The Francis Johnston-Speaker Clock
A highly important and monumental mahogany Longcase Clock, crested with a scallop shell and flanked with figure and hound to one side, and a cherub with a medici lion, on a leaf wreath moulded arch and trellis panel, applied with the Johnston Coat of Arms and motto reading "Nunquam Non Paratus" above a later brass and steel dial, signed J. Waugh & Son, Dublin, with Roman and Arabic numerals on the chapter ring, a subsidiary dial for seconds, two key squares, date aperture and two smaller dials for chimes, the musical mechanism playing a brass pinned barrel, and fifteen graduating steel bells, flanked to either side with a cluster column, headed with ornate stylized Doric capitals, each with a hanging wreath and deep carved side trellis panels, all above a brass inlaid door with serpentine top and a centre aperture with glazed panel inside a leaf carved moulded frame with fleur-de-lis finial, flanked with canted corners and carved female caryatids, on a conforming acanthus leaf moulded canted plinth, and a stepped moulded base, 9'9" x 44" (297cms x 112cms). (1)
J. Waugh & Son Dublin
The Irish Houses of Parliament Speaker's Clock
James Waugh was a member of a well-known family of clock makers. He worked in Armagh from 1785 until 1805 when he moved to Dublin. He produced an 'astronomical' clock for use in Armagh Observatory, circa 1793., and assisted Robert Hogg in making an astronomical quadrant with a 35 inch radius (Hogg was later an assistant astronomer at Armagh). In Dublin he produced clocks from 157 James Street under the name 'Waugh & Sons' as well as 'James Waugh' (this latter nomenclature was in operation between 1805 and 1815). From 1820 until 1824 he operated from 24 James Street and, in 1825, moved to 40 Aungier Street. In 1826 a final move took him to 42 Aungier Street. He is known to have made the works for a Longcase Clock 9 feet 8 inches high, by 3 feet 8 inches wide that was in the Irish Houses of Parliament**.
Francis Johnston of Kilmore*** MRIA (1760 - 1829) was the second son of William Johnston of Armagh. On the death of his older brother, Richard Johnston of Kilmore (1759 - 1806), without issue, Francis became the head of his family and entitled to the undifferenced Arms, as displayed on the superstructure of the Clock****.
The Parliament House was sold in 1803 to the Bank of Ireland for £40,000. The conversion into the Bank's headquarters was started the following year and completed in 1811. Francis Johnston was the architect of the alterations.
Between 1807 and 1814 Richard Stewart executed the carvings in the Chapel Royal at Dublin Castle, which had been designed by Francis Johnston and the unusual shape of the shield for the Johnston Coat of Arms, which was added to the Speaker's Clock, is identical in form, to those for the Viceroys of Ireland which Stewart carved in the Chapel Royal, Dublin.
A carillon, or musical clock. The mechanism has 15 bells and 30 hammers playing airs, self-chiming and speed control playing every three hours.
The seatboard is 7 inches tall, 4-6 deep, 1/2 thick, 13 inches long and 13 inches square.
The Bell 0 4 1/2 hammer spring 4 1/2 long, weights.
The Gong 14lb strike 18 movement 7 x 5 2 1/2" deep.
Movement dead beat escapement with maintaining power, 18" square dial movement measures 8 1/2" x 8 1/2" x 4 1/2" deep. Heavy cast metal pendulum bob in 2 parts. Secured, with 4 screws wooden pendulum rod, 5 pillar movement motion work drive wheel to carillon 0 3 1/2, 96 teeth 16 pins.
The minute wheel, which has an 8 leaves movement does not sit on the seat board but hangs from it. It is secured with 4 bolts 3 weight of lead with pulley enclosed.
The gong 18-20 strike 20 - 25 carillon 30.
The carillon bell (sea board, 28 long 12 deep 1 1/2 thick) long: the hammer spring 10 inches largest 6- 1 1/2
Frame rough iron bushed with manganese brass, 15 bells 30 hammers driving or drum, wheel. 0 6 3/4 thick 6 spokes with 72 teeth. Wooden barrel winding arbour 3/8 in square.
Bevel to great wheel. Drives cylinder wheel 1st cam wheel 72 teeth 0 3 1/2 brass pinion 14 leaves 0 3 3/4.
It has a gathering pallet with no tail. The 2nd wheel 56 teeth 0 2 1/4, pinion 8 leaves 1/2 0. the 3rd warning wheel 48 teeth 0 2 1/8 pinion 8 leaves 1/2 0. The fly or governor 8 leaves 0 1/2.
The distance of the great wheel between shoulders in 6 1/2 inches. All others are 4 3/4 inches except the fly pinion.
The cylinder is 16 in long and the wheel is 0 3 1/4, 72 teeth, 0 5 in excluding pinion.
The largest bell is 0 6 in. The smallest is 1 3/4 in.
The bells are stamped R. Wells Albourne of Wiltshire, who is listed in Bells of England, by Tom Ingram, published by David Charles, 1954.
* * The first Astronomer of the Observatory, Reverend Dr. J.A. Hamilton, was appointed in July 1790, and as an endowment for the Astronomer, Primate Robinson gave twenty acres of land and the estate of Derrynaught. Several instruments, including a Ramsden transit instrument and meridian circle, a Troughton equatorial telescope and three clocks, were ordered at the Primate's expense. However, owing to the Primate's death before receipt of all the instruments, the two Ramsden instruments never came to Armagh, Compensating for the non arrival of the Ramsden transit instrument an Armagh watchmaker, Mr. James Waugh, constructed one, and observations with it commenced in July 1793 (Stuart 1819). Some results with this instrument were published in the Transactions of the Royal Irish Academy (Hamilton 1810).
* **Watch and Clockmakers in Ireland. by William Galland Stuart, Dublin 2000 (published with a grant from the Heritage Council).
* ***Kilmore House, Richhill, County Armagh (Johnston IFR) a 3 story Georgian block, given 2 curvilinear Jacobean-style gables and mullioned oriels, between which 3 bays of the original elevation remain as they always were, complete with the astragals in the sash windows; the adjoining elevation also remained Georgian. The interior was also remodelled, presumably at the same time: the hall has a screen of tapering wooden piers, incorporating the stairs, which have a handrail of carved wood panelling. The dining room has a Victorian Gothic chimney piece of marble. Seat of the Johnstons of whom Francis Johnston, the architect, was a younger son, (from page 174 of "A Guide to Irish Country Houses" by Mark Bence-Jones, published by Constable, London 1978 revised edition 1988, 2nd revised edition 1990).
* ****Arms of Johnston of Kilmore, Armagh:
Argent a saltire sable in base a heart ensigned with an imperial crown proper on a chief gules three cushions or:
Motto: Nunquam Non Paratus ("Never Unprepared"), Crest: an arm in armour embowed, the hand grasping a sword all proper charged with a spur rowel gules.
