Clock, made by William Sherwin, Buckland, Mass., circa 1820
Clock, made by William Sherwin, Buckland, Mass., circa 1820
Item Information
Title:
Clock, made by William Sherwin, Buckland, Mass., circa 1820
Description:
Clock made by William Sherwin (1787-1866) of Buckland, Mass., cabinet made by Daniel Warner.William Sherwin was born October 26, 1787 in Ashfield, Mass. and his name appears often in the early history of Buckland, Mass. as town clerk, assessor, school committee, selectman, and overseer of the poor. He was several times elected Buckland's representative to the General Court of the Massachusetts Legislature. He was a maker of clocks in his home in Clock Hollow in Buckland Center, so named because of his making clocks in the early nineteenth century. The clock pictured is part of the Wilder Homestead collection. This clock cabinet was made by Daniel Warner, a cabinet maker for Sherwin, who made the works. Since the clock was not a clock made for sale, there is no stamped name on the clock. Daniel Warner's wife was Betsy Wilder, a cousin of Charles Wilder. The Warners gave the clock to Charles when they moved to New York and could not take the clock with them. Mr. Sherwin made more mantel clocks than tall case clocks, making this a rarer piece. This clock is a wonderful example of a country clock with its simple lines and graceful appearance. It is a time and strike clock, 85-1/4 inches tall, with its base measuring 9-1/2 inches deep and 17 inches wide. It has two weights and a second hand on a wooden dial that has some decals for the spandrels and dial decoration, as well as some hand painting. There is a nice scroll bonnet with a turned column on each front corner. It probably never had a finial, as there appears to be no hole made for this. The case is probably pine, sets directly on the floor, and may have never had any feet. The door has a nice arch typical of the period that this clock was made, which probably dates from the earlier eighteen hundreds, circa 1820. The finish of the case and the machine-made wooden works both appear to be original to the clock.
