A Clock at Browne's
Hospital Stamford
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In a ledger 1600-1845 at The Hospital of
William Browne Stamford is an entry for the year 1684. On line 4-
Item paid for a clock cum ptinent 10. 0. 0. "Paid for a clock with all its parts. £10". These parts laid out on the floor would constitute a considerable display. To get some idea of the value compare it with the three items below. "For new paving the kitchen and brew house --- 200 foot of Ketton stone". The total, three entries for labour and materials, £4. 1s. 9d in today’s money would cost in the region of £1000. The first entry for the year is for twelve new gowns for the poor men of the Hospital. This item included 36 yards of blue cloth and the cost of making the same. The £13. 12s paid would mean that the gowns cost about £226 each and the clock more than £2000. The clock was made by John Watts and it is likely that the top front wooden horizontal member was marked IW 1684. It is the earliest clock known to be made by this man. The following pages show copies of invoices that cover a period of 200 years. They give an idea of how important the clock was to this Hospital. Finally it was replaced but the ancient wooden clock frame did carry on to support the new clock. |