support the molded arch. A pierced and open fretwork design with three brass ball-and-spike finials surmounts the top of the bonnet. All of this ornamentation is original to this clock. The arched bonnet door opens to access the painted iron dial.
This dial is signed, “WARRANTED BY / Wm. Cummens,” just below the calendar aperture. Above the calendar is a subsidiary seconds dial. The time ring features Roman-style hour numerals, separated from the Arabic five-minute makers by a dotted minute ring. The four spandrel locations feature floral themes. The arch of this dial features a lovely pastoral view. A dotted frame borders the oval. The scene is painted in such a manner that provides one the illusion of looking through a window. The depth exhibited in this pastoral scene is quite good. A woman is walking down a dirt road. To her right is a pond. Behind her is a farmhouse. In the yard are several cows and sheep. Birds are flying in the sky.
The 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 clock was made circa 1795.
The case stands 7 feet 8.5 inches tall to the top of the center finial.
William Cummens was born in 1768 and died in Roxbury, Massachusetts, on April 20, 1834. He was 66 years old. William worked in Roxbury as a clockmaker as early as 1789. He learned clockmaking from Simon Willard. In fact, he was an apprentice in Willard's shop about the same time that Elnathan Taber was training. After serving his apprenticeship, Cummens stayed in Roxbury and worked alongside the Willard clockmaking family for many years. Based on the large number of clocks that have survived, Cummens and the Willards must have had an excellent relationship with one another. In this Roxbury location, Cummens had direct access to the same suppliers, such as case makers and dial painters, that the Willard family used. As a result, his clocks are nearly identical in form. Cummens was one of the first persons authorized by Simon Willard to manufacture Simon Willard's Patented Timepiece. The patent was granted in 1802. Over the past 55-plus years of buying and selling clocks, we have owned and sold a substantial number of tall case clocks, Massachusetts shelf clocks, and wall timepieces signed by this important clockmaker.
