A million copies of the song My Grandfather's Clock were sold in America when it was published, in 1876 making it a great success in the USA, England and worldwide. The writer was a hard-working man called Work, whose bust you can see in the USA - photo in Wikipedia.
The clock immortalised in the song was in Yorkshire, England, where Work had seen it at the George Inn, which you can still visit today. The inn has several four poster bed rooms. The clock still stands there.
Clocks of its type were called Coffin Clocks or Long case clocks. They were from six to over seven feet tall to allow space for the 36 inch pendulum which made them more accurate. Not totally accurate, but losing less time than most other smaller clocks.
If you get the chance to look at the clock, the original clock, it has the maker's name, Thompson. The Thompson father founded the family business and his son was famous for carving a mouse on the side of all his carpentry. You can still buy items with the mouse carving today.
The original owners of the tavern or inn (is there a difference?) - I think maybe one of them, the inn, has rooms, were the Jenkins brothers, who bought the clock which was renowned in the town for being an accurate clock.
After one of the brothers died, the clock started losing tine. After the second brother died, it stopped entirely.
The inn owners used to tell visitors the story that the clock stopped on the day the second
(?) brother died.
Work visited England and saw the clock and heard the story. The inn was well known. Queen Victoria's husband Albert ( ) had stayed there.
Work had worked as a printer setting musical type, a rather boring job, and used to compose songs in time with the sounds. It's not what you know, but who you know, say some people. His great friend who encouraged him was another famous songwriter.
St George's Hotel
Piercebridge
County Durham
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_Grandfather%27s_Clock
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Clay_Work
http://www.traditionalmusic.co.uk/my-grandfathers-clock/my-grandfathers-clock.html
https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/LocationPhotoDirectLink-g1933103-d210344-i117265606-The_George_Hotel-Piercebridge_County_Durham_England.html
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, researcher,
The clock immortalised in the song was in Yorkshire, England, where Work had seen it at the George Inn, which you can still visit today. The inn has several four poster bed rooms. The clock still stands there.
Clocks of its type were called Coffin Clocks or Long case clocks. They were from six to over seven feet tall to allow space for the 36 inch pendulum which made them more accurate. Not totally accurate, but losing less time than most other smaller clocks.
If you get the chance to look at the clock, the original clock, it has the maker's name, Thompson. The Thompson father founded the family business and his son was famous for carving a mouse on the side of all his carpentry. You can still buy items with the mouse carving today.
The original owners of the tavern or inn (is there a difference?) - I think maybe one of them, the inn, has rooms, were the Jenkins brothers, who bought the clock which was renowned in the town for being an accurate clock.
After one of the brothers died, the clock started losing tine. After the second brother died, it stopped entirely.
The inn owners used to tell visitors the story that the clock stopped on the day the second
(?) brother died.
Work visited England and saw the clock and heard the story. The inn was well known. Queen Victoria's husband Albert ( ) had stayed there.
Work had worked as a printer setting musical type, a rather boring job, and used to compose songs in time with the sounds. It's not what you know, but who you know, say some people. His great friend who encouraged him was another famous songwriter.
St George's Hotel
Piercebridge
County Durham
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_Grandfather%27s_Clock
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Clay_Work
http://www.traditionalmusic.co.uk/my-grandfathers-clock/my-grandfathers-clock.html
https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/LocationPhotoDirectLink-g1933103-d210344-i117265606-The_George_Hotel-Piercebridge_County_Durham_England.html
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, researcher,
No comments:
Post a Comment