Here is a tall case clock that stops you in your tracks when you see it.

The information on the dial says, "J.McCulloch - Wishaw"

It is believed to be Scottish, but not sure.

Note the beautifully matched twisted columns on the top and middle sections of the case.

The finial at the top center is not original to the case, but all else is in glorious original condition. The case has never been refinished.

Dial shows seconds as well as day of the month.

Beautiful detail shows (Robert?) Burns with muse.

Gorgeous wood and detail in the case.I would appreciate any information you might have on this clock and maker.

Wish I could help. I just wanted to say magnificent clock. Where did you find this treasure? Interested to see info. Good luck.

Hi Tom,

Beautiful Clock, love the 'Barley Twist' columns!

I've checked my Loomes Clockmakers Vol 2, and the entries for the name are lumped as McCullagh/ McCulloch/ McCullough.
Most entries are either Irish or American, However there is an entry for John (McCulloch?)-Halifax-NovaScotia "From Glasgow" 1837 - 1875, the painted dial certainly fits that era.

I also checked autoroute, and Wishaw is only 15.5 miles East South East of Glasgow North Lanarkshire, (by the route which would most likely have existed in his day - the other route includes motorways!).
This looks like your man.

Depending how committed you are, you could find him via census and immigration records etc. Scottish records are mostly on-line now, so you can do a lot of research there from your desktop.
Hope this helps.
Best regards
John Woolsey

John,
thank you very much for the information. It does seem that the Canadian-way-of-Scotland seems to fit the clock, then name and the period.

Thanks again for the information. I will have to try the census records and see what comes up.

Tom,
Try the following sites, but beware, you could grow Very old before you find your way off them again
If these don't come up as clickable links, just copy & paste into your browser address bar.

Most are free resources, but beware of any trial membership offers with Ancestry.com! They'll want you C.Card details!

Best regards
John

www.rootsweb.com

www.ancestry.com

www.ancestry.com/learn/library/article.aspx?article=7276

www.cyndislist.com

<A HREF="http://www.cyndislist.com/scotland.htm/Scotland" TARGET=_blank>http://www.cyndislist.com/scotland.htm/Scotland - Counties Index</A>

www.geo.ed.ac.uk/home/scotland/genealogy.html

www.silversurfers.net/interests-genealogyscottish.htm

www.bbc.co.uk/scotland/history/scottishroots/

www.olivetreegenealogy.com/ships/tocan1400-1800.shtml

Tom,
On the base, the two spirals are in the same direction, it looks like the top section has them in opposite directions. I can't really tell though in the picture showing the top (may be reflection in the glass). I thought most furniture would have an opposite spiral for the two sides. Like on a chair, one side spirals left hand and the other spirals right hand. Maybe that was just on the few I have seen that are turned like that. I have always wanted to see them make that twist carving.

Andy, just thinking out loud. Neat clock.

John,
THANKS!!! for the links. I was pondering exactly where to start, and now I have several starting places. Thanks!!!

Andy,
I hadn't noticed the direction of the spirals. The top columns are full columns and stand free, while the bottom columns are half columns and attached to the case. I am not sure that has anything to do with the direction of the twist, however, but I thought it would help complicate the matter.

No problem Tom, but beware, you may never get any horological work done once you start ferretting around in those sites

Andy, Tom, like you I've often pondered the reason for casemakers only using twist columns in one direction.
I have seen clocks with the twists symetrically opposed, but very few, and those that have them, Extremely expensive.

My guess is that the columns would have been bought in from a turner/carver to order, and that most of the turners/carvers that made the twists were probably right handed, as those you mainly see will have been cut from right to left as with Tom's clock.

The columns would initially be turned in a lathe by making the end finials and coves first, leaving a plain round column where the twist would be.
Then the twist would be drawn out on the column and carved out by hand with a half round gouge, (rotating the column by left hand in the lathe and gouge in the right hand), then finished with rasps and glass/sandpaper - or whatever would have been available for finishing.

If you can imagine gouging those flutes by hand if right handed, and then imagine the difficulty gouging them t'other way with the chisel in the left hand, you'll get some idea of why those twists could be more common. If you're left handed, imagine making them in reverse. Not many folks are/were ambidextrous.

Thats my theory anyway. (I'm an amateur woodturner for one of my sins and make my own staircase spindles and newels etc - those twists are very time consuming and not easy to get right).
There are machines available today such as the Trend Routerlathe that can be used to make them but they don't make a true Barley twist like on the clock, they produce more of a spiral.

The 'half' twist columns on the main case would have been made from 2x lengths of timber, glued together with paper between them, then turned carved and polished.
They would then be split again to give two identical columns.
It's still a practice in use today for such as half newels on staircases and furniture embellishments etc.

Best regards
John

Tom,

There's another out there!

http://www.storyclocks.co.uk/new4a.htm

Certainly same stable and pedigree.

Your clock is very fresh looking Tom, are you sure it has'nt been cleaned, albeit expertly? Its a lovely clock for sure.

Peter

Peter, that's brilliant! Thanks for posting that. I don't know how you were able to find it.

According to the owner, nothing has been done to it excetpt for the usual dusting. The owner will be well pleased with this information.

Thanks again!

Tom et all, did you spot the handed flutes on this one?

Peter

By the way piece of trivia for all 'who is the Wizard of Wishall' answer a famous darts player named John Higgins.

.........make that snooker player.

peter

Tom, do you have any pictures of the feet of this clock? I assume it still has them, and I'd love to see exactly what they look like. I'm buying a very similar clock, and one of its problems is it's lost its feet, and I want to see if I can make replacements.

The clock was the subject of my question in this thread. If you check it out, you'll see the case is nearly identical to the one you show except the columns are straight, not twisted, and it has some other condition problems.

Thanks,

Norman

Tom,
I attach information from "Clock and Watchmakers of Glasgow and the West of Scotland" by Donald Whyte 2001. "No claims to completeness is claimed"
The Canadian connection is interesting,
Graham
Sydney

Tom,
Just thought to add a picture of one of my clocks by Matthew Gemmel of Stewarton, the same area. He landed up in the USA (Loomes). This clock dates in the 1780's showing barley twist columns were a favourite in Scotland over the years.
What's with Scots that they all leave?
Graham
Sydney

Tom
Nice looking clock.
I would suggest your clock is mid to late Victorian, which would tie in with James McCulloh Wishaw, when painted dials like yours were very fashionable. Its is obviously Rabbie Burns within the arch and the four corners depict, from top right clockwise, Scotland, Ireland, Wales and England. This is very typical of clocks we see here in Scotland. We will service around 15 to 20 of these per year.Yours certainly looks as if in very good condition. Nice mahogany case.Sometimes, but not always, the wood for the back of the case was any old rubbish that was lying around! If yours is "nice" wood at the rear then it will be of higher quality. Just by the looks of it it would currently retail for up �2,500.00 if being sold, serviced and with a warranty.At current exchange rate, with the not so mighty $, that is $5,000.00.
Have a very happy Christmas

Norman.
I visited a clock shop in Aberdeen this afternoon and looked at six Scottish Clocks, comparable to yours. None of them had feet. They were either a straight fringe or a fringe with a scallop cut out. (But be aware of non original cut down case)
Both my own Scottish clocks show no feet.
Looking at feet for an English longcase regulator recently I concluded it was variable as to design and was probably more regionally based than anything else. Floors in the 1700/1800's were often stone and uneven and feet, I imagine, could easily be knocked off, so it might not be surprising to find feet not supplied. For higher class clocks destined for a mansion with its level floors feet might have a better chance of surviving.
If I decided to put feet on yours I would base it on a 2" square (by 1/2" thick) that had two edges showing profiled with a concave bladed moulding plane. (or a router)
Just my 2c's
Peter
uk

Thanks Peter. Given the great similarity between Tom's example & mine, I figured it would give me the best idea of what to recreate, should I decide to do so. I expect the feet will look like this example, which is a similar but not identical clock in a local shop. The molding between the feet & case will make the seam unnoticable.

Of course, I may not choose to make feet, as I think I only have three inches clearance to the ceiling as it is. And I need to see what evidence there is on the bottom of the case as to what was there originally.

Norman

Norman,
Your photo is an example of what I had in mind when I said 'scallop'. I think you would be very safe with this solution in the sense of there is nothing to fall off!

Good luck with your restoration!
peter

Tom, The picture below is from Derek Roberts "British Longcase clocks." Looks like your case but with a different pediment,
GrahamSydney

Fabulous information, Gents, and pictures of some beautiful clocks. Thanks so much for all the help.

Tom,

I have a very similar but less beautiful clock which I purchased in Montreal around 1985. Mine is marked Wm. Marshall, Wishaw and is decorated with highland scenes of a shepards appropriately attired in kilt overseeing sheep. I found reference to this clockmaker in John Smith's Old Scottish Clockmakers From 1453 to 1850 which states

"Marshall, James, 1815-1853

Succeded by his son William, who died in 1884. James M'Culloch, his apprentice, has now the business on the site where it was first carried on in a thatched house."

You have a beautiful Scottish clock made in a thatched house, no less!

Peter McAuslan

P.S. My family hails from Paisley,(tho' here since 1920) not far from Wishaw.

Peeter,
Thank you so much for the exciting information. It makes the clock that much more interesting (as if it needed it).

Welcome to IHC!! Lots of great people here. I hope you enjoy this Chapter and post often.