Lot 66
GEORGE III MAHOGANY LONGCASE CLOCK, AINSWORTH AND JOHN THWAITES, CLERKENWELL
DATED 1773
Auction: Day One | Wed 18th Feb at 10am | Lots 1 to 352
Description
the signed 11 inch breakarch brass dial with silvered chapter ring, Roman numerals and Arabic five minute markers, the silvered centre with subsidiary second and date dial, numbered ‘617', pierced floral and c-scroll spandrels, the arch with silvered ‘Strike/Silent’ dial flanked by pierced floral spandrels, the moulded breakarch case with glazed bridge hinged door flanked by brass stop-fluted canted angles, with rectangular glazed panels to the sides, over a long breakarch trunk door with moulded edge flanked by brass stop-fluted canted angles, on a square panelled plinth base on bracket feet, the twin train weight driven five pillar movement with anchor escapement striking to a bell, the frontplate dated 1773, the backplate stamped ‘A&J THWAITES’
Dimensions
214cm high, 51cm wide, 26cm deep
Footnote
Ainsworth Thwaites is recorded by G. H. Baillie (Watchmakers & Clockmakers of the World) as having been admitted to the Clockmakers’ Company in 1735 and gaining his Freedom in 1751. He worked from Rosoman Row until about 1780 and supplied movements to many leading London makers. A clockmaker of considerable renown from a long-established horological family, he founded Ainsworth Thwaites & Company in 1740. He had two sons, Benjamin (apprenticed 1762; Freed 1770) and John (apprenticed c.1772; Freed 1782). John was head of the firm from 1780.