A late 19th century French engraved brass carriage clock

Grohe 7 Wigmore Street London, No. 2695 and 3801

Footnotes

Provenance: Purchased from Tony Woodburn.

James Grohé was born in 1803 in Baden, Germany. It is unclear where he served his apprenticeship, but around 1829 he came to the UK and established himself as a watch and clock maker in London. Interestingly, an entry in the 1831 London Morning Post makes brief reference to a James Grohe, who is described as a French and Genevan watchmaker. Baden is an area of Germany, situated between the French and Swiss borders. It is not known exactly where in Baden Grohé originally lived and it is possible he was educated, horologically or otherwise, in France and/or Switzerland.
He is recorded as having taken over a watch and clock shop on Wigmore Street in 1834. The shop was originally the premises of the celebrated Charles Haley, who patented a chronometer remontoire escapement in 1796. It appears that Grohé purchased the shop from Haley's son, the previous business being 'Haley & Son.'
An 1838 insurance certificate shows him working at 7 Wigmore Street next to Cavendish Square, as a clockmaker. A few months later, he is also recorded as occupying 3 Wimpole St. Cavendish Square and practicing as a watchmaker, possibly indicating separate premises for each trade. By 1843, he is advertising as a clock and watchmaker from the Wigmore address.
At some point he married Harriet, a native of Marylebone and a year his junior. By 1845, the couple had two children, Catherine Elizabeth, and Mary Theresa. That same year, Grohé applied for, and was granted, British naturalisation. In 1852, Grohé was still working out of the Wigmore Street premises and advertising as a watch and clock maker.
Possibly around this time, Grohé began to be supplied with carriage clock movements by Holingue Frères, Raingo Frères, and later Drocourt, these last movements being supplied in the 1870's. Some carriage clocks are known with the dial signed 'Grohé a Paris', though whether he had an actual shop in Paris remains unknown, no reference having been found of one. One of the carriage clocks, a repeater, was purchased by Queen Victoria in 1855 and is inscribed 'To Princess Helen Victoria by Queen Victoria in 1855', indicating that Grohé's business must have been thriving.
The 1861 census records his full name as John James Grohé and describes him as a watch and clock maker, with his residence listed as 7 Wigmore Street. Harriet is also mentioned living at this address, as are three servants; a cook, a porter and a housemaid. By 1864, the 7 Wigmore Street shop had become 'Grohe Pennington & Typke'. It appears that Grohé had sold his business to John Pennington and Herrmann Wilhelm Typke between 1862-1864, possibly moving to 47 Princes Square, Bayswater, immediately after the sale.
John Pennington was part of a dynasty of celebrated chronometer makers; presumably he was apprenticed to his father Robert Pennington Jr. though no record of this is known. After his marriage, he self-described as a 'gentleman' rather than a 'chronometer maker' on official documents. In 1846, however, he entered into partnership with his father, exhibiting a novel chronometer balance designed to control middle temperature error, at the Great Exhibition of 1851. His father died in 1854, and John continued the shop for another two years, before moving to various central London locations, eventually settling at 7 Wigmore Street.
Herrmann Wilhelm Typke was born around 1821 in Prussia, and moved to the UK around 1849, setting himself up as a watchmaker. It is unknown where he served his apprenticeship, though it seems likely, considering his age when he moved, that it was served in Prussia. By 1859, he had married and was working out of 26 Devonshire Street, Portland Place in Middlesex. This same year he met John Pennington and the two became friends. Two years later, Pennington supported Typke's successful petition for naturalisation, along with several of Typke's neighbours. His petition also reveals that in 1861, he had five children, though their identities remain unknown.
Grohé died in 1872, at 47 Princes Square, Bayswater in Middlesex, leaving around £25,000. It might be that Harriet predeceased him, though this is not definite. His will was proved by his two children, Catherine Elizabeth who had married a German merchant, and Mary Theresa, who had also married a German merchant; whether the couples were living in the UK or Germany is not indicated. William Wier Marshall and Frederick Gould, both listed as Esquires, also served as executors, but their relation to Grohé is unclear.
Despite his death, entries continued to appear in trade directories under his name. In 1882 he is listed as working out of 24 Wigmore Street. By 1895, his address is listed as 3A Wimpole Street, Cavendish Square, an address he apparently vacated before his death. Around 1910, his entry has changed in trade directories to 'James Grohé, watchmaker, late 3A Wimpole St. & 24 Wigmore St. removed to Smith (Bolton), 26 Duke St. Manchester Sq. TN755 Paddington.' This entry continues to be recorded through 1920.
It is known that Pennington and Typke would advertise their business as 'Pennington and Typke, successors to Grohe' until at least 1870, sometimes even signing new pieces simple as Grohé, until the early 1880's. John Pennington died in 1882, and it appears that Typke changed the signature of the business to 'Herman William Typke, Watchmaker, and James Grohe, Watch and Clock Maker.' Oddly though, in the same trade directories that list Grohé, there is a separate entry for Typke which reads 'Typke, Herman William (successor to Grohé)', though both addresses match.
A very enthusiastic article did appear in 1893, in which Typke's shop at 24 Wigmore Street is lavishly described, and it is noted that he is a maker to the Queen and Royal Family. This may have been from Queen Victoria's purchase, in 1855, of a carriage clock from Grohé. The article also states that Typke took over Grohé's shop in 1849 (the year Typke moved to the UK), with no mention of the partnership between himself and Pennington. Whether this was a mistake on the writer's part or intentional misdirection from Typke remains unknown. Typke died in 1909, so it is unclear who continued to list James Grohé's details in the trade directories for the next 11 years, or why.

University of Leicester (2022) Historical Directories of England & Wales: London 1808-1915. Available at: https://specialcollections.le.ac.uk/digital/collection/p16445coll4/search/searchterm/London/field/place/mode/exact/conn/and/order/nosort
Kelly's Directories (1920) The Post office London Directory for 1920. London: Kelly's Directories.
Williams, J. (1864) Williams's Manufacturers Directory for London and the Principal Towns in England. London: J. Williams.
Kelly's Directories (1843) The Post office London Directory for 1843. London: Kelly's Directories.
Sun Fire Office (1838) Insured: James Grohe, 7 Wigmore Street Cavendish Square, clockmaker. Reference: MS 11936/559/1281601
Kelly's Directories (1921) The Post office London Directory for 1921. London: Kelly's Directories.
Sun Fire Office (1839) Insured: Emma De Conchy, South Street, Grosvenor Square. Reference: MS 11936/562/1298170
Sun Fire Office (1839) Insured: George Daw 3 Wimpole Street Cavendish Square cook and confectioner. Reference: MS 11936/559/1295946
Antiquarian Horological Society (1976) 'Police Page', Antiquarian Horology, Vol. 9 (8), pg. 924.
Extence, L. (2019) 'Story of a Carriage Clock', Horological Journal, Vol. 161 (11), pgs. 462-463.
Bicknell, W. I. and Payne, A. H. (1893) Illustrated London and Its Representatives of Commerce. London: The London Printing & Engraving Co.
Antiquarian Horological Society (1976) 'Kingston Antiques', Antiquarian Horology, Vol. 9 (6), pg. 723.
Mercer, V. (1981) 'The Penningtons and Their Balances', Antiquarian Horology, Vol. 12 (5).
University of London (1911) The Victoria History of the County of Middlesex. London: Constable.
Extence, L. (2022) Baveux/Jacot Carriage Clock for James Grohe. Available at: https://www.extence.co.uk/1465-baveux-grohe-carriage-clock
National Archives (1861) Petition for the Naturalisation of Herrmann Wilhelm Typke. Reference: HO 1/101/3579.
Stewart, A. D. (2013) 'Pennington of London: A Brief History of the Family, the Firm, and Their Chronometers', Antiquarian Horology, Vol. 34 (3).
National Archives (1845) Petition for the Naturalisation of James Grohe. Reference: HO 1/19/195.
The London Gazette (1872) 'Notices', The London Gazette, Issue: 23917, pg. 5239.
(1872) 'Wills and Requests', South Wales Daily News, 19th October, pg. 4.
MyHeritage (2022) 1861 Census for England and Wales. Available at: https://www.myheritage.com/research/collection-10152/1861-england-wales-census?action=query&formId=master&formMode=1&qname=Name+fn.John+fnmo.1+fnmsvos.1+fnmsmi.1+ln.Grohe+lnmo.3+lnmsdm.1+lnmsmf3.1+lnmsrs.1