Clock Makers
Eli was born on February 16, 1752, in Concord, Pennsylvania. He was the third child of Joseph Bentley, the tavern keeper of the Red Lion Tavern in Doc Run, Pennsylvania. At age twenty, Eli married Mary Hunter, the first cousin of clockmaker Thomas Shields. He soon bought a home at West Whitelands… read more
Louis Bernhard is listed in several references as a watchmaker and jeweler working most of his life in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania.
The (History of Columbia and Montour Counties Pennsylvania, Battle, 1887, Bloomsburg, pg. 323) provides the following information about this industrious person.
Louis… read more
John Bigelow was born in Westminster, Massachusetts on May 26, 1802. His parents were Luke Bigelow and Asenath (Winship) Bigelow. John was trained as a silversmith and is first listed as doing business in Boston as early as 1824 as John Bigelow & Co. In the early 1830's, he was joined by his… read more
The Acton and Concord, Massachusetts Clockmaker Jonathan Billings was born in 1777 and died in Acton on February 13, 1841. It is not currently known who trained him, and a significant number of the movements that he made do not resemble the work of other local Makers. The movement plates he… read more
Belding Dart (B.D.) For most of his life, Bingham worked primarily as a Watchmaker in Nashua, New Hampshire. He is also reported to have worked briefly in the cities of Lowell, Waltham, and Roxbury, Massachusetts. It appears he had a working association with Leonard W. Noise and, for a short time,… read more
Flavel Bingham was born on March 14, 1781, in Andover / Bolton, Connecticut, and died of Typhus on August 13, 1804, in Utica, New York. He was 23 years old when he died. His parents were Stephen Bingham (born 11/30/1740 and died 2/19/1835) and Sarah Long (born 3/25/1743 and died 4/29/1799.)… read more
John Birge (1785 -1862) and Thomas Franklin Fuller (1798 - 1848) shared a successful partnership in Bristol, Connecticut, from 1844 through 1848. They made many steeple clocks with a large variation of movements. This firm is probably best known for making steeple-on-steeple clocks powered by wagon… read more
The Birge, Peck & Co. of Bristol, Connecticut was a firm comprised of John Birge, Ambrose Peck, Samuel Taylor and William R. Richards. This venture started in 1849 and lasted until 1859. John Birge retired in 1855.
The Blasdel name is spelled in many ways. We have seen it spelled "Blaisdell" and "Blaisdel" in the past. A descendant of David recently informed me that it was originally spelled "Bleasedell" in the early half of the 1600s. The first member of the family to immigrate to the New World was Ralph,… read more
Chauncey Boardman was born in 1789. He worked in Bristol from 1810 through 1850. He began making wood tall clock movements with Butler Dunbar until 1812, when he bought him out. After that, Boardman made movements for other companies, including Chauncey Jerome. In 1832 he formed a partnership with… read more
Chauncey Boardman was born in 1789. He is listed as working in Bristol in 1810 through 1850. He began making wood tall clock movements with Butler Dunbar until 1812 when he bought him out. He then made movements for other companies including Chauncey Jerome. In 1832 he formed a partnership with… read more
The Boston Clock Company was organized by Joseph H. Eastman, James Gerry, and others on May 29, 1884. It was actually located in Chelsea, Mass. This company was formed as the successor to Joseph H. Eastman's Harvard Clock Company 1880-1884. Joseph H. Eastman became the manager of this new firm.… read more
John Boyd was born in 1805. His father, Michael Wallace Boyd, died on November 8th in 1827. John inherited the duties of running the family farm and Tavern. There, he established his clock shop. In 1857, John married Sarah Armstrong from the nearby village of Compass. John became a large… read more
Rodney Brace was born in Torrington, Connecticut, on May 1, 1790. His parents were Arial Brace (1748-1816) and Deborah Hannah Loomis (1751-1839). Rodney was a framer who became interested in clockmaking. He received some training from one of the Norths, Norris or maybe Ethel. Sometime between… read more
Oliver Brackett was born in Limington, Maine, on June 18, 1800. He was the son of Rueben and Jane (McArthur) Brackett and the younger brother of Reuben, who was also a clockmaker. The Brackett family was an important part of Maine’s clockmaking history. They learned their craft in what became… read more
The Bradley & Hubbard Manufacturing Company was located in Meriden, Connecticut. Today, the Bradley & Hubbard firm is better known in most circles for making cast iron items such as figural doorstops and small banks. This clock represents a smaller market where they made figural clock cases… read more
Adam Brant's birth date is not currently known. It is recorded that he arrived in Montgomery County in 1763 when he purchased a 22 acre farm in New Hanover Township. This farm was located on the road between Philadelphia and Reading. This deed descibed him as a clock and watchmaker. Many tall case… read more
Abel Brewster was born on February 6, 1775, in Preston, Connecticut. He was the son of Benjamin (1736-1786) and Elizabeth (Witter (1741-)) Brewster. They were married on May 24, 1759, in Preston. Abel had an older brother, Walter Brewster, who had a house and shop on the Canterbury Green on… read more
George G. Brewster was born in Portsmouth, NH, on April 5, 1797, and died there on July 7, 1872. His career reflects Portsmouth's dynamic economic and technological developments in the early 19th century. Brewster is listed in Paul Foley’s Willard’s Patent Time Pieces as a watchmaker, clockmaker… read more
Gawen Brown, a prominent figure in Boston’s colonial era, was born in England in 1719 and died in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1801 at the age of 82. He emigrated to the American colonies before 1749, during a period when Boston was a thriving center of commerce and craftsmanship. On February 6,… read more