Bracket clock by Charles Gardner, Hull, c.1840
The parts inside this clock that make it tell the time are called an âeight day movementâ. An eight day movement needs winding up every eight days so it doesnât slow down and finally stop.
The eight day movement was invented to replace the 30 hour movement. Clocks with 30 hour movements stopped after just 30 hours. If you owned a clock with a 30 hour movement, you would have had to wind it up every day!
This clock was made by Charles Gardner. Charles made clocks and watches at various workshops in Hull between 1826 and 1872. He moved from Bishop Lane to Trinity House Lane, then to Whitefriargate and finally to Queen Street.
Clocks and watches were made in Hull and East Yorkshire from the early 1700s. Local demand for clocks supported several makers. In the 1700s there were around six clockmakers in Hull at any one time. Local clockmakers were influenced by London styles. Many Hull makers made copies of high quality London clocks, or they made cheaper cases, depending on their customerâs budget.
Bracket clocks have short pendulums and mechanisms driven by steel springs. Most people couldnât afford bracket clocks, as the steel springs were very expensive to make. Many bracket clocks, like this one, have a cord called a âpull repeatâ. This makes the clock chime the last hour when pulled. This was a useful way of finding out the approximate time in the dark without having to light a candle.
Purchased by Hull Museums with assistance from the V&A Purchase Grant Fund.
