Richardson Miner

Richardson Miner was born in 1736 and died in 1797 at 61. He was the son of Reverend Richardson and Elizabeth Munson Miner. It is not currently known who trained him as a clockmaker. We can assume that he was born with a great deal of mechanical ability because he is listed as a clockmaker, goldsmith, and as a silversmith. He also served in the Second Connecticut Regiment under Colonel Nathan Whiting during the 1760 campaign of the French and Indian Wars. This regiment was stationed at Fort No. 4. During the 1760s, this Fort was the furthest British settlement. No. 4 was situated along the eastern bank of the Connecticut River, which is now located in the town of Charlestown, New Hampshire. This outpost was continually under pressure from Indian attacks. Miner served this regiment as an armorer. It was his job to keep the muskets and the weapons of the regiment in good repair. It is thought that he moved from Stratford to New Haven sometime around 1760 and was married there in 1764. He may have moved back to Stratford at some point. Tall clocks are known signed in both locations.

Five tall clock examples are currently known to us. Four of these are signed as being made in Stratford. One is currently for sale here in our showroom. A second signed Stratford example is pictured in Dean Fales's book, The Furniture of Historic Deerfield, on page 259. A third signed Stratford example is illustrated in figures 12 and 36 in Penrose R. Hoopes's book, Connecticut Clockmakers of the Eighth Century, reprint, New York, 1974. The fifth known clock is signed by Minor but differs in that the location is signed as New Haven. This clock is also currently in our inventory. All five clocks are signed in the same hand. This suggests that he may have done his dial engraving.