A rare English iron framed hooded wall alarm timepiece movement and dial Unsigned, early to mid 18th century The single-handed movement with three-wheel going train with anchor escapement for regulation by long pendulum set between iron strap uprights joined at the top and bottom to horizontal bars passing through the uprights at the front secured by pins and continuing to allow attachment of the dial via screwed tabs, the verge alarm mechanism transversely mounted on a further C-outline strap to the side secured with screws to the top and bottom plates and with vertically pivoted hammer sounding on a mounted bell above, the 7.125 square brass dial with alarm setting disc and single scroll-shaped hand within applied Roman numeral chapter ring with dot half hour markers, (no pendulum or weight). The basic construction and layout of the movement of the current lot can be compared to that of a small alarm wall timepiece described and illustrated in Darken, Jeff (editor) TIME & PLACE English Country Clocks 1600-1840 on pages 4-41. This earlier example employs a verge escapement with short bob pendulum swinging to the side allowing the alarm to be positioned at the rear; the current lot however has anchor escapement with long pendulum which can only practically be positioned to the rear of the movement hence the alarm has been relocated to the side. Both of these timepieces are unsigned however a third related movement and dial, this time signed for John Coates of Cirencester is also illustrated in TIME & PLACE... on pages 164-65 hence it would be appropriate to speculate that the current lot may have been made in the Cotswolds perhaps by a member of the Coates family or by a nearby maker.