Click here to enlarge picture

31440
ALDWORTH, LONDON. AN EARLY ENGLISH PULL QUARTER REPEAT BRACKET TIMEPIECE IN AN EBONISED CASE BY THE SON-IN-LAW OF JOHN KNIBB. CIRCA 1695.

An interesting early bracket clock. The caddy top case with ebony veneers and a shaped carrying handle at the top with a cast and gilded sound fret above the dial and Knibb style escutcheons to the door. The base with square block feet.

The eight day timepiece movement with pull quarter repeat on four bells and a separate bell for the hours, has nicely shaped knopped pillars and a profusely engraved backplate. The verge escapement has had some work done to it, including a new top potence, but the clock has never been converted to anchor escapement.

The quality of the movement is as you would expect from an apprentice of Knibb and has some similarities to his work.

The dial has cherub spandrels to the four corners and a nicely matted dial centre with a date aperture below 12 o’clock and a mock pendulum aperture with an engraved background below that. The winding hole is ringed. The silvered chapter ring with Arabic numerals outside the Roman numerals has fleur de lys half hour markers and is signed at 6 o’clock, "Aldworth, London".

Height: 14" (36 cms.)

Price band: F

Was the son of John Aldworth of Childrey. Apprenticed to John Knibb at Oxford 1673 to 1680, but worked with him till 1689, when he set up on his own. Moved to London in 1697, when Joseph Knibb sold his London business, and was admitted in the Clockmakers’ Company as a Free Brother (watchmaker) in December 1697. In 1703 he married Elizabeth Knibb aged 23 of Collintree Nr. Northampton (thought to be the daughter of John). By 1720 he had returned to Childrey.

Click here to enlarge picture