Francis Sommer of Charleston, South Carolina.

Francis Sommer worked for the retail firm of Carrington, Thomas & Co, previously known as Steven Thomas & Bro. This business was located on King Street and made a fine trade in jewelry, silver, holloware, and clocks. William Carrington, the driving force of the business, was born on May 24, 1812, in Bethany, CT and died on August 19, 1901. He was trained as a silversmith, watchmaker, jeweler, and diamond identifier in NYC. He moved to Charleston in 1872 and joined Stephen Thomas and remained in business under the name Carrington, Thomas & Co. Francis Sommer worked in the clock department.

Unfortunately, very little is known about Sommer’s life. He was known to be a talented clockmaker. James W. Gibbs, in his book “Dixie Clockmakers,” reports that a tall clock, a sunburst clock, and two mercury pendulum clocks are known. In 1879, Francis entered a regulator clock he made in the Agricultural Society of South Carolina Industrial Exhibition. His regulator won a medal.