A figured walnut eight-day longcase clock with moonphase The dial signed for John Hodges, London, circa 1730 and later Now with purpose made four pillar rack and bell striking movement incorporating anchor escapement regulated by seconds pendulum, the 12 inch brass break-arch dial with subsidiary seconds dial and Ho-Ho bird decorated calendar aperture to the matted centre within applied silvered Roman numeral chapter ring with fleur-de-lys half hour markers and Arabic five minutes to outer track, with pierced steel hands and female mask and scroll cast spandrels to angles within a herringbone engraved border now incorporating Strike/Silent switch at 9 o'clock, the arch with rolling moonphase featuring aperture revealing age of the moon at the apex flanked by herringbone engraved infill over scroll engraved lunettes and with applied silvered plate engraved JOHN HODGES, ST CLEMENTS LANE, LONDON to upper margin, in a case with ogee cornice and scroll-pierced quadrant sound frets over hinged break-arch glazed dial aperture flanked by columns and rectangular side windows with conforming quarter columns set against bargeboards to the rear, the trunk with concave throat over triple-line strung break-arch door with fine crossgrain mouldings over conforming plinth base with later moulded skirt incorporating shaped apron, 231cm (91ins) high. A John Hodges is recorded in Loomes, Brian Clockmakers of Britain 1286-1700 as born around 1700 and apprenticed to Francis Chapman in 1714. He gained his freedom of the Clockmakers' Company in 1722. These records are believed to relate to the maker of the same name who is known to have been working from St. Clements Lane, London in 1729 and Exchange Alley in 1738. The movement of the current lot has been renewed most likely in the mid 19th century with the original substituted by a well-executed mechanism made to fit the original dial without alteration to the latter.