Twenty members arrived in the capital to hear our member Geoff Sykes give a lecture on 'Big Ben's Country Cousin'. Geoff lives 'up in the sticks' in South Lakeland and told us that this talk came about after he told his local church group the history of the clock in their church tower. The clock at Chapel Stile, Elterwater was made by James Harrison of Hull, c.1850.
Geoff began by saying that after Windermere Railway opened in 1847, wealthy cotton merchants built properties in the Lake District for holidays or weekend retreats. The church at Chapel Stile had two wealthy cotton benefactors. From 1811 to 1851 the population doubled, so a new, larger church was needed, which duly opened in 1858, the benefactors providing the superb turret dock. Geoff then went on to say that square framed clocks were made up to the nineteenth century and after accurate lathes and planing machines etc. had been invented clockmaking became far more accurate.
Edward J. Dent (1790-1853) of the Strand, London and Lord Grimthorpe were the men who instigated new turret clock design. Grimthorpe was also into railways and architecture and wrote a book on clocks and bells, first published in 1850. Meanwood church near Leeds had a flatbed clock by Dent in 1850 to a design by Grimthorpe (his sisters worshipped there). Dent was also a chronometer maker. In the 1840s he got into the turret clock business, after journeys abroad and seeing different designs. His Royal Exchange clock of 1845 was one of his first turret clocks. Chapel Stile clock and Meanwood clock are very similar in design, as Geoff's slides showed.
Dent exhibited a turret clock at the 1851 Great Exhibition, which afterwards went to Kings Cross Station, where it remained until 1965 when it was replaced by an electric motor. This clock was a bigger brother to the clock by Dent at Meanwood and the clock by Harrison at Chapel Stile. 'Big Ben' was built in 1854 and completed by Frederick Dent after Edward had died in 1853.
The theory of the Harrison connection is that John Harrison had two brothers and two sisters. One brother, James Harrison had a grandson, also James, (1791-1875), who was a clockmaker. He had made the clock at Coniston Cold near Skipton in 1845 and also another at Liversedge, Yorkshire in 1852. Chapel Stile clock was built in 1858. As stated before, Meanwood clock and Chapel Stile are very similar in design. Perhaps Dent and Harrison knew each other and shared experiences and tips. Meanwood clock had a half-minute remontoire removed years ago after giving trouble. Chapel Stile has a half-minute remontoire, which is still working. All these docks had compensating pendulums (zinc rods etc). The dials at Meanwood are concave which was Lord Grimthorpe's idea. Chapel Stile clock had marks on the dial to indicate the hours. This was also a Lord Grimthorpe idea. It has Roman numerals now (it is not known when this was changed).
Altogether this was a superb lecture backed up with good slides on a slightly dodgy projector! Geoff was given a vote of thanks by Chris McKay.