Humphrey Mills at Edenbrough Fecit, Ca 1675.

Being made around 1675 places this rare Scottish Lantern clock with certainty  amongst the first to have been fitted with the newly adopted Anchor Escapement. The small escape wheel and pallets would have shown the way along with the Joseph Knibb at St Andrews for what was to come. The steel work is very nicely worked and the general condition is excellent. The lack of provision for side frets implies that it would originally perhaps have been in a case – rather confirmed by the small arc of swing of the long pendulum. Humphrey Mills completed his  apprenticeship  to the famous London Lantern clock maker Peter Closon in 1640 and moved to Edinburgh shortly after. His brother  Thomas Mill(e)s was also a  noted maker of fine Lantern clocks in Shoe Lane London.

(See the excellent book “Clockmakers of Britain 1286 -1700 ” by Brian Loomes for more information on these early makers)

Height 36 cms.