A fine George II oak and parquetry eight-day grande-sonnerie chiming longcase clock with moonphase Seddon, Frodsham, circa 1740 The substantial five finned pillar triple train rack and bell striking movement with the rectangle of the plates measuring 8 by 6.25 inches, the going train with delicate anchor escapement regulated by seconds pendulum and the quarter train sounding a peel on a graduated nest of six bells with six hammers before unlocking via detents and levers set between the plates the hour strike on a larger separate bell at every quarter, the 12.5 inch brass break-arch dial with silvered subsidiary seconds and decorative scroll engraved and pierced panel around the calendar aperture signed Seddon to the black velvet dial centre within applied Roman numeral chapter ring with fleur-de-lys half hour markers and arcaded minute ring with Arabic five minutes to outer track, with pierced blued steel hands and the angles with crested mask centred scroll cast and pierced spandrels within a herringbone engraved border continuing up and around the arch, centred with a penny-moon aperture within conforming black velvet and ring calibrated for the age of the moon with brass hand and flanked by conforming dolphin cast mounts, the break-arch case with complex ogee and cavetto architectural mouldings over curved frieze fret and fluted columns flanking the glazed hood door, the sides with break-arch windows over concave throat moulding and shaped 'block top' crossbanded trunk door centred with a parquetry star, on conforming star decorated plinth base with concave top mouldings and caddy moulded skirt, 221cm (87ins) high. Records relating to the Seddon family of clockmakers from Frodsham, Cheshire first appear in the Parish baptismal entries for the children of Mary Cook and John Seddon (described as a clockmaker by trade) in 1676, followed by the supposed supplying of a turret clock by John Seddon to Poole Hall in 1704. Frodsham Parish records apparently further record a John Seddon complaining of an Edward Cook in 1713. Finally Daniel Seddon, Clockmaker from Frodsham, is recorded as working 1754-85. John and Daniel Seddon were makers of very fine clocks some of which incorporated spherical globe moons in the arch and invariably displayed fine engraved detail. Indeed a clock by Seddon with these features and in a case very similar to that of the current lot was sold in these rooms on 21st March 2011 (lot 1) for £13,000 hammer. Grande sonnerie striking longcase clocks are extremely rare, this coupled with the unusual black velvet and arcaded minute ring to the dial (executed in the contemporary Dutch fashion) results in a clock of fine specification and particularly pleasing appearance.