Thomas Cole, London c1863

A good 8-day rectangular strut timepiece made by Thomas Cole and signed on the rear of the case for the retailer C.F. Hancock. Son & Co. 39, Bruton Street, London. (See photo below.)

The timepiece has an engraved and silvered dial with blued steel hands. The engraved and gilt brass case has a fold out strut (see below). The case has retained some of its original gilding, the dial has been re-silvered.

Thomas Cole was born in Somerset in 1800, the son of a clockmaker. Cole moved to London in the early 1820’s but was not working independently until about 1838. By 1845 Cole was calling himself a ‘designer and maker of ornamental clocks’ and exhibited as such at the Great Exhibition of 1851. He is justly famous for high quality clocks of individual design always with fine engraving. Thomas Cole died of typhoid fever on 3^rd January 1864.

Charles Frederick Hancock started his own business as a Goldsmith, Silversmith and Jeweller in 1848 and is recorded as trading as C.F. Hancock Son & Co. between about 1867 and 1870 so perhaps this clock was sold after Cole’s death.

The clock has a built in winder and access to time regulation is via a small opening disc on the rear of the case. The clock has a ratchet tooth lever escapement and an uncompensated balance.

Case height, including handle, 6 inches.

Here you can see the strut more clearly.  The sides of the clock are also beautifully engraved.

The timepiece is signed on the rear of the case
C.F. Hancock. Son & Co. 39, Bruton Street, London. 

The clock has a ratchet tooth lever escapement and and uncompensated balance.

The movement frontplate is numbered 1817 and the same number is stamped on the underside of the case, on the inside of the front dial mask, on the rear of the case under the strut and on the top of the dial.  Scroll down to see the number on the bottom of the case.

The movement backplate is stamped Thos Cole London. 

Stock No. C1070