Lot 81TP
A late 17th century lantern clock in an oak freestanding case William Raynes, York
14 – 15 July 2022, 14:00 BST
London, New Bond Street£3,000 - £4,000
Looking for a similar item?
Our Clocks specialists can help you find a similar item at an auction or via a private sale.
Find your local specialistAsk about this lot
A late 17th century lantern clock in an oak freestanding case
William Raynes, York
The delicately strapped bell with five turned finials between three dolphin and floral frets above four slender tapered pillars and two side doors (with slots for the pendulum) on ball feet, with iron hoop to the top plate and spikes below. The 6.25 inch silvered Roman dial, with fleur de lys half-hour markers and single blued steel hand to the Yorkshire rose engraved centre, signed above VI Will Raynes in Yorke. The movement driven by a chain and weight with verge escapement, the pendulum mounted centrally between the trains and swinging through the door slots, countwheel strike on the large bell. Contained in a 17th century oak floorstanding case of pegged construction and excellent colour. Together with two lead weights. 40cms (15.5 ins) high
The delicately strapped bell with five turned finials between three dolphin and floral frets above four slender tapered pillars and two side doors (with slots for the pendulum) on ball feet, with iron hoop to the top plate and spikes below. The 6.25 inch silvered Roman dial, with fleur de lys half-hour markers and single blued steel hand to the Yorkshire rose engraved centre, signed above VI Will Raynes in Yorke. The movement driven by a chain and weight with verge escapement, the pendulum mounted centrally between the trains and swinging through the door slots, countwheel strike on the large bell. Contained in a 17th century oak floorstanding case of pegged construction and excellent colour. Together with two lead weights. 40cms (15.5 ins) high
Footnotes
William Raynes was born near Helmsley in Yorkshire in 1638. In 1653, he was sent to London as an apprentice of the clockmaking brothers William and Ralph Almond, being freed in 1660 or 1661. Raynes remained in London, establishing himself in Butcher Row, East Smithfield; all the extant clocks from this London period are lantern clocks. In 1676, he is still listed as living in London, though by 1682 or 1683 he appears to have moved to York; he was certainly there by 1687, in which year he was made a Freeman of the City. Two of his lantern clock dials are very similar, not only to each other, but also to a dial on a clock by Thomas Cruttenden, another York clockmaker, and it seems likely that both Cruttenden and Raynes used the same engraver. William Raynes died in a riding accident on 28th December 1694. There are three lantern clocks and three longcase clocks signed William Raynes in York, one of the longcase clocks having been sold by Bonhams in 2014.
This particular lantern clock has very short collets for the wheels, the collets themselves being integral to the arbor, a practice that was popular among very early London lantern clockmakers. The frets and the centre of the dial are engraved almost exactly the same as the other two lantern clocks by Raynes, and one by Cruttenden, with a York rose in the centre and ferocious looking dolphin/sea monster frets. One of these similar clocks may be seen in Lantern Clocks & Their Makers by Brian Loomes, Figure 18.9, pg. 320.
For further reading, see Loomes, B. (2017) 'William Raynes of London, York and elsewhere' Part I and II, Clocks Magazine, Vol. 40 (April, May), pgs.9-13.