Thomas Hughes, London

Circa 1775

Sold

6 foot (183cm.) high

A rare mahogany miniature 8-day longcase regulator. CASE The diminutive case is constructed of veneered solid mahogany with a raised panel to the front of the plinth which is raised on moulded double skirting. The trunk has a breakarch door with the original brass hinges and lock, the sides of the trunk have moulded mahogany pockets to the to accommodate the pendulum bob. Brass reeded angles and solid mahogany panels to the sides flank the breakarch hood and the top is surmounted by an elegant concave moulding surmounted by a brass ball finial. DIAL The silvered brass regulator dial is fully latched and signed Thomas Hughes London in the arch. The regulator layout has delicate blued steel hands for the seconds and minutes and an aperture for the hours and shuttered winding hole. MOVEMENT The very high quality 8-day movement has tall brass plates conjoined by six pillars with large brass latches. The fine wheel train has six crossings to each wheel and an elegant Graham-type deadbeat escapement with steel-rod pendulum and a massive brass-cased bob; bolt-and-shutter maintaining power and the original thick mahogany seatboard. Thomas Hughes was apprenticed in 1734 to his father, also Thomas (d. 1753). His working dates were 1742-1785, a remarkable run of 43 years at his workshops in New Broad Street Buildings in the City of London. Given the paucity of clocks known by him and the very high quality of the present clock movement one could surmise that Thomas was very likely an out-worker, possibly working for some of the Fleet Street makers such as the Mudge, Dutton & Shelton.