A John III & Thomas I Fardon longcase discovered in Virginia USA

This clock was rescued from the depths of an antique shop in Virginia USA. It was made by the two Fardon brothers sometime between 1785 & 1801.* The long case is not original nor is the weight. Tim Marshall, author of N Oxfordshire clockmakers, says “ The face is painted in the style of a clock from the late C18th, the corner decoration, the fact it has arabic numerals for the five minutes (between about 1800 and 1810/15 and that the dial makers started using Arabic numerals for the hours as well, for a few years after that the hours reverted to Roman with Arabic minutes at each quarter, after about 1820 it was just Roman numerals showing the hours, and the steel hands which look original are typical of the period, and they are the right length for the five minute divisions. Any restoration suggests it had been overpainted at the most. The initials T & J have been incorrectly repainted as T T J.”

Their journeyman Joshua Gibbs name is on the clock for having done work on it in 1850 & 1855.

It is likely that the case travelled to the US with emigrants from Deddington. They would have left the case (and possibly the heavy weight) behind as too bulky to transport and had a new case made on reaching their final destination. It must have a tale to tell!

*John Fardon committed suicide in 1801.