Joseph Smith Clockmaker of Barthomley and Chester

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Joseph Smith ‘s Domestic Clocks made in Chester 1 All of Joseph Smiths bracket and longcase clock movements have the family style screwed pillars. These are well cast with fine fins. His early dials are similar to those produced by his father at the same date, ie they have heavily engraved matted centres and wheatear decoration. He utilised a sun motif and sometimes birds, as his father did. These designs are not uniform. For example the suns are not all to the same pattern. This could indicate different engravers’ styles, the same engraver, possibly Joseph Smith himself, experimenting with different designs or a combination of the two. The very earliest Chester made clocks were signed ‘Joseph Smith, Gloverstone’. Later dials were plain matted with no engraving or wheatear decoration. Many of Joseph Smith’s longcase and bracket clocks have the Arabic minute numbers flipped vertically on the chapter ring; on some, just the 30 stands the ‘right’ way up instead of the more common upside-down arrangement. On other clocks the 35, 30 and 25 are all flipped. We have seen this feature on a clock by Thomas Hampson, and only one other Chester maker. This is Robert Jones who had a close working relationship with Joseph Smith. Joseph Smith’s turret clocks all run on smaller weights than is usual for big clocks, and similarly, his longcase clocks run with smaller weights than is usual, four pounds instead of the usual twelve pounds. We know of about thirty domestic clocks by Joseph Smith. They are almost all either eight day longcases or verge table clocks (often later converted to anchor). The clock was signed Joseph Smith Gloverstone It is the only one we have seen which is signed in this way
Joseph Smith ‘s Domestic Clocks made in Chester 2 This clock came on the market in the USA in October 2015. Joseph Smith made many bracket clocks but this one is the first we have seen with lacquer. It probably dates to the period after 1725 when Joseph moved into Gloverstone, but not later than 1740. These photos and those on the next page are here courtesy of the vendor. George Ormerod’s History of the County Palatine and City of Chester, 1819, has a clear image of a family crest which resembles that in the arch of this clock. See a photo and sketch of the crest on the next page. Lacquer finish table clock by Joseph Smith
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Joseph Smith Clockmaker of Barthomley and Chester

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