William Fitz, New Hampshire Grandfather Clock, Circa 1795

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Description

This listing is for an early American tall case clock by WILLIAM FITZ of Portsmouth, New Hampshire; Circa 1795.


William … Read more This listing is for an early American tall case clock by WILLIAM FITZ of Portsmouth, New Hampshire; Circa 1795.


William Fitz was born on January 21, 1770 in Newburyport, Massachusetts. He moved to New Hampshire as a young adult and was listed as working in the town of Portsmouth in 1791. In 1798, he returned to Newburyport, continuing on to Portland, Maine in 1802. In 1804, Fitz returned to Newburyport once more. He moved his business to Boston in 1809, and finally to New Orleans in 1827.


Clocks by William Fitz are quite rare as he was not particularly prolific with his works. His pieces are of extremely high quality and are often sought after, rarely coming to public sale.


This clock is a fine example of one of Fitz’s Portsmouth works. It features a gorgeous mahogany case, adorned with ornate inlay, brass ornamentation, and intricate fretwork above the hood. The inlaid design over the door compliments the fretwork above the hood. 3 brass finials adorn the top.Columns with brass bases and capitals adorn the sides and edges in the Federal Style.



The movement is an 8 day time and strike with visible second hand, scrolling calendar, and scrolling moon phases. The dial once bore Fitz’s name (above the numeral VI), but it has since worn away.



This clock once belonged to William Plumer (1759-1850) and his wife, Sally Fowler. Plumer was most notable for being New Hampshire’s seventh Democratic Republican governor in 1812-1813 and 1816-1819. He was also a senator for New Hampshire in 1802-1807 and served in the New Hampshire House of Representatives from 1785 to 1786, in 1788, from 1790 to 1791, and from 1797 to 1800. Plumber served as Speaker of the House in 1791 and 1797, and was a delegate to the state constitutional convention of 1791-1792. In addition to his work in politics, Plumer was also a lawyer and Baptist preacher.



Like William Fitz, William Plumer was also born in Newburyport. Their families most likely knew each other, and it is very possible that Plumer purchased the clock directly from Fitz.


This clock stayed within the Plumer family for the last 200 years. It was first passed from William Plumer to his son, William Plumer Jr. (1789-1854) and wife, Margaret Frost. William Plumer Jr. was also a senator in New Hampshire. He in turn passed the clock to his son, Captain William Plumer III (1823-1896) and wife, Emily Lord. William Plumer III was a captain in the 1st Massachusetts Sharpshooters Company during the Civil War. William III then passed the clock to his daughter, Grace Plumer Hodgdon (1856-1929) and husband, Frank Hodgdon. It was then passed to their son, Frank Hodgdon Jr, a physical and anaesthesiologist, who moved to the Los Angeles area. He took the clock cross country, where it continued to remain with his family for the last hundred years.



This particular model produced by William Fitz is illustrated in Portsmouth Furniture Masterworks from the New Hampshire Seacoast.

The same model was sold by Eldred’s Auction House for $68,750 on July 30, 2020.



This clock appears to be in overall good condition for its age. It has been well cared for. All components appear to be original. Some signs of normal wear and age present. A small blemish to the paint on the lower left corner of the dial. Some small repairs to some of the wooden elements. The door has a slightly worn/uneven lower edge of the outer moulding from normal wear and use. A couple of chips to the base of the hood.


Pendulum and weights present. Skeleton keys to hood and trunk of case present. The clock measures about 90.25 x 20.9 x 9.9 inches


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