Abel Hutchins of Concord, New Hampshire. A tiger maple cased tall clock. XXSL-63.
This very nice example exhibits typical New England proportions. It is primarily constructed in maple and features several wood panels that feature tiger maple graining. This combination is unusual and suggests that this case may have been a special request by a savvy client. The case stands or is elevated off the floor on a cut-out bracket base. The feet are simply formed and transition into an interesting drop apron. The apron is visually separated from the base panel by decorative molding applied on the front panel and along the two sides of the base. The base panel is long and features tiger striping, which is most predominate on the outer edges. The waist is long and features a rectangular-shaped waist door trimmed with applied molding. The panel or selection of wood used for this door features tiger striping in the wood. The front corners of the waist section are fitted with fluted quarter columns that are stopped with brass rods at the bottom and are secured to the case with decorative brass quarter capitals. The bonnet is surmounted by a country New England-style fretwork design. This pattern is one that is common to the Concord, New Hampshire, region. It is very nicely formed. The three fluted chimney plinths are capped at the top, each supporting a brass ball and spike finial. The two bonnet columns are also fluted and stopped with brass rods. These flank the bonnet door. This door is arched in form and is fitted with glass. It opens to access the painted dial.
This iron dial is of Boston origin and was manufactured by the Nolen dial firm. Predominately featured as decoration is an American shield painted in the arch or lunette. Patriotic dials are very popular today. The four spandrel areas are also paint-decorated. A variation of a spoked wheel is depicted in each of the four spandrel areas. These are surrounded by raised gesso decorations highlighted in gilt paint and a cross-hatched decorative field. The time ring is formatted with Roman-style hour numerals. Smaller Arabic numerals are used to indicate each of the five-minute markers. A subsidiary seconds dial and the calendar date dial are located in their traditional locations. The Maker's name is signed in a script format above the hour numeral "VI." The city or working location of "CONCORD" is marked in a block format.
The movement is constructed in brass and is weight driven. It is designed to run eight days on a full wind and strike each hour on a cast iron bell that is mounted on a post and positioned above the brass frames. The brass frames are rectangular-shaped and feature a bell-topped shape cut out in order to conserve the amount of brass used in the construction process. The striking system features a rack and snail setup. This movement is of good quality.
This clock stands approximately 7 feet 7 inches tall to the top of the center brass finial and was made circa 1809.
Inventory number XXSL-63.
Abel Hutchins worked with his older brother Levi in partnership from 1786 through 1803. Both boys were born in Harvard, Massachusetts, the sons of Colonel Gordon Hutchins & Dolly or Dorothy Stone. They had eleven children. Levi was born on August 17, 1761, and Abel was born two years later, on March 16, 1763. Both men lived into their nineties.
On December 6, 1777, the brothers entered into an apprenticeship with Simon Willard of Grafton, Massachusetts. At this time, Levi was sixteen, and Abel was fourteen years old. In 1780, Levi moved to Abington, CT, for approximately eight months to learn some watchmaking skills. He then moved to Concord, New Hampshire, and opened a shop on Main Street. Levi was the first clockmaker to manufacture brass clocks in New Hampshire. Abel worked for a short time in Roxbury after his commitment to Simon was over. Abel is listed in the Roxbury tax assessor's records in 1784. In Roxbury, he was also appointed a fireward along with Aaron Willard and Elijah Ward. It is in Roxbury that Abel married Elizabeth Partridge on January 22, 1786. Two of her sisters also married clockmakers Aaron Willard Jr. and Elnathan Taber. Shortly after their marriage, it appears that Abel moved to Concord, NH, and formed a partnership with his brother sometime in 1786.
Abel and his wife lived in Concord for 67 years, having five sons and eight daughters. Soon after their marriage, Abel partnered with his brother Levi in a three-story dwelling house in the central part of the main village. Here they began what must have been a very productive business of making clocks. In 1793, Levi & Abel purchased a farm approximately three miles from their original home on the western side of Rattlesnake Hill, also called Granite Hill. In the early part of 1807, Abel bought out his brother's interests in the partnership. He continued making clocks in the same location downtown. (Levi lived on the farm.) The shop was destroyed by fire on November 25, 1817. Abel built the Phoenix Hotel on the same site. It opened for business on January 1, 1819. He prospered as an innkeeper until he retired in 1832 when his son Ephraim took over the business.
