Leonard Aldread

Circa 1675

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6ft. 1� in. high

A rare and very small Charles II ebonised 30-hour longcase clock. CASE The ebonised pine case with partially restored plinth rests on later bun feet, convex mouldings, slender trunk with panelled rectangular trunk door centred by a circular lenticle, iron hinges (partially missing), replacement door lock. Convex throat moulding beneath the now forward-sliding hood with twist columns and glazed sides restored ebony fret above the flat top. DIAL The 10 inch square brass dial is beautifully engraved in the centre with flower heads and foliage centred by a large rosette and signed Leonard Aldread in the Strand Fecit within an elaborate curtained cartouche. Calendar aperture cut just above VI of the brass chapter ring with Roman & Arabic numerals and trident half hour markers. Unusual well-pierced and sculpted blued steel hands, well cast and chased winged cherub spandrels. MOVEMENT The very individual movement has wide breakarch brass plates held by four ring-turned knopped pillars, the going train with anchor escapement, strike train with strike on a bell (presently lacking) via a large diameter outside countwheel in the centre of the backplate. Leonard Aldread is listed as being made a Free Brother of the Clockmakers� Company in April 1671 and still working in the Strand until May 1685 when his quarterage was listed as being in arrears. The present clock is most unusual, not least because of its remarkably small size and very beautiful engraved dial. The dial plate is beautifully engraved in the centre and it has a very lovely fluent signature. The chapter ring is a contemporary replacement - the original chapter ring would have been narrower and there would have been a single hand. From about 1680�s well-regarded movements with single hands and verge escapements were being up-dated with the more accurate anchor escapement and given both a minute and an hour hand. At this point the original narrow chapter ring, which would have been without minute markings, was replaced by the present slightly wider ring with outer minute track.