James Stratton
Director
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Lot 34W
A large and impressive mid 19th century wainscot oak striking domestic regulator Vulliamy, London, number 1309.
8 July 2015, 14:00 BST
London, New Bond Street£5,000 - £7,000
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A large and impressive mid 19th century wainscot oak striking domestic regulator
Vulliamy, London, number 1309.
the hood with overhanging cornice and chamfered front angles, the heavy brass bezel bordered by recessed quadrants, the long trunk with low gothic arch panelled door on a corresponding base and rectangular plinth, the 15 inch red and brown painted dial with gilt Roman numerals interspersed with fleur de lys around the gilt centre and pierced painted hands, the very substantial movement signed and numbered on the backplate, with five turned pillars, the deadbeat escapement with maintaining power with fine-screw adjustment to the lozenge-section wood rod pendulum with T-bar suspension terminating in a large brass-faced bob with engraved silvered rating nut reading against a beat scale mounted on the backboard, the strike acting on a coiled gong mounted to the backboard 259cms (8ft 6ins) high.
the hood with overhanging cornice and chamfered front angles, the heavy brass bezel bordered by recessed quadrants, the long trunk with low gothic arch panelled door on a corresponding base and rectangular plinth, the 15 inch red and brown painted dial with gilt Roman numerals interspersed with fleur de lys around the gilt centre and pierced painted hands, the very substantial movement signed and numbered on the backplate, with five turned pillars, the deadbeat escapement with maintaining power with fine-screw adjustment to the lozenge-section wood rod pendulum with T-bar suspension terminating in a large brass-faced bob with engraved silvered rating nut reading against a beat scale mounted on the backboard, the strike acting on a coiled gong mounted to the backboard 259cms (8ft 6ins) high.
Footnotes
Provenance:
Flixton Hall, Near Bungay, Suffolk probably made for Sir Robert Shafto Adair, circa 1835-6.
Sold by Stanford, Broom & Stanford, Contents Sale of Flixton Hall, 1st December 1950, (lot 667 an 'Oak long-case clock, with black and gold dial, eight-day chiming movement') situated in The Hall (p30).
Purchased at this sale by Archibald C. Brown Esq. Mr Brown was a clockmaker based nearby in Bungay, Suffolk. He had looked after the clock since before the First World War. A copy of a newspaper clipping from the 1950's shows the then owner Archibald C. Brown winding the clock stating that he purchased it from the 1950 contents sale.
The current owner purchased the clock direct from Mr Brown.
Flixton Hall was built in 1615 by John Tassburgh but by the mid 18th century it had been sold to William Adair. William died in 1783 and the estate was run by his son Alexander until his death in 1834. The estate then passed to another branch of the family and it was probably Sir Robert Shafto Alexander Adair (1786-1869) who commissioned this clock from Vulliamy. Interestingly, it is recorded that Sir Robert also purchased a 'rosewood balance clock' from Vulliamy in 1838, the same year that he was made a Baronet.
A fire caused major damage in December 1846, but thankfully the present lot survived. A new wing was added by the 3rd Baronet circa 1890. In 1915 the 5th Baronet sold the Flixton Estate but retained ownership of Flixton Hall and Flixton Park. The 6th Baronet was forced to sell the Estate in 1950 to settle the heavy death duties payable on his fathers passing. The clock was purchased direct from the house sale. Flixton Hall was demolished in 1952.
The Gothic style was popular in the second quarter of the 19th century, perhaps the most famous example being the Houses of Parliament in London designed by Charles Barry and Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin. Vulliamy supplied clocks to both Houses, and number 982, now in the House of Commons, is comparable to the current lot - it too has a regulator movement with dead beat escapement, wood rod pendulum and large bob.