Stephen Taber of New Bedford, Massachusetts. An inlaid mahogany case tall clock. 213119.
This is a very nice mahogany case that features excellent mahogany veneers and an older, if not original, finish that has wonderfully mellowed over the years. This form reflects a Strong Boston influence.
This case stands on four nicely shaped applied ogee bracket feet. The base panel is framed with a thin line inlay. Each of the corners is fitted with a quarter fan. The waist section is long and is fitted with a rectangular-shaped waist door. This door is trimmed with applied molding and open to access the case's interior. The sides of the waist are fitted with fluted quarter columns that are stopped in brass and terminated in brass quarter capitals. The bonnet is of the fretwork style, and the three fluted plinths are surmounted with brass ball and spike finials. Fluted bonnet columns flank the bonnet door. These are mounted in brass capitals. The door opens to access to a colorfully painted iron dial.
This dial is signed "WARRANTED-BY / S - TABER" above the numeral six within the time track. The time track or time ring is formatted with Roman numeral style hour makers. Each five-minute marker and the subsidiary seconds ring are displayed in Arabic numerals. In the arch of this dial is a depiction of a sailing ship. The four spandrel areas are decorated with raised gesso patterns highlighted with gilt paint.
This fine 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 and brass gearing. The winding drums are grooved. The escapement is designed as a recoil format. The movement is weight driven and 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. This is done on a cast iron bell which is mounted above the movement.
This clock was made circa 1811 and stands approximately 95 inches tall to the top of the center finial.
Inventory number 213119.
Stephen Taber was born on October 23, 1777, in New Bedford, Massachusetts, and died there on September 10, 1862. His older brother Elnathan was nine years his senior and had moved North to Roxbury, where he served his clockmaking apprenticeship under Simon Willard. Simon considered Elnathan a highly skilled mechanic and his best apprentice. Elnathan remained in Roxbury after his indenture and continued to build clocks for himself and others in the Roxbury group of Clockmakers. Because of Elnathan's success, it is logical to assume that Stephen was also attracted to the clockmaking community in Roxbury. Stephen was trained in Boston by Aaron Willard, Simon's younger brother. By 1798, Stephen is recorded in the town of Roxbury's Tax Records as a Roxbury resident. This would suggest that he moved to Roxbury to start his apprenticeship sometime in 1791-92 at the age of 14. After serving his apprenticeship, he stayed in Roxbury for one year and returned to New Bedford in 1799. Here he advertised in October of that year that "Stephen Taber, (Late apprentice to Mr. Aaron Willard, Clock-Maker in Boston) Respectfully informs the public That he carries on the Clock Making Business... at his shop in Union Street..." From this time until he died in 1862, it appears that he lived and worked primarily in New Bedford. He is also listed as working in Acushnet for a short time. Over the later part of his life, the extent of his clockmaking trickled off as the years passed. This is assumed because he was more commonly listed as a merchant or trader by 1810. By 1860, his estate was valued at over $100,000. At the time of his death in 1862, his wealth had almost doubled. He married Elizabeth Sprague Pitcher in 1824. After he died in 1862, she became a philanthropist. She was one of the founding members of Tabor Academy in the town of Marion.
