A Rare George III Ten Bell Quarter Chiming Bracket Clock by Allam and Caithness

A rare example of a quarter chiming bracket clock made 1800-1805 by John Allam and Thomas Caithness with an eight day triple fusee movement chiming on ten bells. This clock has an unusual recoil escapement of cut cylinder form chiming the quarters on 10 bells.

The substantial three train fusee movement united by four baluster pillars, strikes the hours on a single bell and chimes the quarters on a run of ten bells and hammers, regulated by a steel-rod pendulum suspended between cheeks for the rise-and-fall regulation, terminating in a heavy brass bob with hold fast. The back plate is beautifully engraved with a scrolling foliate design and emerging form a central urn above a oval cartouche signed Allam and Caithness LONDON. The movement has a pull cord to advance/correct the chiming.

Housed in an ebonised triple pad case with brass-bound pads centred by a handle over silk-backed sound frets on a moulded and brass bound base and ogee bracket feet. The four canted corners with brass facings and the front and back doors with brass liners. The silvered break arch dial with roman numerals signed Allam & Caithness LONDON, with finely pierced blued steel hands with strike silent and rise fall regulation dials to the arch.

Similar examples by Allam and Caithness can be found in the collection of the Royal Antiquarians Society, and also documented in the English Bracket Clock by Richard Barber p182. However both of these examples are twin fusee hour striking clocks and not quarter chiming like the one offered here.

Many Allam and Caithness clocks have movements made by Thwaites, however this movement has no other marks or signatures that would suggest this is one of them the unusual escapement would suggest that this was an early and innovative clock movement made in their own workshops. This is also the only quarter chiming example by them that we can find. The nest of ten bells is of particular note making a wonderfully crisp tone.

Allam & Caithness succeeded Allam & Clements and are recorded as working at 119 Bond Street, London, 1800 – 1805. John Allam apprenticed to his father William set up with another fellow apprentice to Thomas Caithness. They must have been very successful to maintain such a prestigious address in their short five year partnership. the brief span of this partnership is also useful in dating this clock to the first five years of the nineteenth century.

John Allam died bringing the partnership to an end, little is recorded about what happened to Thomas Caithness. A watch barrel bar in the British Museum’s collection offers a tantalising clue signed Caithness and Bicknell, it is presumed he went on to form another successful partnership.

Allam & Caithness are documented in 9 The English Domestic Clock by Cescinsky and and Webster P309.

This clock is shown unserviced but will be fully overhauled before delivery, this clock comes with our two year guarantee.

43cm H x 31cm W x 20cm D

All of our clocks come with a 2 year guarantee, all of our clocks are overhauled and sympathetically restored, all of our clocks are authentic and supplied in good original condition.