ENGLISH CARRIAGE CLOCK Barrauds Cornhill London Ca. 1850

M&R111a

RARE CARRIAGE CLOCK
Signed: Barrauds Cornhill London
Numbered: 978
Circa 1850
England

Movement
The spring-driven movement has going and striking trains, as well as an alarm. The going train has a duplex escapement and an adjustable compensation hairspring balance on a silvered platform, which is mounted across the plates. The striking mechanism indicates the hours in full and the half hour with one stroke on a bell. The movement also has a repeat, which is activated by pulling a cord. The movement is wound at the front, the alarm at the back. There is a button on the brass front plate with which the striking mechanism can be turned on or off. The backplate is signed and numbered by the maker as follows: Barrauds Cornhill London 978.

Dial
The circular, white enamelled dial has black Roman hour numerals with quarter and minute divisions. There is also an inner ring for indicating the alarm time. The maker signed the dial in the following manner Barrauds Cornhill London and added the number 978. The time is indicated by two blued steel hands while the alarm time is indicated by a straight blued steel pointer. The dial is protected by a circular bevelled glass set in a brass bezel.

Case
The rectangular mahogany case is slightly curved at the top and is finished with satin wood. The panel on the right side of the case can be opened with a key; there is also a recess here through which the alarm can be set. The case is surmounted by a brass handle and rests on flat gilt brass bun feet.

Duration: 1 week

Height: 16 cm. (incl. handle)
Width: 12 cm.
Depth: 10 cm.

Literature
– Derek Roberts, Carriage and Other Traveling Clocks, pp. 328 and 329.
– C. Jagger, Paul Philip Barraud, among others page 149

The maker
The Barrauds were a productive family of watch and clockmakers, descended from Philip Barraud of Angoulême (a Huguenot) who emigrated to Greenwich around 1680. They were particularly specialized in chronometers. Paul-Philip Barraud was Master of the Clockmakers’ Company in 1810 and 1811.