Edward Spalding of Providence Rhode Island.

Currently, very little is known about Edward Spalding's early life. His parents were Stephen and Marry (Lawrence) Spalding, who lived in Plainfield, Connecticut, when Edward was born there in 1732. It appears that he moved to Providence at an early age and may have trained as a clockmaker in this city. To whom he served his apprenticeship is not currently known. A clock that he is known to have made while working in Providence is dated 1753. This early date suggests that he made this clock shortly after he finished his indenture. It also confirms that he was one of Providence's earliest clockmakers. In 1757, Edward married Audrey Safford. Together they had three children, including Edward Jr., who was born in 1767. Edward trained under his father as a clockmaker. Edward (I) did a fair amount of advertising in the Providence Gazette during the period of 1766 – 1776. These adverisements prove that he was very involved in clockmaking before the Revolutionary War, where he served as Captain and rose to the rank of Major. After the war, he continued to make clocks. He died in Providence in 1785. 

Prior to the American Revolution, very few Clockmakers were working in America. The most notable of which from Rhode Island are the Claggetts from Newport, and together they made what is considered a significant number of clocks for the period. Other Clockmakers like James Wady did not fare so well in business. Their output was much less significant, making Spalding the premier clockmaker of his working period in the region.

Several clocks are currently known. One that descended from the Calder family and is now in the collection of the Museum Fine Arts, Houston-Bayou Bend. A second clock originally belonged to Welcome Arnold (1745-1798), Providence, Rhode Island (see David B. Warren et. al., American Decorative Arts and Paintings in the Bayou Bend Collection, (Houston: Museum of Fine Arts.) Two others are pictured in Timeless. Masterpiece American Brass dial clocks.