A George III mahogany eight-day longcase clock with moonphase Thomas Willshire, Bristol, circa 1780 The four pillar rack striking movement with anchor escapement regulated by seconds pendulum, the 12 inch brass break-arch dial with recessed subsidiary seconds dial and calendar aperture to the matted centre decorated with bright-cut insects and floral motifs within applied Roman numeral chapter ring with Arabic five minutes to outer track and signed Tho's Willshire, Bris=tol to lower margin, with scroll pierced steel hands and gilt twin bird and urn cast spandrels to angles beneath arch with rolling moonphase incorporating arched silvered scale for the lunar month and HIGH WATER AT BRISTOL KEY to the upper margin over landscape engraved lunettes beneath, the case with moulded dentil break-arch cornice and conforming veneered frieze over wavy-edged hinged glazed dial aperture flanked by free-standing spiral twist turned Corinthian hood columns with gilt caps and bases, the sides with shaped side windows and scroll-outline bargeboards at the rear, the trunk with elaborately shaped flame figured caddy moulded door flanked by Corinthian quarter columns with gilt caps and bases, on conforming raised panel fronted plinth base with ogee bracket feet, 225cm (88.5ins) high. Thomas Willshire is recorded in Moore, A.J. THE CLOCKMAKERS OF BRISTOL 1650-1900 as being in business with Henry Link until 1777 when the partnership was dissolved and took apprentice, William Alexander, in 1785.The current lot is an archetypical example of the fully developed Bristol style of longcase clock made during the last quarter of the 18th century. Such clocks were made with wealthy Bristol merchants in mind with the moonphase being annotated with high-water times in order to assist ship-owners with the scheduling of arrivals and departures through the Bristol Channel which is essentially unpassable during low tide.