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How did the Grandfather clock come about
"In watching its pendulum swing to and fro
Many hours he spent when a boy
And through childhood and manhood, the clock seemed to know
And to share both his grief and his joy.
But it stopped short
Never to go again,
When the old man died.
Ninety years without slumbering,
Tick, tock, tick, tock,
His life seconds numbering,
Tick, tock, tick, tock,
It stopped short
Never to go again,
When the old man died. This was taken from the song entitled "My Grandfather's Clock" composed by famous American songwriter Henry Clay Work (the writer behind Marching Through Georgia). This is where the grandfather clock got its name. The song was compiled by Henry Work in 1875 in honor of the late Jenkins Brothers' old floor clock in George Hotel located in the boundaries of Yorkshire and County Durham, England. It was believed that the clock's life span corresponds to its owners; the Jenkins Brother. At some point in the early 1880s, the late brother's legend and the song's popularity mixed up. As a result, people began calling their floor clocks as the grandfather clock.
Grandfather clock, also known as the tall case clock, floor clock, longcase clock, and freestanding clock, is a pendulum based striking clock which measures an average of six to eight feet in length. Its tower usually has an ornately carved wood designs around the clock face. William Clement, a well-known clockmaker from the United Kingdom, was the recognized creator of the grandfather clock. He started developing it around 1670. However, it was Italian physicist and telescopic astronomist Galileo Galilei who first initiated the idea of using a pendulum in clocks. At some point in 1852, Galileo determined the pendulum's potential but he never applied it in action. Inspired by Galileo's impressive innovation, Dutch natural philosopher and scientist Christiaan Huygens continued the pendulum's breakthrough. As a result, Huygens created the first ever pendulum clock in 1656. He then registered and patented his discovery in 1657. The original version of the pendulum clock is referred as the "wags-on-the-wall". It has a short pendulum and is usually placed in the walls. However, this clock was not very accurate because it runs 3 minutes loss or gain a day. This became the forefather of the present day grandfather clock.
During 1660, European clockmakers particularly the English have started producing a more accurate clock which has a 6 feet long case and 10-inch pendulum. In 1670, the grandfather clock was born with the help of the so called Royal Pendulum invented by Robert Hook and anchor escapement created by William Clement. The Royal Pendulum is longer than its predecessor which measures about 39 inches in length. The first grandfather clock was raised at a height of 7 feet from the floor. It was a great improvement over the later versions because it is more accurate and precise. The minute hand was also supplemented for the first time. Though during that period, it was not yet known as the grandfather clock.
The golden age of the grandfather clock was from 1630 to 1730. Europe's royal families and other rich people began acquiring the longcase clock because of its fashionable designs. After that, it was exported to different American colonies in 1685. As a result, several areas in the United States became a longcase clock hubs. These include New York, New England, Pennsylvania, and Virginia.
At present, numerous types of grandfather clocks have existed. These are the Heritage, Legacy, Delaware, Amherst, Aristocrat, Cortland II, Odyssey Curio, Monarch, Samuel Curio, and the Patriot.
Grandfatherclocksplus.com's most famous list of grandfather clocks include the Thornbury Grandfather Clock by Hentschel, Joseph Grandfather Clock by Howard Miller, Fairfield Grandfather Clock by Howard Miller, Filmour Grandfather Clock by Howard Miller, Lakefield Grandfather Clock by Hentschel, Prescott Grandfather Clock by Hentschel, Hayward Grandfather Clock by Howard Miller, City Centre Grandfather Clock by Howard Miller, Majestic Grandfather Clock by Howard Miller, Chandler Grandfather Clock by Howard Miller, Shakespeare Limited Edition Clock by Landry, Glenmour Grandfather Clock by Howard Miller, Cosmopolitan Grandfather Clock by Howard Miller, Southampton Cherry Grandfather Clock by Hentschel, Orleans Grandfather Clock by Hentschel, Tischuhr Mantel Clock by Kieninger, and the Hemingway Limited Edition Clock by Landry.
The Altobel Antonio 1700's Solid Italian Walnut Grandfather Clock has a walnut case, solid Italian wood finish, Westminster chime, and a lyre pendulum. It measures 18 inches in width, 83 inches in height, 9 inches in depth, and weighs around 122 lbs. Its time movement is based on the Kieninger German technology.
The Howard Miller Taylor Grandfather Clock includes a hardwood case, Windsor cherry finish, and a polished brass pendulum. It also automatically shuts down its nighttime chime.
The Canadian-made Hentschel Cavendish Grandfather Clock has an ash wood case and a 220 millimeter lyre pendulum. Its wood finish can be blonde oak, red oak, dark oak, medium oak, pickled oak, harvest cherry, forest cherry, pepper cherry, black lacquer, or white lacquer. It also has three different chime melodies; Westminster, Whittington, and St. Michael's.
The Ridgeway Clocks 221 Baker Street Grandfather Clock from the United States holds a maple and cherry case, antique cherry finish, and a 270 millimeter brass twisted wire pendulum. It weighs about 185 lbs and measures 27 inches in width & 87 inches in height.
Among the world's top grandfather clock manufacturers are Le'Ore, AMS, Bulova, Butler, Mozer, Chelsea Clock, Comitti of London, Hentschel, Hermle, Hubert Herr, Infinity Instruments, Kieninger, and Landry.
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