Herbert Clock

This is a brass inlaid mahogany dropdial fusee wall clock made between 1850 – 1860.  This clock originally hung in 6 & 7 West Smithfield, but by the 1960s had stopped working and had been put in the cellar with other ‘junk’.

 

The clock was repaired in 2012 by Raymond Webb a Haverhill clock repairer who also used to work for the Company in the electronics section.  He discovered that the name ‘Wood’ was inscribed on the reverse of the face, which would have been done by the original painter to identify which clock was being made for whom.  It must have been repainted after Thomas Herbert bought Wood's in 1867.

 

One feature of the clock is that the Roman ’4’ is not shown as IV but as IIII, perhaps to balance with the VIII on the other side, although this is not unusual for clocks of that period.