Ahasuerus Fromanteel Ahasuerus Fromanteel was a master craftsman of many talents, active in London and Europe during the mid 1600s. Most significantly, he was a pioneering clockmaker responsible for introducing the domestic pendulum clock technology to Britain. Between 1658 and 1670, he drove technological innovation at a dizzying pace, contributing immensely to wider horological development during this time (a time that was arguably one of the most innovative periods in horological history). He also played a crucial role in establishing London as the clockmaking capital of the world. Fromanteel was a bit of a maverick. While continuously flouting the guild regulations of the Worshipful Company of Clockmakers (and winding up in their crosshairs on numerous occasions), he constantly experimented with clock movement design. In turn, he produced numerous prototypes. They are all provocative and beautiful. Quite a few are legitimately groundbreaking. In his quest to reduce upfront costs and produce ever more accurate clocks, he developed his own approach to clock movement making, which quickly became known as ‘The Fromanteel School’. He also innovated upon clock case design, often working with London’s most talented architect and cabinet makers, such as the English architect John Webb. As a result, his was the first workshop to develop the longcase case format and to produce architectural clock cases. The Norfolk Fromanteel (exhibited on Clocktime) is a prime example of this trend. Made around 1660, it is the earliest known clock to be designed as a longcase, and its case is the first example of an architectural format case. Keenly aware that he was producing the mechanical marvels of his day, he sometimes took a theatrical approach to design. This is best exemplified in his presentation of the Denton Hall Fromanteel table clock, made around 1657. Designed specifically to showcase the new, more accurate pendulum within, hidden secret latches on the front drawer and the back and side doors allow access to the interior. Clearly, the clock case and its movement were intended to be admired from all sides, with the ultimate reveal being a dramatic 360° view of the inner mechanism. Surely, the owner elevated this revelation to a form of theatre, in which he or she proudly showed these inner workings to an audience who had never seen a pendulum clock before. With these designs, Fromanteel reached new heights of design excellence and spectacle. However, the quality and variety of his timekeepers only hint at the breadth of Fromanteel’s talents and abilities. While he could make everything from a tiny watch to an elaborate clock, his technical expertise also extended to lens grinding (for microscopes and telescopes) and wood turning. It also encompassed engineering and hydraulics. To date, a comprehensive biography of Fromanteel has yet to be published. However, there are numerous articles and catalogue accounts on his work and life, detailed in the bibliography below. While we know next to nothing about Fromanteel’s early life and training, snippets of evidence paint a picture of a voraciously intelligent, driven man with a bold, somewhat rebellious personality. An extended version of this story is coming soon to Clocktime. It will be a lively portrait of Fromanteel and his career and will include details of the Fromanteel clocks exhibited on Clocktime, as well as anecdotes regarding the maker's infamous run-ins with the Worshipful Company of Clockmakers and provocative alliance with some of the leading lights of the English Commonwealth, including Oliver Cromwell himself. References Ende, H. van der, J. C. Taylor and F. Van Kersen.2004. Huygens’ Legacy: The golden age of the pendulum clock (Exhibition Catalogue). Isle of Man: Fromanteel Limited. Fabian, L. 1977. Could It Have Been Wren? London: The Antiquarian Horological Society. Garnier, R. 2018a. ‘Cornelius Drebbel (1572–1633): The man who launched Fromanteel?’ in Innovation & Collaboration: The early development of the pendulum clock in London (Garnier, R. and L. Hollis eds). Isle of Man: Fromanteel Ltd. pp. 33-53. Garnier, R. 2018b. ‘Fromanteels progress: Anglo-Netherlandish life pushing at the boundaries of mechanical endeavor’, in Garnier, R. and L. Hollis (editors) Innovation & Collaboration: The early development of the pendulum clock in London. Isle of Man: Fromanteel Ltd. pp 54–79. Garnier, R. 2018c. ‘The Fromanteel Architectural Early-Pendulum Clock Case (c1660-c1673) in Garnier, R. and L. Hollis (editors) Innovation & Collaboration: The early development of the pendulum clock in London. Isle of Man: Fromanteel Ltd. pp 81-114. Lee, R. A. 1978. ‘Early pendulum clocks’ in Antiquarian Horology Winter, 146–147. Loomes, Brian. 1975. ‘The Fromanteel story’ in Antiquarian Horology 9/2: 175-185. Pohancenik, R. 2009. ‘The intelligencer and the instrument maker: early communications in the development of the pendulum clock’ in Antiquarian Horology 31:6, 747-756. Pohancenik, R. 2010a. ‘The theorist and the instrument maker: early communications in the development of the pendulum clock’ in Antiquarian Horology 32:2, 191-200. Pohancenik, R. 2010b. ‘Who invented the pendulum clock’ in Country Life (5 May), 78-81. Ullyett, Kenneth. 2011. British Clocks and Clockmakers. London: British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data. Image credit Ahasuerus Fromanteel Engraving. Courtesy of The John C Taylor Collection Limited
