Longcase clock made in Mid Wales to be sold at Shrewsbury fine art auction

An 18th century longcase clock which has its roots in a Mid Wales town will be going up for auction in Shrewsbury next week.

The clock made by Samual Roberts of Llanfair Caereinion has been consigned by its Mid Wales owner to a fine art, antiques and jewellery auction being held by Halls Fine Art on Wednesday, September 20.

Carrying an estimate £1,500 to £2,000, the clock was a collaboration between Roberts and neighbouring cabinetmaker and joiner John Lloyd who made the case, which carries his label inside the door.

Alexander Clement, Halls Fine Art’s senior general valuer and Asian art specialist, explained that Samuel Roberts is a well-documented clockmaker between 1750-‘80s.

“Records indicate that he crafted some 600 pieces, roughly 20 per year, earning him an average of £35 per year,” he said. “To serve the local community, Roberts established a ‘clock club’ with customers paying by instalments and entering a lottery for each clock as it was completed.

“Some of the cases were made by Roberts’ neighbour, the joiner John Lloyd who, unusually for the period, attached paper labels.”

The last two clocks by Roberts sold by Halls Fine Art made £2,800 and £2,600 in 2021 and 2018 respectively.

Also included in the auction, and potentially the star lot, is a rare early 18th century ebonised quarter repeating double basket top bracket clock by James Markwick of London which is valued at between £8,000 and £12,000.

A similar clock by the same maker is included in the collection of the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
Markwick, a clockmaker between 1692 and1730, followed in the footsteps of his namesake father as a member of the London Clockmakers’ Company. He became a master of the company in 1720.

Other interesting lots in the auction include a diamond set stylised knot bracelet attributed to Verdura estimated at up to £5,000 and a single stone diamond pendant suspended on 18ct white gold chain, a tanzanite and diamond pendant on chain and an 18ct gold sapphire and diamond stylised buckle bracelet set with EMKA watch, each expected to fetch up to £3,000.

The watches section includes Rolex and Omega gentleman’s watches with estimates of between £4,000 and £8,000.

In the pictures section, an oil on board by Edgar Hunt (1876-1953) of chickens, pigeons and rabbits is expected to fetch between £4,000 and £6,000, an oil by Margaret Murray Cooksley (c.1850-1927) titled The Spilled Flowers, is estimated up to £3,000 and two landscape paintings by Joseph Thors (1835-1920), each carry an estimate of up to £2,000.

Picture captions:

Alexander Clement from Halls Fine Art with the basket top bracket clock by James Markwick valued at between £8,000 and £12,000.