Thwaites & Reed
Encyclopedia
Thwaites & Reed has been in continuous manufacture since its foundation and claims to be the oldest clock manufacturing company in the world. Geoffrey Buggins MBE, the last of the original family clockmakers saw drawings of Thwaites clocks dating back to 1610. These drawings and other early records prior to 1780 went missing but other records from that date are on loan to the London Metropolitan Archives where the public have access.
For 30 years, it maintained all the clocks at the Palace of Westminster
, including the Great Clock
. Other than Thwaites & Reed, associated tradenames are Aynsworth Thwaites, John Thwaites, and was trade supplier of movements to many well known historic clockmakers including Dutton, Dwerrihouse, Ellicott and Vulliamy and in more recent times well known retailers including The Franklin Mint, Asprey and Garrards. During its ownership by FW Elliott Ltd it also made movements under the Elliott brand.
. The complexity of the Horseguards clock is the result of many previous years clockmaking experience but older work has not been identified. Aynsworth was succeeded by John Thwaites, who was head of the firm from 1780 to 1816, and master of the Clockmakers' Company in 1815, 1819, and 1820. In 1816, Thwaites partnered with George Jeremiah Reed, and the firm became Thwaites & Reed. John Thwaite remained at the firm's head until 1842. The firm of John Moore was acquired in 1899. In 1969 the family firm brought in outsiders to manage its business culminating in the British Government acquiring control of Thwaites & Reed. In 1978 it was acquired from the Government by F W Elliott Ltd who owned Thwaites & Reed Limited until it was sold in 1991 to Melvyn Lee. The historic documents on loan to the London Metropolitan Archives(ref MS 6788-6808) cover the periods from 1780 to 1955. Dunstable Town Council archives had a catalogue of turret clocks made up to 1878 and there is a later incomplete list showing the date of supply and purchasers of turret clocks to 1902. Up to 1900, 2978 domestic clocks were made with serial numbers in chronological order (The Context of Production, Identification and Dating of Clocks by A. and J. Thwaites by GTE Buggins and AJ Turner). Other clocks were not listed but from 1972 to 1980 10 types of replica clocks with serial numbers from 1 to 1000 were made as a limited editions.
For 30 years, it maintained all the clocks at the Palace of Westminster
Palace of Westminster
The Palace of Westminster, also known as the Houses of Parliament or Westminster Palace, is the meeting place of the two houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom—the House of Lords and the House of Commons...
, including the Great Clock
Clock Tower, Palace of Westminster
Big Ben is the nickname for the great bell of the clock at the north end of the Palace of Westminster in London, and is generally extended to refer to the clock or the clock tower as well. It is the largest four-faced chiming clock and the third-tallest free-standing clock tower in the world...
. Other than Thwaites & Reed, associated tradenames are Aynsworth Thwaites, John Thwaites, and was trade supplier of movements to many well known historic clockmakers including Dutton, Dwerrihouse, Ellicott and Vulliamy and in more recent times well known retailers including The Franklin Mint, Asprey and Garrards. During its ownership by FW Elliott Ltd it also made movements under the Elliott brand.
History
John Thwaites was a clockmaker at the beginning of the 17th century and from this extended family Aynsworth Thwaites founded the business now known as Thwaites & Reed in Rosoman Street, Clerkenwell, London in 1740 , and continued there until 1780. Thereafter the firm traded from Bowling Green Lane. The company's earliest recorded commission and still in use, was a turret clock for Horseguards Parade made in 1740 but not finished until 1768, and a domestic long-clock about 1770 for the British East India CompanyBritish East India Company
The East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...
. The complexity of the Horseguards clock is the result of many previous years clockmaking experience but older work has not been identified. Aynsworth was succeeded by John Thwaites, who was head of the firm from 1780 to 1816, and master of the Clockmakers' Company in 1815, 1819, and 1820. In 1816, Thwaites partnered with George Jeremiah Reed, and the firm became Thwaites & Reed. John Thwaite remained at the firm's head until 1842. The firm of John Moore was acquired in 1899. In 1969 the family firm brought in outsiders to manage its business culminating in the British Government acquiring control of Thwaites & Reed. In 1978 it was acquired from the Government by F W Elliott Ltd who owned Thwaites & Reed Limited until it was sold in 1991 to Melvyn Lee. The historic documents on loan to the London Metropolitan Archives(ref MS 6788-6808) cover the periods from 1780 to 1955. Dunstable Town Council archives had a catalogue of turret clocks made up to 1878 and there is a later incomplete list showing the date of supply and purchasers of turret clocks to 1902. Up to 1900, 2978 domestic clocks were made with serial numbers in chronological order (The Context of Production, Identification and Dating of Clocks by A. and J. Thwaites by GTE Buggins and AJ Turner). Other clocks were not listed but from 1972 to 1980 10 types of replica clocks with serial numbers from 1 to 1000 were made as a limited editions.
Clocks
- Clock at Horseguards Parade (1756)
- East India CompanyBritish East India CompanyThe East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...
, India (1770) - The Royal ClockRoyal ClockThe "Royal Clock" is located on the upper level of the southern half of the Queen Victoria Building in Sydney, Australia. It was designed by Neil Glasser and made by Thwaites & Reed of Hastings in England, and displays scenes of English royalty.-Performance:...
in the Queen Victoria Building in Sydney, Australia. - Bracken House Clock with Zodiac Calendar and Churchill's face emblazoned on it (1955?) - Bracken House, former home of the Financial TimesFinancial TimesThe Financial Times is an international business newspaper. It is a morning daily newspaper published in London and printed in 24 cities around the world. Its primary rival is the Wall Street Journal, published in New York City....
) - Royal Small Arms Clock Tower (c 1783)
- Clock at All Saints Church, Wokingham (1817)
- St. John's Church, Parramatta, NSW, Australia - clock in north tower (1821)
- Holy Trinity Old Church, MargateMargate-Demography:As of the 2001 UK census, Margate had a population of 40,386.The ethnicity of the town was 97.1% white, 1.0% mixed race, 0.5% black, 0.8% Asian, 0.6% Chinese or other ethnicity....
(1845) - St. George Tabernacle, St. George, UtahSt. George, UtahSt. George is a city located in the southwestern part of the U.S. state of Utah, and the county seat of Washington County, Utah. It is the principal city of and is included in the St. George, Utah, Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city is 119 miles northeast of Las Vegas, Nevada, and 303 miles ...
, - Prince Albert Memorial Clocktower, HastingsHastingsHastings is a town and borough in the county of East Sussex on the south coast of England. The town is located east of the county town of Lewes and south east of London, and has an estimated population of 86,900....
- Gothic style (1864) - Bow Bells at St Mary-le-BowSt Mary-le-BowSt Mary-le-Bow is an historic church in the City of London, off Cheapside. According to tradition, a true Cockney must be born within earshot of the sound of the church's bells.-Bells:...
electric clock mechanism (1961) - Fortnum & Mason of PiccadillyFortnum & MasonFortnum & Mason, often shortened to just "Fortnum's" is a department store, situated in central London, with two other branches in Japan. Its headquarters is located at 181 Piccadilly, where it was established in 1707 by William Fortnum and Hugh Mason...
, with automata jacks of the founders, Fortnum & Mason in 19th Century costumes. (1964) - Mast House Clock, Simon's Town Naval Base, South Africa (1816)