JOHN GRANT, LONDON, CIRCA 1810/1815, NO.370

John Grant (1781-1810) was an exceptional clockmaker, described by Cedric Jagger as 'one of the finest of the London clockmakers at the end of the 18th Century' (Cedric Jagger, Royal Clocks, Hale, 1983, pp. 101-103.) He was apprenticed to his uncle, Alexander Cumming (1733-1814), and it is possible they may have been in business together at some point. Certainly Cumming's influence can be seen in the case design of the present clock. The evolution of the case design can be traced back to Alexander Cumming's masterpiece, the barograph clock made for George III circa 1765, under the direction of the architect Sir William Chambers. In particular it references Cumming's second barograph clock, housed in Chippendale's marquetry and ormolu-enriched case and made in the 1770s. (see Christopher Gilbert, Thomas Chippendale, London, 1978, figs 35-7.)