THOMAS COLE
1800-1864
Thomas Cole was born in 1800, the son of James and Catherine Cole
of Nether Stowey in Somerset. His father was thought to have been a
clockmaker which may explain how Thomas and his elder brother, James
Fergusson were introduced to the Trade. Both brothers were immensely
talented but their apprenticeship is a mystery with much speculation about
the possibility that they may have studied under the great French clockmaker
Abraham Louis Breguet (d. 1823).
In 1821 the two brothers formed a partnership and began to produce a small
series of highly complicated silver hump-back carriage clocks, the design of
which was originally conceived by Breguet in Paris – lending further support to
their apprenticeship. These carriage clocks were then the most complex carriage
clocks being made in England and Thomas Cole was just 21 years old.
The brothers went their separate ways and in 1845 Thomas set up his
own workshops and called himself A Designer and Maker of Ornamental
Clocks. He began to make his now famous and highly sought-after range of
exceptional quality desk clocks. It was wonderful timing, his pretty, ingenious
and exquisitely engraved clocks were an instant hit with the Victorian
Nouveau Riche.
The present clock is an excellent example of its type; the case retains its original
gilding with just a little rubbing on some of the corners and edges. The dial is well
painted and has the added extra of displaying the day and date which can be
manually adjusted each week from the underside of the case. The movement is
a typical example from Cole’s workshops with a going barrel (never a fusee) and
high quality lever escapement with cut bimetallic balance wheel. Many of Cole’s
smaller clocks have 2-day movements, the present example runs for 8 days on a
single winding.
❝ We like: the superior quality of – everything about this clock.
This is the paradigm of a Cole strut clock. The case has the original gilding
which has been gently washed and it even has the original hands. The
movement is ticking nicely, it will soon need a service but it is mechanically
sound – a great example at a great price. ❞
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