GILLETT & JOHNSTON (FORMERLY GILLETT & BLAND) (1844-1958)

Grandmother Clock by Gillett & Johnston (c. 1920 England)

Grandmother Clock by Gillett & Johnston (England)

Item Medium Description

Grandmother Clock

Item Signed, Inscribed, Dated Details

Pidduck & Sons - Southport

UK/USA Dimensions

70.00 inch high

European Converted Dimensions

177.80 cm high

Item Provenance & History

Note: The movement is stamped with Patent No: 2524220. This was applied for in 1920. Henry Pidduck & Sons are still trading today in Lord Street, Southport. Gillett & Johnston are also still trading in Croydon. They specialised in Turret clocks and public clocks. They also supplied bells from their own Foundry. We recently sold an identical clock by this maker. Its most likely that they were made at the same time to order but whats most unusual is to come across two in such a short space of time.

Current Item Condition

Fully restored and guaranteed for 12 months.

Item Description / Dealer Expertise

Retailed by H. Pidduck & Sons - Southport

A high quality antique grandmother clock by this well known maker.

The two train 8 day movement striking the quarters and hours on nine rods with tune selection for either Whittington or Westminster chime. The substantial regulator movement with deadbeat escapement, maintaining power, beat adjustment, two brass weights and unusual lozenge shaped pendulum bob. The finely engraved silvered brass arch dial with Roman hours, blued steel hands and strike/silent facility to the arch. The small mahogany case of excellent proportions with a long trunk door with reeded canted corners and elaborately shaped bevelled glass. The base with a single shaped plinth and recessed panel with ornate moulding. The hood with a broken arch top and well cut sound frets to the side, reeded canted corners and bevelled glass to the hood door.

GILLETT & JOHNSTON (FORMERLY GILLETT & BLAND)

Type	Artist/Maker
Country of origin	England
Started working	1844
Stopped working	1958

William Gillett started as a clockmaker in Hadlow, Kent. He moved to Clerkenwell, London, and in 1844 to Croydon, Surrey, where he was later (circa1854) joined by Charles Bland.

The firm traded as Gillett & Bland from about 1853 until about 1879 manufacturing turret clocks, regular clocks, and clock cases . The Company was also called Gillett & Bland Steam Clock Factory. In 1877, Arthur Johnston bought a partnership and the name was changed from about 1879 to 1884 to Gillett Bland & Co. From 1884 until 1887 it became Gillett & Co. (possibly on the death of Charles Bland) and thereafter Gillett & Johnston of Croydon. Gillett is reputed to have emigrated to America around the late1880's and been joined by his son in 1902. The Gillett & Johnston name remained until 1925 when the y became a limited company known as The Croydon Bell Foundry Ltd., but in 1930 the name changed to Gillett & Johnston Ltd.

The firm originally bought in the bells from other foundries but began to cast bells at Croydon from 1877 and the supply of carillons and carillon machines increased still further when Cyril Johnston (1884-1950), son of Arthur, joined the firm on the death of his father in 1916. By 1886 nearly 100 hands were employed by the firm which obtained the raw iron, copper and tin so that the whole process was completed at the Croydon site.

After the death of Cyril in 1950 the bell foundry diminished and was closed 7 years later. The business went into receivership in 1958 and was acquired by Synchronome and then by Cyril Coombes (died 1972) and his son Stephen but became independent again in 1965 and eventually re-established the Gillett & Johnston name which continues today. As late as 1988, the company still made turret clocks if required, and undertook overhaul and maintenance.

Examples of Gillett & Bland turret clocks are still in the Town Hall at Manchester, UK., Hampton Court, London, and can be found in many far flung places such as Post Office, East Angus, Quebec, Canada, India, Durban, South Africa, Jerusalem and Sydney, Australia

Price

gbp 8250.00 (Pound Sterling)

Choose currency:
Please note: This is a guide conversion price only as we update our currency table every six hours, please check with dealer which currencies are an acceptable form of payment.

More information /
Purchase this item

Please email or call +44 (0)1249 816227 for more information or to purchase this item.

Status

FOR SALE

Keyword Search

P.A. Oxley Antique Clocks

P.A. Oxley Antique Clocks
The Old Rectory
Cherhill
Calne
Wiltshire
SN11 8UX

Open: Open from 9:30 - 5:00 everyday except Wednesday & Sunday

Contacts:	Mr. Chris Oxley
Telephone:	+44 (0)1249 816227
Fax:	+44 (0)1249 821285
Website:	www.british-antiqueclocks.com

We are members of:

LAPADA - THE ASSOCIATION OF ART & ANTIQUES DEALERS

Established: 1971

We deal in:

Our main stock consists of antique longcase clocks and mercurial barometers. We also stock a small selection of bracket clocks and wall clocks.

Search For...

Subject	Enquiry regarding GILLETT & JOHNSTON (FORMERLY GILLETT & BLAND) (1844-1958), Grandmother Clock by Gillett & Johnston
Name
Phone
Email
Message	Enter message...
If you do NOT want to receive newsletters from us regarding the antiques trade, please UNCHECK this box.

Select a Language

GILLETT & JOHNSTON (FORMERLY GILLETT & BLAND) (1844-1958)

Make an enquiry for more details