A Victorian lacquered brass 'Litchfield Cathedral' hour striking skeleton clock Attributed to John Smith and Sons, London, for Hirst, Leeds, mid 19th century The twin chain fusee gong striking movement with anchor escapement and five spoke wheel crossings set between characteristic pierced plates united by six turned pillars and modelled as two towers capped with tall faceted spire finals flanking central arched aperture with further taller spire set to the rear, the front with pierced silvered Roman cartouche numeral chapter ring engraved HIRST, LEEDS to the lower margin, with shaped outer minute track and steel moon hands, 32cm (12.5ins) high; mounted on stepped gilt wood plinth over an ogee moulded ebonised D-ended platform base rebated to locate the glass dome cover and raised on bun feet, 48cm (19ins) high overall. Provenance: The property of a private collector, Hertfordshire. Brothers George K. and John T. Hirst are recorded in Loomes, Brian Watchmakers & Clockmakers of the World, Volume 2 as working in Leeds 1851-71. The current lot can be firmly attributed to John Smith and Sons of St. John's Square, Clerkenwell, and can be compared to the design published in their 1865 catalogue; a plate from which is reproduced in Royer-Collard, F.B. SKELETON CLOCKS on page 54. A very similar example (but with platform lever escapement) is also illustrated by Royer-Collard on page 57 - which he describes as an early model dating to around 1840. The clockmaking business of John Smith and Sons of Clerkenwell can trace its roots back to 1780 but was established at the former manufactory of Colonel Mangier in St. John's Square in 1844. The firm ran extensive workshops which incorporated a dedicated brass foundry, clock case workshop and assembly areas for the various types of clocks produced and was featured in the 20th September 1851 issue of the Illustrated London News in an article entitled Visit to a Clerkenwell Clock Factory. At the Great Exhibition held that year they exhibited a year going calendar clock and another chiming clock, chiming on 8 bells and striking on a gong. Ultimately John Smith and Sons perhaps became best known for their skeleton clocks, many of which illustrated in their 1865 catalogue including models based on Litchfield Cathedral and York Minster, however they also produced many fine chiming bracket clocks, longcase regulators, wall clocks and public clocks. The business continued to produce clocks until 1938 when, due to the decline in demand for mechanical timepieces, they diversified to become specialist material stockholders and still continue in this role today.