William Clay fecit
William Clay fecit
(*) A historically important, Puritan style, one-handed verge pocket watch watch with date - former property of the English statesman Oliver Cromwell, owned by the Blackwell family since 1650 Dimensions 31 x 25 mm, circa 1648, Weight 25 g, Origin England Case: Silver. Dial: Silver, gilt date ring. Movm.: Oval full plate movement, chain/fusee, verge escapement, two-arm steel balance. If an expert in historical and remarkable timepieces like Jonathan Wachsman states that this "may be the most important and rarest piece I ever held in my hands", the object must clearly be a truly exceptional watch. And indeed this is the case where a somewhat elusive if renowned English watchmaker, an owner who is one of the most important figures in English history come together with the history of a watch that is remarkable in itself in that it was never forgotten but has only ever been presented to the public once since it became a family property 370 years ago. William Clay London watchmaker William Clay died circa 1662 and even though the few pieces we know to be his work are of supreme quality, little information is found about his life and work. The names of three apprentices he took on between 1646 and 1659 in his workshop at King‘s Street in Westminster are known and we know that he had a close connection to the Clockmaker's Company as a so-called brother but was never an official member of the Company. The magnificent gold enamel pocket watch by Clay, which we were able to sell during an auction in 2018, was signed "William Clay fecit". Other famous pieces by Clay include a remarkable lantern clock and a watch given by Oliver Cromwell to his comrade in arms John Blackwell after the siege of Irish town Clonmel in 1650. That we are now able to present this watch during our 110th auction, is a sensational event for us that equals the appearance of the watch itself on the market in 2019, when it was sold by a direct descendant of Blackwell. Oliver Cromwell Oliver Cromwell was born in 1599 in Huntingdon, approx. 90 km north of London to a wealthy family of the landed gentry. After attending Huntingdon Grammar school he went to Cambridge, where he studied at Sidney Sussex College and laid the foundation for his later career, taking in the ideas of puritanism. Cromwell’s career begann in the 1620s when he became a Member of Parliament; he was famous for his Puritan beliefs and his opposition to the reign of King Charles I. During the English Civil War from 1642 to 1651 Cromwell rose quickly through the ranks of the Parliament’s forces. He founded the Ironsides, a squad of brave and disciplined soldiers – mainly Puritans – which became a backbone of his power. In the battles of Marston Moor (1644) and Naseby (1645) Cromwell led the parliamentary army to crucial victories that would change the fate of the country forever. After the execution of Charles I and the proclamation of the republic, which Cromwell supported, he stood at the beginning of a new era in England. As Lord Protector he ruled the Commonwealth of England, Scotland and Ireland with an iron fist. He introduced reforms to improve government and support religious tolerance while at the same time being extremely dictatorial against political enemies. Many of his decisions were controversial and in particular the events during his brutal Irish campaign after 1649 put a severe strain on the relationship between the two countries. Oliver Cromwell died on September 3, 1658 at the age of 59. After his death his son Richard became Lord Protector for a short while but his rule was weak and eventually toppled. After the Restoration of the monarchy under the rule of King Charles II in 1660 Cromwell’s body was exhumed and subjected to a posthumous public execution. Cromwell's watch and John Blackwell John Blackwell (1624-1701), was the eldest son of John Blackwell (1594-1658), a wealthy merchant in London and grocer to the court of King Charles I. Despite some setbacks, he was a renowned officer who was entrusted with commanding Cromwell’s Ironsides. He also held the position of deputy treasurer of war; because of his marriage to Elizabeth Smithsby - a cousin of Cromwell - the two men also shared a family connection. During the aforementioned Ireland campaign which was intended to crush the alliance between the Irish Confederation and the Royalists around Charles II, the son of the executed former king, the siege of Clonmel took place in April and May 1650. According to family lore this was where Blackwell received the watch as a gift. Taking into account the strong Puritan beliefs of both men, Cromwell’s watch is truly a fitting gift: The dial in a simple oval silver case features only one ornamental element, which is an engraved pointer indicating the day in a gilt date ring. At 31 x 25 mm the watch is also relatively small and certainly not an object that boasts of personal wealth – so very different to Clay’s 22 K gold enamel pocket
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William Clay fecit
(*) A historically important, Puritan style, one-handed verge pocket watch watch with date - former property of the English statesman Oliver Cromwell, owned by the Blackwell family since 1650 Dimensions 31 x 25 mm, circa 1648, Weight 25 g, Origin England Case: Silver. Dial: Silver, gilt date ring. Movm.: Oval full plate movement, chain/fusee, verge escapement, two-arm steel balance. If an expert in historical and remarkable timepieces like Jonathan Wachsman states that this "may be the most important and rarest piece I ever held in my hands", the object must clearly be a truly exceptional watch. And indeed this is the case where a somewhat elusive if renowned English watchmaker, an owner who is one of the most important figures in English history come together with the history of a watch that is remarkable in itself in that it was never forgotten but has only ever been presented to the public once since it became a family property 370 years ago. William Clay London watchmaker William Clay died circa 1662 and even though the few pieces we know to be his work are of supreme quality, little information is found about his life and work. The names of three apprentices he took on between 1646 and 1659 in his workshop at King‘s Street in Westminster are known and we know that he had a close connection to the Clockmaker's Company as a so-called brother but was never an official member of the Company. The magnificent gold enamel pocket watch by Clay, which we were able to sell during an auction in 2018, was signed "William Clay fecit". Other famous pieces by Clay include a remarkable lantern clock and a watch given by Oliver Cromwell to his comrade in arms John Blackwell after the siege of Irish town Clonmel in 1650. That we are now able to present this watch during our 110th auction, is a sensational event for us that equals the appearance of the watch itself on the market in 2019, when it was sold by a direct descendant of Blackwell. Oliver Cromwell Oliver Cromwell was born in 1599 in Huntingdon, approx. 90 km north of London to a wealthy family of the landed gentry. After attending Huntingdon Grammar school he went to Cambridge, where he studied at Sidney Sussex College and laid the foundation for his later career, taking in the ideas of puritanism. Cromwell’s career begann in the 1620s when he became a Member of Parliament; he was famous for his Puritan beliefs and his opposition to the reign of King Charles I. During the English Civil War from 1642 to 1651 Cromwell rose quickly through the ranks of the Parliament’s forces. He founded the Ironsides, a squad of brave and disciplined soldiers – mainly Puritans – which became a backbone of his power. In the battles of Marston Moor (1644) and Naseby (1645) Cromwell led the parliamentary army to crucial victories that would change the fate of the country forever. After the execution of Charles I and the proclamation of the republic, which Cromwell supported, he stood at the beginning of a new era in England. As Lord Protector he ruled the Commonwealth of England, Scotland and Ireland with an iron fist. He introduced reforms to improve government and support religious tolerance while at the same time being extremely dictatorial against political enemies. Many of his decisions were controversial and in particular the events during his brutal Irish campaign after 1649 put a severe strain on the relationship between the two countries. Oliver Cromwell died on September 3, 1658 at the age of 59. After his death his son Richard became Lord Protector for a short while but his rule was weak and eventually toppled. After the Restoration of the monarchy under the rule of King Charles II in 1660 Cromwell’s body was exhumed and subjected to a posthumous public execution. Cromwell's watch and John Blackwell John Blackwell (1624-1701), was the eldest son of John Blackwell (1594-1658), a wealthy merchant in London and grocer to the court of King Charles I. Despite some setbacks, he was a renowned officer who was entrusted with commanding Cromwell’s Ironsides. He also held the position of deputy treasurer of war; because of his marriage to Elizabeth Smithsby - a cousin of Cromwell - the two men also shared a family connection. During the aforementioned Ireland campaign which was intended to crush the alliance between the Irish Confederation and the Royalists around Charles II, the son of the executed former king, the siege of Clonmel took place in April and May 1650. According to family lore this was where Blackwell received the watch as a gift. Taking into account the strong Puritan beliefs of both men, Cromwell’s watch is truly a fitting gift: The dial in a simple oval silver case features only one ornamental element, which is an engraved pointer indicating the day in a gilt date ring. At 31 x 25 mm the watch is also relatively small and certainly not an object that boasts of personal wealth – so very different to Clay’s 22 K gold enamel pocket
