Clock, Case

Object Name:

Clock, Case

Date:

circa1733

Material:

Wood
Metal
Glass
Paint

Dimensions:

H-1.3 W-4.75 D-0.25 inches

Description:

Tall case clock, by Jonathan Blaisdel (1678-1748). Wood case; metal face. Hood has a flat top with arched front opening and rectangular side lights. Metal face is white metal on brass. Block painted roman numerals I to XII, and arabic numerals, 5 to 60. Small square window in face reveals a day-of-month dial. Brass medallion within arch reads, "JONATHAN / BLA[I]SDEL". Scroll and urn designs around dial and medallion. Simple wooden case (unidentified wood) has an arch-top door with bulls-eye glass disk inset in center, a wooden lever closure attached with hand-wrought nail, and two hand-wrought iron hinges. Case has pegged joinery. Note (consistant with original catalogging for the Philomathic Club) tacked to inside of case has 8 hand-wrought nails sewn, and reads, "From first clock brought to Hopkinton, supposed to have been made 1733".

Jonathan Blaisdel's name on top of dial. Rope drive, two hands, single weigt. Bull's eye window in middle of door.

Provenance:

Brought to Hopkinton by Benjamin Darling (1748-1821) and Betsey Kimball in 1776. Found in their home on Beech HIll.
From CC Lord, Life and Times in Hopkinton (p.252): "In the rooms of the New Hampshire Antiquarian Society . . . may be seen the first complete tall clock ever brought into this town. It was made in 1733 by Ionathan Blasdel, and was brought to this town in 1776 by Benjamin B. Darling."

Subjects:

Clocks watches

People:

Blaisdel, Jonathan, Darling, Benjamin B.

Item Number:

1983.1517

Accession Number:

1983.1517

Type of Material:

Objects

Copyright Statement:

For information regarding copyright, permissions, and reproductions contact the Hopkinton Historical Society

Credit Line:

Gift of Daniel Kimball

Participating Organization:

Hopkinton Historical Society