Rolling Ball Clock
William Congreve (1670-1729)
Category
Horology
Date
1808 - 1810
Materials
Brass and glass clock.
Measurements
463 x 331 x 212 mm
Order this imageCollection
Anglesey Abbey, Cambridgeshire
NT 514761
Caption
This rolling ball clock by Congreve is one of the 59 clocks in the Abbey. Lord Fairhaven was a man of routine and this extended to his dinner guests. Cocktails were served at 7.50; the butler announced dinner at 8.00, and it was served in the Dining Room at 8.03.
Summary
Congreve Rolling Ball clock. Inscribed 'Invented by W. Congreve Esq, J. Moxon, fecit'. Skeleton movement and hinged platform motion with rolling balls, enclosed in a brass temple with 5 ball-shaped finials. Invented by Sir William Congreve in 1808, and made by James Moxon. In a glass and brass case.
Provenance
Bequeathed to the National Trust by Huttleston Rogers Broughton, 1st Lord Fairhaven (1896-1966) with the house and the rest of the contents.
Marks and inscriptions
Invented by W. Congreve Esq / J. Moxon, fecit
Makers and roles
William Congreve (1670-1729), horologist James Moxon, horologist