Southern Grandfather Clock, Shenandoah Valley, Virginia, Late 18th Century

Details

Description

This listing is for an early American tall case clock dating to the late 18th century.

This is a Southern … Read more This listing is for an early American tall case clock dating to the late 18th century.

This is a Southern piece from the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. Southern clocks are quite rare as there were fewer clockmakers in this region, and many Southern clocks were lost or destroyed during the Civil War.

This clock is made from mahogany with birds eye maple accents. Clocks from the Shenandoah region are often distinguished by their American Primitive and almost "folk art" accents. Examples of such features can be seen in the "flat" swans neck curves on the pediment and the horizontal striped design of the side columns.

The movement is an 8 day time and bell strike. It is complimented by a hand painted dial with a scrolling moon phase and scrolling calendar date.

The ship depicted on the scrolling moon phase has an early American "Betsy Ross" flag, with its 13 stripes and circle of 13 stars.

This clock has witnessed the history of the United States. It was originally the property of Colonel Patrick Rose (1745 -1822) of Nelson County, Virginia. Rose was a landowner of vast acreage. He was unfortunately also a slave owner. In one document, it was mentioned that he owned 17 slaves.

Rose had 16 children between his first wife, Mary Selden (1755-1778) and Mary Margaret Nicholas (1750-1841). With such a large family, Rose's children spread out of Virginia, from Tennessee to New York. As a result, the Rose family became quite divided later on during the Civil War. The only known portrait of Patrick Rose resides in Tennessee and was damaged by a Union sword during the Civil War.

After Patrick Rose's death in 1822, this clock was inherited by his son, Robert Selden Rose and was moved north to New York. Robert Selden Rose (1774-1835) was a New York congressman residing in Geneva, NY. His former residence still stands and continues to be referred to as "Rose Hill Estate." Rose's home on this estate was a large Greek-revival mansion (that still stands). This is where the clock resided until Robert's death in 1835.

Robert was a member of the Whig Party. Like his father, he too was a slave holder. When he moved to Rose Hill in 1802, he had 37 slaves. He still had 9 slaves before the end of slavery in New York (1827). Though he manumitted many of his slaves, historical accounts indicate that he was not kind to those that he had enslaved.

Robert was married to Jane Lawson (1774-1849) and had 7 children, including New York Congressman, Robert Lawson Rose (1804-1877). Like his father, Robert Lawson Rose was also of the Whig Party.

The clock remained with Robert Lawson Rose's descendants and eventually made it out to the Southern California region during the 20th Century. Only recently, the family decided to part with the clock.

This clock measures about 96 x 18 x 9.75 inches.


The clock is in over all good condition for its age. Some signs of normal wear and age present such as a few chips to the wood (on edges). Some signs of repair and age present on the dial. Overall sturdy, and well kept. The movement had been serviced last sometime around 2015. It ran and chimed when recently tested.


Please note that any mechanical clock that is moved or shipped might require adjustments upon arrival, and thus time accuracy/running cannot be guaranteed. Chairish sells clocks solely to be intended for display. The mechanical elements are not guaranteed to be in working order by Chairish See less