Handsome antique oak and mahogany longcase / grandfather clock of eight day duration.

 

The oak and mahogany case stands 89½ inches high. It is typical of the area and period with a long shaped-top trunk door, canted corners to the trunk and base both with satinwood detail, full turned columns to the hood and good use of mahogany crossbanding throughout the case. The hood has a swan-neck pediment terminating in carved paterae and a ball and spire finial.

 

The movement is of eight day duration with the hours sounding on a single bell.

 

The time is displayed via the original gilded brass hands to the very pretty painted dial almost certainly produced by James Wilson, highly regarded Birmingham dialmaker. It has Roman hour numerals and conventional five-minute markings. There are subsidiary seconds and date dials to the dial centre along with the signature “Newby Kendal”. The four corners of the dial carry floral decoration and the arch bears a banner “Sic est vita hominis” (“So Is The Life of A Man”).

 

 

This clock signed just "Newby" refers to James and William Newby - working together they may have been brothers. Various clocks recorded by them both with brass and painted dials. Clocks range between 1765 and 1800. It was probably these men who supplied cabinetmakers Gillows of Lancaster with a clock in 1797 for a case they were making 'good 30 hours clock 13" square day of month etc & metal chains china dial from Newby - £2.11.0d' (Gillows records).