An 18th century astrological longcase clock by Hugh Lough of Penrith in Cumberland circa 1774,...

An 18th century astrological longcase clock by Hugh Lough of Penrith in Cumberland circa 1774, the arched brass face with silvered chapter ring with Roman numerals and two inner subsidiary dials, the upper dial believed to indicate the equation of the time (i.e. the difference between the sundial and the clock, the pointer rotating once a year) and the lower to show the month of year with a set of wheels adjusting the date pointer at the end of the short month, the painted dial above showing in the arch the age and phase of the moon and the position of the sun in the sky (with two shutters rising and falling with the seasons and obscure the sun's image at the appropriate time and pointers show the time and sunrise and set in the latitude of Penrith), the replacement case made from Rhodesian hardwood in 1968, total height 237cm, restored

This clock was featured on the cover of Antiquarian Horology, December 1968.

"An interesting long-cased clock dial and movement by Hugh Lough of Penrith has recently come into my possession in the following manner. A lady on a farm here (Rhodesia) one day found the clock flat on its face. She promptly has the case taken to the backyard and BURNT and gave me the rest 'for spares'!"

He later details that the front plate is signed Jas Monkhouse Fecit, James Monkhouse 1774.

The article notes that Hugh Lough was born 1739/1740 and dies in 1790. He dies a bachelor and the administration of his estate falls to his only surviving sister Sarah. James Monkhouse is born 1751 and dies 1827, he marries Sarah in 1777 and is reasonable to suppose that he worked for Hugh Lough as a journeyman or apprentice, hence the signature to the plate … "Monkhouse must have had the skill to be able to make such a clock at the early age of 23"

Baker, S (1968) A Cumberland Masterpiece, Antiquarian Horology, volume six, number one, p24 to 27

Included with this lot is a copy folder of correspondence from various contributors in conversation and reply to the above article, detailing various opinions as to how the dial works and what it actually tells.

Postage: Not Postable

Weight: 10000

Total lot weight: 100