John A. Robey & William Linnard Early English horological terms Antiquarian Horology, Volume 38, No. 2 (June 2017), pp. 191–201 The AHS (Antiquarian Horological Society) is a charity and learned society formed in 1953. It exists to encourage the study of all matters relating to the art and history of time measurement, to foster and disseminate original research, and to encourage the preservation of examples of the horological and allied arts. To achieve its aims the AHS holds meetings and publishes books as well as its quarterly peer-reviewed journal Antiquarian Horology. The journal, printed to the highest standards fully in colour, contains a variety of articles and notes, the society’s programme, news, letters and high-quality advertising (both trade and private). A complete collection of the journals is an invaluable store of horological information, the articles covering diverse subjects including many makers from the famous to the obscure. The entire back catalogue of Antiquarian Horology, every single page published since 1953, is available on-line, fully searchable. It is accessible for AHS members only. For more information visit www.ahsoc.org Volume 38, No. 2 (June 2017) contains the following articles and notes George White, ‘Don’t mention the war! The chequered early years of the Worshipful Company of Clockmakers’ NUMBER TWO VOLUME THIRTY-EIGHT JUNE 2017 John A. Robey & William Linnard, ‘Early English horological terms’ Paul Buck, ‘Courtenay Adrian Ilbert, Horological Collector. Part Two: Acquisition, 1930–1939’ Chris McKay, ‘Two Poor Law clocks’ Thomas R. Wotruba, ‘The story behind PATENT SURETY ROLLER stamped on carriage clocks’ David Buckden, ‘An impoverished innovator. Joseph Anthony Berrollas (1775–1852)’ William Linnard, ‘Early clocks in English woodcuts’ Chris McKay, ‘The electro-magnetic verge’ Guy Boney Q.C., ‘An interesting case’ Front cover: Detail of a William and Mary walnut and marquetry longcase clock case, c. 1690. The intriguing imagery is the subject of ‘An interesting case’. 1 FC June 17.indd 1 5/22/2017 9:34:44 AM JUNE 2017 Early English horological terms John A. Robey & William Linnard* English terminology used for clocks and clock parts has developed and changed over many centuries. Regional and dialect differences and individual preferences are also evident, as well as some terminological confusion. Many terms have become obsolete and are no longer used, and the meaning of some old terms is now uncertain or quite obscure. Using a wide range of printed sources we have compiled the following vocabulary of old terms relating to turret clocks and domestic clocks. It must be stressed that no attempt has been made to cover terminology relating to astronomical clocks, regulators, chronometers or watches. Turret clocks overhaul of the clock originally installed in St John’s College, Oxford, in 1691 by the even Horological writings and publications exist more noted John Knibb. Any accounts that do in French, Italian and German that are contain such details are particularly valuable generally earlier than comparable works in sources for historical terminology, as empha- English. Apart from Richard of Wallingford’s sised half a century ago by Dr Beeson.1 Since clock of about 1320 at St Albans, the only then many of these accounts have been early descriptions of clocks and clock parts published, either as complete transcripts or that now survive were written down not by as extracts, and they provide a good and often the clockmakers themselves but by scribes the only source for the vocabulary of horologi- and churchwardens unfamiliar with the cal terms used in Britain from the fourteenth workings of clocks. Many churchwardens’ to the eighteenth century. accounts contain contemporary mentions of the church clock and its repair or Bath, St Michael (J. K. Bellchambers, Somerset replacement, though only occasionally do Clockmakers, 1968) they mention specific details. The earliest Battle, St Mary (E. J. Tyler, AH Autumn 1989, surviving accounts were often in Latin (in 287–295) some places even up into the sixteenth Bristol, Christ Church and other churches century) but in the fifteenth century English (J. K. Bellchambers, Somerset Clockmakers, became increasingly and then exclusively 1968) used. Charing, St Peter & St Paul (C. H. K. Williams, Most church accounts mention the church AH March 2006, 371–396) clock and the frequent expenditures incurred Chester, St Peter (K. Appleby, Clockmakers of for the chimes, wire, bells and hammers, and Cheshire, 1999) also for the construction of or repairs to the Crosscombe, St Mary (J. K. Bellchambers, clock-house or clock-loft, but few give much Somerset Clockmakers, 1968) detail on these old turret clocks themselves, Exeter, cathedral (C. N. Ponsford, Time in their parts and repairs. The most informative Exeter, 1978; also C. N. Ponsford & J. G. M. sources are clockmaker’s bills but they rarely Scott, AH Spring 1980, 52–69) survive. One exception is the detailed bill by Gloucester, St Michael (G. Dowler, the noted clockmaker Thomas Paris of Gloucestershire Clock and Watchmakers, Warwick, who in 1741 undertook an extensive 1984) *John Robey ([email protected]) has compiled the technical words used to describe the components of domestic clocks, while William Linnard ([email protected]) has concentrated on the early records of turret clocks mentioned in churchwardens’ and other accounts. 1. C. F. C. Beeson, ‘Clocks in early churchwardens’ accounts’, Antiquarian Horology, Vol. 3, No. 11 (June 1962), 325–7. 191 ANTIQUARIAN HOROLOGY Great Budworth, St Mary (K. Appleby, Clock- Clockmakers, 1990) makers of Cheshire, 1999) Stockport, St Mary (E. Davies, Greater Man- Hambleton, St Andrew (R. Ovens & S. Sleath, chester Clocks & Clockmakers, 2007) Time in Rutland, 2002) Swansea, St Mary (W. Linnard, Wales: Clocks Hornchurch, St Andrew (E. J. Tyler, AH Winter & Clockmakers, 2003) 1981, 617–9) Sydling, St Nicholas (A. H. Druery & C. F. C. Horsham, St Mary (B. Slyfield, Horsham Beeson, AH March 1967, 194–7) Society Newsletter December 2009, 83–5) Tenby, St Mary the Virgin (W. Linnard, Wales: Kingston-upon-Thames, All Saints (E. J. Tyler, Clocks & Clockmakers, 2003) AH December 1973, 508–520) Ticehurst, St Mary the Virgin (E. J. Tyler, AH Leicester, St Martin (J. Daniell, Leicestershire September 1983, 304–6) Clockmakers, 1975) Tintinhull, St Margaret (J. K. Bellchambers, London, Allhallows Staining (Jeremy Evans, Somerset Clockmakers, 1968) AH December 2001, 414–423) Wimborne Minster, St Cuthburga (T. Tribe & London, St Andrew Hubbard, Eastcheap, P. Whatmoor, Dorset Clocks and Clock- Billingsgate (Jeremy Evans, AH June 2001, makers, 1981) 179–183) London, Salisbury House (B. Loomes, Clock- In the following list of obscure or obsolete makers of Britain 1286–1700, 2014, 351) terms, those related to turret clocks have been Ludlow, St Laurence (Thomas Wright, Church- culled mainly from churchwardens’ accounts wardens’ Accounts of the Town of Ludlow, in various parts of the country from the in Shropshire, from 1540 to the End of the secondary sources listed above. It covers Reign of Queen Elizabeth, Camden Society accounts up to about 1720, i.e. not only the Vol. 102, 1869; Wright also compiled a long period when turret clocks employed a major dictionary of provincial dialect verge and foliot escapement, but also the words); also M. Page, AH June 205, 744–53; period after about 1670 when most of such December 2005, 227–34) clocks were either being converted to Lyddington, St Andrew (R. Ovens & S. Sleath, pendulum and anchor escapement or being Time in Rutland, 2002) scrapped and replaced by new clocks. The first Macclesfield, St Michael (K. Appleby, recorded conversion to pendulum was by Clockmakers of Cheshire, 1999) Joseph Knibb at St Mary the Virgin, Oxford, in Metfield, St John the Baptist (L. H. Miller, AH 1670. Other early conversions noted were at June 1975, 320–3); also A. L. Hagger & L. F. Rye in 1674, Bethersden 1682, Yarnton 1682, Miller, Suffolk clocks and clockmakers, Charing 1682/3, Gloucester (St Michael) 1685, 1974) Oxford (St Martin) 1686, and Peterborough Middlewich, St Michael (K. Appleby, Clock- Cathedral 1687. In the eighteenth and makers of Cheshire, 1999) nineteenth centuries, with the publication of Morcott, St Mary the Virgin (R. Ovens & S. printed books on clockmaking in England and Sleath, Time in Rutland, 2002) with churchwardens’ accounts often containing Oxford, colleges and many churches (C. F. C. more details of repairs, more terms and new Beeson, Clockmaking in Oxfordshire terms appear. 1400–1850, and AH June 1962, 325–7) It should be noted that strob, semicirculus Peterborough, cathedral (C. F. C. Beeson, AH and other words used by Richard of Wallingford December 1965, 17–20) are unique to the clock he built for St Albans Rye, St Mary the Virgin (E. J. Tyler, AH June Abbey and not found elsewhere. Nevertheless 1962, 292–7) they are included here for completeness. St Albans Abbey (J. D. North, God’s Clock- This list of terms does not include items maker: Richard of Wallingford and the such as bells, rope, wire, hammer and chimes, Invention of Time, 2005) which occur very frequently in the accounts Salisbury, St Edmund, St Thomas (M. Snell, and are unambiguous, though as might be Clocks & Clockmakers of Salisbury, expected there is a wide variation in the 1986) spelling of both specialist horological terms Stirling, Holy Rude (C. Allan, Old Stirling and everyday words. Another regular small 192 JUNE 2017 expense was for various types of cord