Alexander Willard of Ashby, Massachusetts.

It is recorded that Alexander Tarbell Willard was a direct descendant of Col. Simon Willard (1605-1676), a co-founder of Concord, Massachusetts, in 1637. Col. Willard had three wives who bore him seventeen children. The descendants of which made the Ashby / Ashburnham Willard families relatives of the Grafton / Boston Willard clockmaking families. I wonder if they knew of each other?

Alexander T. Willard was the son of an Ashburnham, Massachusetts farmer, Jacob Willard (1734-1808), and his wife, Rhoda Randall of Stow, Massachusetts. Alexander was born in Ashburnham on November 4, 1774. He had one brother named Philander Jacob Willard, who was also a clockmaker. Current research suggests that he served his clockmaking apprenticeship with the Edwards Brothers of Ashby. Alexander worked in Ashburnham for only a brief time (1796-1800). On May 24, 1800, Alexander married Tila Oakes of Cohasset. She was employed as a school teacher working in Ashby. They married and moved to Ashby shortly after. It has been recorded that she painted some of the wooden tall clock dials for his clocks. 

In Ashby, Alexander made a large number of wooden geared tall clocks and became a prominent citizen of that town. He served as the town's first postmaster starting on January 27, 1812, through 1836. His term lasted twenty-seven years and seven days. He was also commissioned as Justice of the Peace in 1811. He worked as the Town Clerk from 1817 - 1821. Alexander also invested in and managed the construction of the Ashby Turnpike. The turnpike ran through Ashby center from Townsend to New Hampshire. We know that he made many 30-hour wooden movement tall clocks because we have personally seen and own a large number of them. We have also owned an eight-day wooden geared clock that is said to have been installed in the wall of his home. It is also reported from various sources that he made the following items; a musical clock, tower clocks, timepieces, old fashion theodolites or compasses, gunters chains, scales, timers, seraphones (A forerunner of the reed organ), rifles, and repaired watches. I have no personal knowledge of any of these other items.