The Atkins longcase clock above has the initials FA and the date 1781 scratched in a corner of the glass. One year earlier, Francis Atkins had been elected Master of the Clockmakers Company in recognition of his standing. Perhaps this clock was first to be made when his term came to an end.
Opening the door at the front reveals a feature so unexpected that it is hard to believe: a full-scale Table Shewing every Day in the Year at Noon, how much the Equal or Mean Time is Faster or Slower than a Sundial. Maybe this is not so unusual, but I have never come across it.
I’m making no attempt to analyse what can clearly be seen. There may be several ways in which the Table can be read, so I’ll leave it to the reader to interpret.
There is one further interesting feature, perhaps not a rare one. The hand on the lower dial (in fact, counter-dial) has to be gently removed in order to wind up the clock. That’s where the key goes. The clock was Cleaned by Mr. Gallop, Horsecastles, Sept. 1971.
The drawing pin has its own story…
GSS Category: Equation of Time; Sundial Accuracy; Longcase clock with sundial table
All photos: Keith Salvesen
GAUDIUM SUB SOLE . SUNDIALS . MEDIEVAL TO MODERN 