George I oak longcase clock by John Smorthwaite, Colchester. The brass eight day movement with four turned pillars and anchor escapement striking to a bell, on a brass dial with black roman hours, fleur-de-lys minutes and inscribed ''Smorthwaite in Colchester'', with a date aperture to the foliate engraved centre, the back false-plate stamped ''Finnemore & Walker'', the hood with an architectural pediment and tapering columns, the trunk with a moulded door with key, weights and pendulumJohn Smorthwaite was one of Colchester''s earliest clockmakers and by far the most prolific. John Smorthwaite was born in 1675 at Middleton in Lonsdale, close to Kirkby Lonsdale near Kendal in the old county of Westmorland in north-west England. He arrived in Colchester, it is said, about 1712 or 1713, a fully-trained clockmaker with an expert knowledge of his trade, a widower with a young daughter called Sarah. He was then about thirty-seven years old, and he worked assiduously in Colchester till hi...