A fine George III ormolu mounted ebonised quarter-chiming table clock with pull-trip repeat Ellicott, London, circa 1765 The substantial six pillar triple chain fusee movement chiming the quarters on a graduated nest of six bells and sounding the hours on a further larger bell, the backplate engraved with scrolling foliage around a central rococo cartouche containing a pedestal surmounted with a Classical urn, the 7 inch brass break-arch dial with calendar aperture to the finely matted centre within applied silvered Roman numeral chapter ring with Arabic five minutes to outer track and signed Ellicott, London to lower edge, with pierced steel hands and rococo scroll cast spandrels to angles beneath arch centred with a subsidiary STRIKE/SILENT selection dial flanked by conforming mounts, the bell-top case with brass flambeau finial set on a raised plinth flanked by scroll-pierced brass fret ornaments over rococo scroll cast mounts to each side of the superstructure bordered with brass fillet mouldings to lower edge and flanked by further flambeau finials, over double cavetto top mouldings and rectangular front door inset with brass half-round brass fillet mouldings to the break-arch glazed aperture and upper quadrant panels flanked by female term and scroll decorated canted angles, the sides with heavy hinged brass carrying handles over concave-topped brass bordered rectangular glazed apertures, the rear matching the front on brass bound cavetto moulded skirt base with substantial foliate scroll cast bracket feet, 56cm (22ins) high excluding top finial; 65cm (25.5ins) high overall. John Ellicott F.R.S. is recorded in Baillie, G.H. Watchmakers & Clockmakers of the World as born 1706 to John Ellicott senior, a Cornish clockmaker who had gained his Freedom of the Clockmaker's Company in 1696 and died 1733. John junior worked from Swithin's Alley, Royal Exchange, London and was elected member of the Royal Society in 1738. He published works on horology in 1739 and 1753 and is particularly noted for the development of the cylinder escapement and a form of compensated pendulum; he also maintained a private observatory at his home in Hackney. John Ellicott was later appointed as Clockmaker to George III, and took his son, Edward into partnership in 1760 which lasted until his death in 1772. The current lot is a 'textbook' example from a series of quarter chiming and grande-sonnerie table clocks made by the Ellicott workshop during the third quarter of the 18th century. A very closely related example signed for John Ellicott was sold at Bonhams, London sale of Fine Clocks, Wednesday 20th June 2012 (lot 121) realising £20,000 whilst another, this time with fired enamel dial inserts, is currently being offered by Dorset Clocks for £32,500.