Clockmakers of Thornbury

Home Page

We are greatly indebted to Dr. Graham Dowler's excellent reference book "Gloucestershire Clock and Watchmakers" (Phillimores 1984) and to Sir George White of The Worshipful Company of Clockmakers (at Salter's Hall, Fore Street London, EC2Y 5DE) for sources of information about clockmakers.

We have no expertise on the subject of clocks but, while we were researching the history of Thornbury, we became fascinated by the number of clock and watchmakers associated with the town and the charm of the clocks that were made here.  We have created this webpage to bring together what we know about these people and to show images, where available, of examples of their clocks.  We would love to hear from anyone who has a Thornbury clock or who has further information about any of the clockmakers. 

Sadly it would seem that there was not such a wonderful artisan tradition of clockmaking that we had at first supposed when we first saw the long list of clock makers.  The  reason for the large number of clockmakers in the nineteenth and early twentieth century may lie instead in developments in technology.

Thornbury Museum has a more detailed account of this development in an exhibition next to an example of a Wilks clock.  The notes there say; "By the early 1800s there were national firms making dial blanks and prefabricated movements.  This opened the gates to a mass of small town and village 'clockmakers'  who co-ordinated the assembly of long case clocks with the help of local cabinet makers dial painters and blacksmiths."

The museum has the workings of an eight day long case clock put together by Henry Wilks in Thornbury between 1813 and 1828.   We show a thumbnail image of this clock on the left.  Please click on it for a larger photograph.

According to Thornbury Museum the movement of this clock "was probably manufactured in Birmingham and the case made by a local craftsman.  The clock has a painted dial.  Up until 1786 all dials were of brass but the painted dial was cheaper to produce and gave much more scope in style.  The false plate behind the dial is cast with the dial maker's name W. Francis."  

William Francis was a prolific dial maker who worked first at Birmingham from 1810 to 1831.

The implication is that what we have in many cases is the result of the flowering of nineteenth century ingenuity and the growth of mass production rather than the presence of so many gifted local craftsmen.  This enabled shopkeepers who were not great artists in clockmaking to put together the various mass produced components of a clock to suit a particular customer.

We have more information about Henry Wilks (or Wilkes as the spelling appeared in most records).   Dr Graham Dowler's book says that Henry Wilkes was apprenticed in 1793 in Bristol.   Henry died on 17th April 1828 aged 48.   Click here to read more about Henry and Ann Wilkes.

Dr Dowler also lists the following as clockmakers in Thornbury;

Thomas Cox.  The clock shown on the right was made by Thomas Cox, probably in Thornbury.  This is a thumbnail image, please click on it for a larger photograph. 

There were two clockmakers called Thomas Cox who were uncle and nephew.

Clocks made by both  Thomas Cox's still exist and both clockmakers used the inscription  "Thomas Cox of Cromhall."  One of these clocks, a one handed clock, was once in the possession of Hubert and Edna Fudge of Thornbury and members of his family have kindly sent us this photograph of it.  Because it is a one handed clock we have assumed that it is an older example and likely to be the work of the first Thomas Cox.

Dowler says that the older Thomas Cox married Mary who was buried on 22nd November 1739.  Thomas Cox's will mentions "my nephew Thomas Cox son of my brother Charles Cox deceased."  We know that Charles Cox of Alveston died on 29th October 1737 aged 38.  Thomas Cox senior died on 18th December aged 42 and his will was proved on 5th January 1740/41. 

The second Thomas Cox married Mary Collier at Cromhall on 15th April 1762 and was buried there on 15th January 1784.  His executors were George Rolph senior and junior and they inserted the following message in the Gloucestershire Journal of February 16th 1784;-

"Mr Thomas Cox late of the town of Thornbury in the County of Gloucester a very eminent clock and watchmaker being dead all his late stock of working tools &c are to be disposed of immediately to any clock or watchmaker at a fair appraisement:  And if purchased by a person of good character and ingenious in the business, he may have the singular advantage of taking and carrying on the same in the late Mr Cox's shop which will be let for that purpose."

Thomas's widow Mary continued the business and was described as a clockmaker in the Trade Directory for Thornbury of 1794.

Samuel Davis.  The clock shown here below left was made by Samuel Davis in Thornbury about 1830.  It is a thumbnail image so please click on it so see a larger picture.  We have some confirmation that Samuel and his family were living in Thornbury at this time.  Thornbury parish records show the baptism on 14th May 1834 of Pamela Davis the daughter of a watchmaker Samuel Davis and his wife  also Pamela.  On the 8th July 1835 there was the baptism of another of their children Samuel Henry Davis.

The 1851 Census shows that Samuel Davis was actually born in Wiltshire.  In 1851 he was aged 43 and a watchmaker then living in Newnham in Gloucestershire.  His wife Pamela aged 36, a dressmaker was from Cromhall near Thornbury.  Their daughter also Pamela was aged 18 and a dressmaker, born in Thornbury.  Eliza aged 12 was born in Cromhall, which suggests that the family had moved from Thornbury by 1839.  Rosa aged four was born in North Nibley and Sarah Davis aged four months was from Newnham.

Nicholas Jenkins  Dowler says that "The Early Clockmakers of Great Britain" (B Loomers 1981) tells us that Nicholas Jenkins made a Bristol Turret clock in 1610.  The Town Trust records contain Caffell's notes on a memorandum of 30th May 1634.  "I Nicholas Jenkins of the Borough of Thornbury, clockmaker, have received the day and year within written the sum of five pounds ... by the hand of William Jones of Thornbury aforesaid shoemaker."  The memorandum says that the money was collected from the free gift of Peter Hawksworth, John Jones (shoemaker), William Jones (shoemaker), John Bird, Phillip Harris, John Jones (mercer), Edward Thurston, John Thorne, William Jones the younger (mercer), John Clark, John Warner, Thomas Alpass, William Jones victualler etc.

The money was for "a new good and sufficient clock well going" which would be set up within the Town Hall of Thornbury.

Milwart.  Dr Dowler says that there was a clockmaker called Milwart in the Thornbury area about 1830 and cites "a painted dial wall clock with alarum."  However we have not yet found any mention of someone with this name in the area.

John Morgan  We know that a Bristol Directory of 1775 shows  John Morgan was a clock and watchmaker at Broad Ware or Broad Weir.

An advertisement in the Gloucestershire Journal of 23rd February 1784 reads:

 "John Morgan jun. Clock and Watch-maker, engraver etc from Broad Street respectfully begs leave to acquaint the customers of the late Mr Cox and the neighbouring inhabitants in general (Mrs Cox having informed him that she would not continue the business) that he now carries on the above business in all their various branches, opposite the Market Place in Thornbury, where he makes and carefully repairs horizontal, repeating and other watches, Church, Turret, Chime, Quarter and plain clocks of various Constructions. Gold rings etc.  He also makes the truest sun-dials either horizontal, erect or in any other position.  Electrical machines and apparatus, thermometers, barometers etc.  Coats of Arms, Crests and Cyphers engraved on plate, seals etc.

Those who please to favour him with their commands may rely on having their work executed in a complete manner, and on the most reasonable term; and as he has given general satisfaction to his employers in Bristol, hopes by a strict attention and punctuality to orders to merit the countenance and support of the Country. 

N.B. He will engrave and varnish for country clockmakers or serve them with dial-plates as cheap as in Bristol or London."

Thornbury Museum asked for comments from Sir George White about the clock shown above which was made by John Morgan.  His comments tell us more about the nature of clock making at this period.

He says that

“makers in the late 18th century brought in their painted dials mostly from Birmingham manufacturers. The dial of this clock is in the earliest style, perhaps by James Wilson of Birmingham and stylistically could date from the mid 1770’s to 1800. The dial will almost certainly be pinned to a “false- plate” which itself will be pinned to the front plate of the movement.  This will probably be made of cast iron and may have the name of the name of the dial makers cast into it."

At least one Website on the Internet describes James Wilson as the best dial maker of his day.  He started his business around 1772.

Zimri Moxham.  Zimri was buried in Thornbury aged 67 on 7th February 1806.  There was an inquest and we understand that the verdict was "visitation of God."  The parish register describes him as a clock and watchmaker.  However we have no records of him living or working in Thornbury.

Thomas Savery.  We know that Thomas Savery was a journeyman clock and watch maker and that he and his family lodged with Ephraim Wilson in the Horseshoe Inn at 25 and 25A St Mary Street in the 1851 Census.  Click here to read more about Thomas Savery.

William Henry Yarnold.  William was born in 1859 and died in 1947.  A clock by W Yarnold is on display in Thornbury Museum.  The photograph shown below left is a thumbnail image.  Please click on it for a larger version.  Click here to read more about the Yarnold family.

In addition to those clockmakers listed by Dowler, we have also found the following mentioned in Thornbury Trade directories or on the Internet

Percy Balls from about 1897 to 1904.  Click here to read more about Percy Balls.

Frank Edmonds  His name first appears in Thornbury's Trade Directories from 1923. 

Frank had a shop at 41 High Street.  He was the son of  Charles Edmonds, a clerk in an assurance office, and his wife Martha.  He was born in the December quarter of 1873 in Somerset.  The 1881 Census shows that he was the grandson of John Edmonds a tailor and draper from Olveston.  Frank was brought up in the Walcot area of Bath.  In the 1891 Census he was already a watchmaker's apprentice aged 16.  We have learned from a website for the Edmonds family that in April 1895 there was a newspaper story that Frank rescued a boy from the canal in Bath near the swing bridge.  He married Sarah Ann Goodwin in the June quarter of 1898 in Bath.  The 1901 Census shows that he was living in Portsmouth and was aged 27.  His wife Sarah was aged 28 and she was also from Bath.  They had a son Charles aged only four months at the time of the Census.  Frank was a watchmaker and jeweller.  We understand that the couple had four children in all.  The first child was Winifred who was born on 27th May 1899 and who died in December the same year.  Charles who had been born on 20th December 1900,  died aged only 13 in Surrey.  Harold was born on 19th June 1903 in Portsmouth .  Their last child was Violet who was born in 1906 in Blindley Heath in Surrey.

We have learned from his family's website that Frank gave up his shop to follow a musical career.  He first went to Blindley  Heath in Surrey to be a choirmaster and organist before moving to 45 Folkstone Road in Dover to become an organist at Christchurch, Dover.

Several other jobs followed including being an Estate Agent and  School Attendance Officer.  He then enlisted in the army in World War I and was sent to Newark.

On 5th February 1949 the Gazette newspaper had an article describing the funeral of Frank Edmonds, jeweller and optician of the High Street in Thornbury who had been a tradesman in the town for many years.  He was taken ill shortly after his marriage to Miss Edith Holloway whom he had married in Thornbury.  He died in Southmead Hospital in Bristol a few days later on 28th January.  His funeral took place in St Mary's Church.

The son of William Henry and Kate Nicholls gave us the background details to this story;

"My mother’s sister, Auntie Edie, who came to live with us, I would have thought in the early years of the war, worked at the Post Office.  She was pleasant, popular and adaptable and became an indispensable part of the town. Opposite was Frank Edmonds, Jeweller and also Church Organist in one of the villages outside Thornbury; at any rate one of his own organ pieces was published by Novello.  He had separated from his wife and had two grown-up children whom he had not seen for years, and he sought Auntie Edie’s hand in marriage.  She would not hear of this nor of allowing him to seek a divorce; however some ten years later it emerged that Mrs Edmonds had died many years earlier – so the marriage went ahead.  Mr Edmonds was I think 75, my aunt would have been in her late 40s.  However that day a prostrate problem manifested itself and Mr Edmonds died two or three days afterwards.  Of course Auntie Edie felt very bitter, and in that this was an intestate situation the full estate should have been divided between Mr Edmond’s two children.  No-one knew them but in the event Auntie Edie was able to divide the estate in two and pay the two children half the total valuation.  It was a small business but for the first time she had her own home, her own business and her own position.  She did very well and contributed a great deal to the town."

Henry Liddiatt 1889-1936.  Henry was known to a generation of Thornburians as "Clocky Liddiatt."  Click here to read more about him..

John Brown  The clock that is shown here on the left in a thumbnail image (please click on it for a larger photograph) was advertised for sale by "It's About Time."  The advertisement described the clock as a good example of a painted or japanned dial and says that the clock has a Hood door which is a typical Bristol style.  J. Brown was said to have moved from Bristol and worked in Thornbury from 1792.  We are aware that John Brown was a tenant of what is now 36 High Street in Thornbury from 1792 to at least 1797.

Click here to read about another well-known clockmaking family, the Collings or Collins family.