Richard Savage Round-Dial Hook & Spike Clock

A

Round Dial

Hook-and-Spike, by

Richard Savage, c1725

Shown here is a wonderfully original and unusual round-dial hook-and-spike wall clock by Richard Savage of Shrewsbury, dating from around 1725. Savage is amongst the earliest Shropshire clockmakers whose domestic clocks are known to survive, and the examples attributed to his workshop frequently display distinctive and sometimes unconventional features. This clock is particularly interesting because it dates from the latter years of Savage’s working life, only a few years before his death in 1728. Its circular dial is unusual for the period and may possibly have represented a simpler and less expensive alternative to the more conventional square brass dial with corner spandrels, although the reason for its use cannot now be known. Savage had begun his career making lantern clocks, while after his move to Shrewsbury his surviving output includes longcase and hook-and-spike wall clocks. Remarkably, the clock survives in wonderfully original condition, retaining many constructional details that provide valuable points of comparison with other surviving clocks by this fascinating early Shropshire maker.

Above. Showing the wonderfully original round-dial hook-and-spike wall clock by Richard Savage of Shrewsbury, c.1725. Photographed by Lee Borrett.

Above. Close-up of the signature, engraved ‘Rich. Savage, Salop’, together with the attractive fleur-de-lis half-hour markers. ‘Salop’ is the traditional abbreviation for Shropshire. Photographed by Lee Borrett.

Above. Showing the Richard Savage round-dial hook-and-spike wall clock with the dial removed, revealing the movement behind. Note the unusually decorative shaping of the original iron hammer arm. Photographed by Lee Borrett.

Above. Side view of the hook-and-spike movement, which survives in wonderfully original condition throughout. Photographed by Lee Borrett.

Above. Close-up of the attractive goblet-shaped brass wheel collets, a constructional feature also found on other clocks by Richard Savage. Photographed by Lee Borrett.

Above. Side view of the top plate, showing several distinctive constructional features associated with Richard Savage’s work. Photographed by Lee Borrett.

Above. The top plate. Note the unusual L-shaped iron bracket securing the dial to the movement, which is both pinned and screwed into position. I have observed this same method of construction on at least five other clocks by Richard Savage, making it a particularly interesting workshop characteristic. Photographed by Lee Borrett.

Above. Showing the original hoop and spurs, which are screwed into position. Another recurring feature of Savage’s work is the use of iron top and bottom plates within his birdcage movements. Photographed by Lee Borrett.

Above. Showing the interesting two-piece brass and iron pendulum, which may possibly be original to the clock. Unusually, the brass bob hangs from the iron rod rather than being screwed into position. Photographed by Lee Borrett.

Above. Rear view of the brass pendulum bob, showing how it hangs from the iron pendulum rod. Photographed by Lee Borrett.

Above. Showing the original decoratively shaped iron bell nut, another delightful example of the individual character found in Savage’s workmanship. Photographed by Lee Borrett.

Below. Side view of the Richard Savage round-dial hook-and-spike wall clock, complete with its two-piece pendulum, lead driving weight, wooden pulley, lead counterweight and iron dust covers. Photographed by Lee Borrett.

Richard Savage of Shrewsbury

Richard Savage was born at Much Wenlock, Shropshire, on 2 August 1663, the son of William and Joan Savage. He was one of at least eleven children, not all of whom survived childhood. In 1685/86 he married Elizabeth Price of Bridgnorth, apparently after completing his apprenticeship. Their children included William, born at Much Wenlock on 15 September 1687, and Thomas, born there on 17 August 1690.

Both sons subsequently entered the clockmaking trade. William was apprenticed to his father at Shrewsbury in 1700 and Thomas followed in 1703, both being about thirteen years old when their apprenticeships began. Elizabeth Savage died at Shrewsbury on 7 March 1722. Richard remarried, to Margaret Jones, on 19 October 1726, but died at Shrewsbury on 27 June 1728, aged sixty-four.

Hook-and-Spike

Wall Clocks

During the eighteenth century, hook-and-spike wall clocks provided a practical and relatively inexpensive alternative to both the traditional brass lantern clock and the fully cased thirty-hour longcase clock. In essence, the clock possessed a compact thirty-hour movement but required no wooden case. Instead, an iron hoop and projecting spikes at the rear allowed it to be hung securely from a convenient wall hook, much as lantern clocks had been for generations.

For an owner of modest means this arrangement offered considerable flexibility. The clock could be purchased and used immediately as a wall clock, avoiding the additional expense of a longcase. If circumstances later permitted, the same movement could potentially be incorporated into a wooden case. This combination of simplicity, practicality and affordability helps explain why hook-and-spike clocks became an important form of provincial domestic timekeeper during the eighteenth century.

Above. The Richard Savage round-dial hook-and-spike clock hanging from a wall in the manner for which it was originally designed. Photographed by Lee Borrett.

Summary

This wonderfully original round-dial hook-and-spike wall clock provides a fascinating example of the later work of Richard Savage, one of the earliest important clockmakers associated with Shropshire. Made around 1725, towards the end of his career, it is particularly unusual for its circular brass dial at a period when square dials with corner spandrels were far more familiar on clocks of this type. Whether Savage chose this form to reduce the cost for a particular customer, or simply because he preferred to do things differently, can no longer be known.

What makes the clock especially interesting to me is the remarkable survival of so many individual constructional details. The iron top and bottom plates, substantial screwed hoop and spurs, goblet-shaped brass collets, decoratively shaped hammer arm and bell nut, and the unusual L-shaped iron bracket securing the dial all contribute to the distinctive character of Savage’s workmanship. Comparison with other surviving examples suggests that several of these were recurring features of his workshop rather than isolated peculiarities of this clock.

One thing I have learned through collecting and studying Richard Savage clocks is that his surviving work rarely seems ordinary. Each example appears to possess some individual feature or constructional detail that makes it worthy of closer examination. This wonderfully original hook-and-spike clock is no exception and provides another fascinating glimpse into the working methods of an inventive provincial clockmaker whose career stretched from the age of the lantern clock into the developing world of the eighteenth-century domestic clock.

For me, that individuality is one of the great attractions of Richard Savage’s work, and I very much hope that another unusual example by this fascinating early Shropshire maker may one day come my way!

Acknowledgements

I would like to acknowledge the late Brian Loomes, whose excellent book The Concise Guide to British Clocks has provided valuable information on hook-and-spike wall clocks. His published research remains an important source for collectors and students of early English clocks.