This is a very good example of a cherry case tall clock made by one of Rhode Island’s premier clockmakers.

Squire Millerd was born the son of Nathaniel Millard and Barbara (Martin) Millerd on January 26th 1748/49 in Warwick, RI. He died on January 2nd, 1820. He is buried in a private graveyard at the back of the Millerd homestead in Cowesett, Rhode Island. Millerd (fought with the American militia against the British who were raiding livestock on Prudence Island and was appointed Captain in the Providence Battalion in 1780 and Captain in the Second Warwick Company in 1781. Several tall case clocks are known and have been publicly sold.

This example is formatted in the traditional proportions that one would expected from the Rhode Island region circa 1795. This case is a simpler form in that it stands flat to the floor on an applied molding. The waist section is long and narrow. It is fitted with a large tombstone shaped waist door. Through this door one can gain access to the weights an pendulum. The bonnet can be easily described as a dome top form. Short plinths are mounted on each side. They do not appear to have been fitted with finials. The double stepped molded arch is well formed. It is supported by wonderfully shaped bonnet columns. These feature square plinths, turned balls and long fluted sections. The bonnet door is an arched form and is fitted with glass. This opens to access the dial. The dial is brass and finished in a silver wash. This is a popular format for the region and the time period in which this clock was made. The details, the time ring and name boss are skillfully engraved. The time ring is formatted in Roman numeral hour markers and Arabic five minute markers. A subsidiary seconds dial is located in the traditional position. This is also true of the small square calendar day aperture. This dial is signed in the arch by the clockmaker, “ Squire Millerd” in a script format. The working location of ”Warwick” is also listed here. This boss is trimmed in a wonderful herringbone pattern. The movement is constructed in brass. It is designed to run eight days on a full wind and is weight driven. This clock strikes the hours on a cast iron bell. It is good quality. This clock stands only 7 feet 1 inches tall and was made circa 1785.