"GRANDFATHER" CLOCKS.

Timaru Herald, Volume XC, Issue 13238, 19 March 1907, Page 7

"GRANDFATHER" CLOCKS.

;--.':3?here'■■•■'are.' aiwv : oriM visw/ in. (J. ■ ■ Jqiias:' ;md! ■ Co. 's auction • rooms; -tinee. ar-■ ticles ••iliie''- like of. which ! is •very seldom ReV. [Zeiin 'land.-.'.'":,: Thesis are,;.; three ; clocks," Which haye:beeiv-brought;oirb'from.., England by; VMr s3:': iWil6okj;i^S/a; : ;;Spey;eulatibn.': Mi' Wilspri tocik■a ifeip /Hprrie, arid when there desirecrlo'. bring: 'back. with/4ipni; for; his.-: own/ hoin&,/ an old clock ■ thail/liis;father arid harl owned,. ■bufe;;h : e' iailed to induce;'fch;e-x>wner to part., ■kith;; ifci s'HeVwas ,t*ddvilia£ /'* grandfather blocks " were riot; to be bought or begged nowV, and could "fihly be stoleri, for Ainei'i-. cans:,;liai3i..:bouglit .pr: begged .; all \;there were to/by got in those' days," or:;.- liad agentsvpielcing'-theni/up :a,S: : f;i'st : as;.they beciune available.,,. Mr..-Wilscni /telling his t:il&;to» a"-'/ Herald " /reporter, ;?sa'id ; /4ie'< undertook .tpi play, llie; himsplf,/ and to ■ get. v.i-ioine' of Vtlie ■:pld?:family 'treasures for New Zealand;; ■_ lie/ did, not ■ see; why: (he AmeHcans'should 1 ' them ;,»}!.'.'■■ 'He; found that he. hacrt;ikeiv ; a bigger'contract than, : he- .'expeoted,'; ajul••■■ he/; scoured ; five 1 counties Id seaich of. old clocks—Warwickshire, | Staffordshire, p;u:tVpf Leicestershire,. Lancashire-'', 'and ■ I)erbyshire, and was only able -to -pick' up .nine'.; ...None of them were; bought from-; cottagers;'; the:,poorer class had 'sold their. ancient timekeeper.;', to Americam'"'chiefly:'/ /-/H6v ; gMvthenY" from. farnihouses.';a.-hd;.fvom business'..people, and ; ' J price.s foiv'Jtliem; that; life speculation.: is not going /to., 'pay him. "He. has/sold/six, and is. now;:offering..three in Tiniaru;V It- would have'improved: Ihe ina.rket ;for:,them-,perhaps: if lie had' obtained /.thej [/""pedigree"' •of 'each. : ;bf. them, he; : 'did:-iiot. do. .. -Jlhe: oldest .looking, 'the .most, ornately finished:, case (when new),. .'Sir. years and /probably/ 205 years-old":, : It's .face..corrpboraie's this. ~ ;./IbeVcages' •of all, are ' pa:kV, with !some;mah'ogany ■■yeueeriiig,/ and .the. oldest 1 ' one'; has,; a./'good., .deal Vof; decoratiyeViulaying, /now -/almost .hidden by dirt. !! VSlr; Wilson ' ha.s .lio.t;.cleaned them; preferring/ to letpeople/See them as he. got'Vthehi,'.!'. .Judging ,from ..their V; appearance, : there; : must- be, a :'s<ir't"; of / domestic supefstitipiiVp:ipainst:;(h3?.ilei(nmg/..(>f /clock cases iiv the, honies - of .';theV ; f)l(i : :Gountry. They, "iippear. 'to liaye: been '.oiled or;bees- . waxed ' again and again,, but' witho.ut any ■cleaning off; ■■■■';.■' The/■"'oldest; looking'/plpck bears the/name'; ";Rbcers;;/E(udley^^.(Stiiffordshire), The whi.'-e .paint'.of is' 'much, cracked '.'with V-'.age,,' V-iid 'it lifts/ figures of the hburs J aiKl::them.uiute."strokes are.Jniif'rubbed' out.■'/'■ 'All the clpekV faces ; .hafe' : spnie'i hand-painfed'decoratioh,'.''./'.'ln thig'{case' Ihe 'drawings,"are' of cottages and [■ it Vis/'birds, ' in/-the thdrdlcflowers'; .-hid the JR'ogprs Vclock ;s .bas agavvpavrotah: the. face/ ";: T On'e of/';theip. is labelfol-/ • An*y;P6zziy Wootteiiliassett " is'-known to Server 'ls0■'lyears :-old •'./ .'-The.'; thirdhas' visible. ;■; /Tlie;.clocks. aye -of/xiimi'se ! riin; : ;by .with lolig peiiiluluhis:/th?: 'liipiipiij'is. the,-mafeial/use'l :.was; sp; gpbd;/thH/ the wpi-ks ; ase|said;V : tp'-;be r :as. gp6d,as/eyej!?;/