Litchfield enquirer. [volume] (Litchfield, Conn.) 1829-current, 1853-06-30
MISCELLANY,
MORE ABOUT CLOCKS.

u
by Dr.. Alcott, entitled " History or Yankee
Clock Making" but which Henry Terry,
Esq, Of Plyrntuth, shows to be incorrect aad
detective. The following review Of the article
by Mr.. T. is addressed TO DR.. Alcott through
The columns of the Waterbury American:
10 VIM. ALcoTT, NJ. D.:
Dear SRA communication Of yours
first published in the Boston Traveller OF
Journal, under the caption, " 4 History
Of Yankee Clock~moking." needs en-
Iargement, if not correction. 1t 10 very
far from being full history Of clock
making in New England. and quite de-
fective in many particulars, as to the
commencement and progress of the bus
mess in the several places, and the per-
sons you have mentioned. You will
therefore allow me to review your article
correct the errors into which you have
inadvertently fallen. and at the same time
give more fall end particular histnrs, nf
c'ucE making ~ ne1 lssg ianss, tespes
'Connecticut) Than you have done,
ihreagh The medium Of newspaper
published nearer theplaces where the &C.
tors in this drama bad their Tesid ence,
than tue journals whieh were first made
the organs OF your communication. Let
it be understood, however, that no criti-
cism or censu'e of your article is intended.
Neither is the idea INDUCED Of imparting
more interest to the account, father than
the additional matter is calculated to
awaken.
The first item to which I will call a..
tention, relates 10 the time when the
adveniurer. you so favorab!y noticed
commenced the business Of clock making
in Plymouth Although you may know
little or nothing of him p'ior 10 the year
1907 or 8. still be had been in the busi>
ness had bad apprentices, several work
men, and factory with water power,
previous to the time mentioned by you,
when the grislmill was converted into
factory for making clocks. This man
eli Terry) commenced business in clock
making and watch repairing in Plymouth
(then Northhury) A. D. 1898. He came
from East Windsor to this place sixty
years ago. and had before that time been
engaged in makisg clOcks, and he'd been
instructed in the art, as it was then
known and practised. in East Windsor BY
Daniel Burnap, and in East Hartford by
Mr.. Cheney. Some Of the best Amer
lean Clocks were made by this Mr.. Bur-
nap. A few Of them are TO be found
now. said TO be seventy years old and
more, and are rot whit inferior in work
manship TO the.best English clocks that
have been imported from that time to
this day, and far superior TO msny OF the
present day. with more costly exterior.
At that time, (l7O3.) when Mr.. Terry
commenced business in Plymouth. Tim
othy Barnes Of Litch6e!d. South Falms,
james Harrison of Waterbury. (not
Lemucl Harrison and Gideon Roberts
Of Bristol. were known an clock makers.
Wooden clocks, calculated for a long
pendulum and case, were sold al this
lime for "a, or Is l.s dollars. When
the clock was made with brass dial. and
dial for seconds and the moons age.
the price was $25.
The price of brass clocks was from 9lO
to as. or SO l>3 dollars to $50. This
was Me price without case; the case
might We procured at price varying
from IS ~ $50. according 10 the quality
and materials of which it was made SO
that the entns cost Of a wooden cock
with the case. was from 10 10 90. and fo'
brass clocks SO to 60 dollars. He made
clocks both Of wood and brass in the
then ordinary way, having hand engine
for emitting the teeth OF cogs Of the
wheels ard pipions. and using q foot
lathe for doing the turning. Its probable
he used knife as well as many other
tools then in use. in doing some part OF
The wo,k, bat that the ditIeren, parts oil
the clock 'Wcre cut out WitA ths pen
kni'e. : ID . tale Of many years. gTowlh,
having no fOHndStlOn. and ought not "a
be SlerOtyped % part Of the history Of