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A George III mahogany 'Lancashire Chippendale' st

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A George III mahogany 'Lancashire Chippendale' style longcase clock, attributed to Gillows of Lancaster, circa 1765, the broken scroll swan neck pediment carved with foliate terminals above foliate and scroll carved inset panels, flanked by paterae over an arched glazed door enclosing a 13" arch brass dial with roman numerals, date aperture and marked 'Jon Benson, Whitehaven', foliate engraved centre and date aperture, the arch painted with a three masted merchantman approaching a pier detailed with a lighthouse and figures, the dial applied with pierced foliate and scroll spandrels, eight-day movement striking on a single bell between stop fluted Corinthian column pilasters over a dentil moulded frieze centred by a patera from which issues a carved grape vine extending to each side of the clock above a shell carved and crossbanded full length trunk door with concave top corner and ribbed moulding flanked by fluted quarter pilasters with carved Corinthian capitols and blind fret work carved bases over an acanthus carved bevelled moulding, the crossbanded base panel with shell carved corners (one lacking) between canted blind fret work carved angles and raised on shaped ogee bracket feet, painted and gilded pendulum, 90" high See Regional Furniture Volume I 1987 article by Susan E Stuart, titled 'To a mahogany case, the best sort, influences on the design of 18th century North Lancashire clock cases'. Here Miss Stuart refers to the carved shell on the trunk door of a similar clock by Thomas Fayer of Lancaster with 'a scalloped shell on top of Ye door' and a Greek key fret identical to fret on the Gillows design, dated 1760. References to carving on the clock case door tops occurs in Gillows designs during the 1760's and the Fayrer clock bears a striking resemblance to an order recorded in the Gillow archives in 1761 by Messes Birkett for 'Valmont', a gentleman or merchant of Guadeloupe. The Gillow entry runs S & E Valmonts No.1, two clock cases with fluted pilasters, the head and feet to be gilded with a scalloped shell on top of 'Ye door'. A similar clock to the present lot is also illustrated in the article in Figure 2 by Joshua Horracks of Lancaster which resembles the earliest surviving clock case drawing by Gillows, circa 1760. It is interesting to note that Whitehaven, Liverpool and Lancaster were the main north western ports for the reception of a variety of woods from the Baltic including Danzig oak and also mahogany from the West Indies giving Lancashire joiners and clock makers a ready supply of materials for casework. Miss Stewart notes that the price and availability of mahogany fluctuated during the 18th century due to the French wars and had an effect on the cost and design of furniture. Apparently in 1759, Gillows complained that 'mahogany plank is very dear' and Miss Stewart goes on to indicate that 'clock cases were ambassadors of Gillows furniture and were invariably included in cargos for new export markets such as St Petersburg and The Canary Isle. They were usually mahogany fretted carved gilded or painted in the later style'. Miss Stewart also states that the Gillows archives of 1761 refer to a payment of 6 shillings to Robert Townson, carver, for carving two shells on clock case doors, one carved in the manner of William Kent and also for a rococo motif incorporated C scrolls and foliage. She also notes that fluted pilasters are rarely seen on 18th century clock cases. See also The Longcase Clock by Tom Robinson, published by the Antique Collectors Club, revised edition 1995, page 307, fig.10/33 for another clock by Benson of Whitehaven, circa 1780.

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