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A SUSSEX
GRANDMOTHER
by John Inkpen - Horsham
A beautiful example of an early 18th century 30 hour
country longcase clock by a Sussex maker. The solid oak
case has a break arch locking trunk door with chamfered
edges and is cut to show the medullary markings. There
are convex mouldings to the plinth which stands on a
double oak skirting. A concave moulding supports the
slide off ‘one piece’ hood with three quarter turned
pillars at the front and quarter pillars at the back all
with giltwood caps. The hood has a caddy top using both
the convex and the concave mouldings. The 10”dial has a
silvered chapter ring with Roman numerals and inner
quarter hour markings for the single blue steel fretted
hand. The spandrels are twin cherubs with crown and
sceptre; C&W no 8. The matt dial centre has engraved
swags and a bird; a plain panel in the upper half is
engraved Jno. Inkpen Horsham. A smaller panel above
appears to be engraved 1717, if this is correct it would
make this clock one of the earliest by this maker who
was born in 1700. The birdcage movement has brass corner
posts and anchor escapement. As is normal with this type
of movement the strike train is set behind the going
train with a countwheel on the back cruciform. The clock
strikes the hours on a sonorous bell. The height of this
clock is only 6’5” which qualifies it as a Grandmother.
John Inkpen was born in 1700, was taking in apprentices
by 1726, he was married in 1734. Many of his early
clocks were single handed birdcage movements but he did
make some two handed plated movements later. He died in
1759.
Stock No: CA 662 Price:
£2500 |
