Longcase clock

Description

A longcase clock by Ezekiel Hughes of Machynlleth with brass dial and thirty hour movement in a wonderfully patinated oak case. Machynlleth, Mid Wales circa 1790 20½” wide 78½” high 9½ deep See W Linnard, Wales Clocks & Clockmakers, Mayfield books 2003 for clock details and also an image of a clock hood by John Tibbot which has similar fret-work decoration Ezekiel Hughes was born in Cwmcarnedd Uchaf, Llanbryn-mair, Montgomeryshire in 1767 and was apprenticed to John Tibbot a clock maker of Newtown in 1786. (The apprenticeship deed is held at the National Library of Wales). He worked as a clock maker in Machynlleth between 1786 – 1795. In July 1795, along with his cousin Edward Bebb he led a group of people from Llanbryn-mair to America, becoming some of the earliest Welsh settlers in the far west of the USA. After avoiding the press gang at Carmarthen, they departed from Bristol in August and reached Philadelphia on the 25th of October 1795. After buying land at Paddy’s Run in West Ohio, he returned to Wales in 1802 to marry his Welsh wife and returned to Ohio in 1803. He helped many immigrants from Wales to settle in America and was a founding member of the congregational Church at Paddy’s Run he was the first magistrate for that district and was also appointed by the state governors to design a new highway from the river Miami to the town of Hamilton. He died in September 1849.

• www.timbowenantiques.co.uk (link opens in new window)