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Wall Clocks / Pendulum Clocks

pendulum
noun

A body suspended from a fixed support so that it swings freely back and forth under the influence of gravity, commonly used to regulate various devices, especially clocks.  Also referred to as a simple pendulum.

Said to be derived from the Long Case Clock or Grandfather Clock, the Wall Clock design originated from Isaac Blaisdell's theory that Grandfather Clocks were simply too big for the average household.  Today, if lucky, one can find a Blaisdell grandfather clock or wall clock at an antique auction.  On August 4th, 2005, at a Hopkinton, NH auction, an Isaac Blaisdell (1738 - 1791) grandfather clock was sold for $6,875, and a  David Blaisdell (1736 - 1794), brother of Isaac,  brass clock brought in an impressive $6,800.

Another famous (perhaps THE most famous) New England area horology family was the Willard's, of Massachusetts.  Benjamin Willard was born in Framingham, MA, in 1716.  He fathered a large family of twelve children, not uncommon for the time.  Three of his sons, Benjamin, Jr., Simon, and Aaron, all became famous clock and watch makers.

Around 1756 Benjamin Willard Jr. (born in Grafton, MA, March 19th, 1743 and died in Baltimore, MD, in 1803) was a horology apprentice to Jonathan Milliken, in Lexington, MA.  Approximately 1770, Benjamin Jr. opened "The Clock Dial", on Roxbury Street, in Boston, MA.  He was succeeded by his younger brothers; Aaron (1757 -  1844), of Roxbury and Boston,  Simon (1753 - 1848), of Grafton and Roxbury and Ephraim.  Their sons Aaron Jr. (son of Aaron), Benjamin (son of Simon), and Simon Jr. (son of Simon) continued the family profession.  The Willard timepieces were all marked either Grafton, Lexington, or Roxbury.

Simon Sr. is probably the most famous of the three brothers.  In 1801, he invented the 8-day banjo clock (a timepiece designed after the traditional pendulum clock, except for the fact that the pendulum is allowed to swing freely, outside the case).  It is said that the Banjo Clock closely resembles the back-and-forth wagging of a dog or cat's tail.  Hence the name, "wag-on-the-wall" clock.  Additionally, the "8-day" segment of the name implies that, once fully wound, the clock should continue to operate for a period of seven days, plus an additional day to wind in the event that one would forget or simply was unavailable to wind it.

Simon Sr. originally named and designed the Banjo Clock as an "Improved Patent Timepiece".  Despite the patent he was granted, it was widely copied.  There were some 4,000 genuine Willard banjo clocks produced.  Willard introduced a number of improvements that enabled his clock to run for eight days, in spite of their weights.  The banjo clock was also more accurate than other clocks, because the pendulum was suspended in front of the weights.  The case was largely made of glass, which was decorated with paintings of landscapes, flowers, ships and noteworthy buildings.  Today, this typical American clock is still very popular.

* For more information on this subject, please refer to our
Grandfather Clocks page.*

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