Bagnell, Benjamin. Boston's first clockmaker.

Benjamin Bagnall Sr was born in England in 1689 and came to America, Philadelphia, sometime before 1710. Here it is thought that he was trained as a clockmaker by Peter Stretch. By 1710 he had moved up and settled in Boston, where he died on July 11, 1773. In moving to Boston, Benjamin is generally considered Boston's first clockmaker. In 1717, he was commissioned to build a clock for the Old Meeting House that was to be located in "Cornhill," an area located on present Washington Street, now numbered 209. This clock was installed in the "Old Brick Church" and was maintained by him for a number of years. It was reported that this clock was still going until 1839, when it was sold. Benjamin married twice. First to Elizabeth Shove of Charlestown on June 16, 1713, in Boston, MA. The second marriage was to Sarah Redwood of Providence, RI, on September 28, 1752. 

Benjamin and Elizabeth had seven children. Two of them were boys who also worked as clock and watchmakers. Benjamin Jr. was born in 1715 and died in 1782. He married Anna Hawden in August 1737. He was at work in Boston in 1737 until they moved to Philadelphia in 1748 and advertised a Front Street shop location in 1751. He soon ran into some financial difficulty and had to sell his tools in 1753 to pay debts. He soon moved back to Boston and then to Providence, RI, in 1759, and then back to Philadelphia and Boston again. Samuel Bagnall was born in 1718 and is listed as working in Boston from 1740 through 1760. 

Benjamin advertised watches for sale in The Newport Mercury under the dates April 10, May 8, and May 22, 1759. He claimed he was a "Watchmaker near the end of his Parade." He died in the first half of 1773.