Longcase clock by Samuel Atkinson, Bridlington, c.1760
The picture of the moon in the arch above this clock face isnât just decorative. The picture moves across the dial to show the phases of the moon. The part of the moon visible in the picture is the same as the shape of the moon in the sky.
Phases of the moon dials were important in port towns like Bridlington and Hull. Their livelihood depended on the tide. Tides are affected by the phase of the moon.
This clockâs phase of the moon dial would also have come in handy for planning travel. In the days before street lighting, most travel at night was planned according to the brightness of the moon.
Clocks and watches were made in Hull and East Yorkshire from the early 1700s. This clock was made by Samuel Atkinson, a clock and watch maker in Bridlington from 1760-1800. All we know about Samuel is that he had three children. Sarah was born in 1768, his son Samuel died in 1770, and another son called Samuel was born in 1772.
The parts needed to make a clock are the dial, movements (the mechanism that tells the time) and case. Some local craftsmen had the skills to make all of these parts. Other âclockmakersâ bought ready made parts and marked their name on the clock. Many of the cases for these clocks were probably still made in East Yorkshire, which had a number of skilled joiners.
Local demand for clocks supported several makers. In the 1700s there were around six clockmakers in Hull at any one time and four in Bridlington. Local clockmakers were influenced by London styles. Many made copies of high quality London clocks, or they made cheaper cases, depending on their customerâs budget. This clock case is made of oak, which was popular because it was quite cheap. Woods like walnut and ebony were more expensive.
Purchased by Hull Museums with assistance from the V&A Purchase Grant Fund.
