Henry Jones Clockmaker Henry Jones was the son of William Jones, the vicar of Boldre (Bolder) Hampshire. He was apprenticed in 1654 to Benjamin Hill, but turned over shortly after to Edward East where he finished his apprenticeship in 1661. He became a Freeman of the Clockmakers’ Company in 1663. Jones took fourteen apprentices between 1664 and 1693, amongst whom were his sons William and Henry. The former did not achieve freedom of the Company, but the latter was freed in 1698 – this was after his father’s death, when it appears Jones’ widow carried on the business taking on two apprentices between 1696 and 1704. Jones was very active in the affairs of the Clockmakers’ Company. He was elected Assistant in 1676 and was much involved in the ‘perusal of the Charter and Ordinances’ in the matter of bringing ‘refractory and unconformable members of the Company…’ to book for their offences. He also served on a committee on the binding of apprentices. His name also appears in connection with complaints against Robert Seignior for erasing or causing Edward Stanton to erase a signature from a clock and also in a dispute with John Nicasius. Jones became Master of the Clockmakers’ Company in 1691. He was a generous man: he contributed £100 along with the £100 contributed by his old Master and lifelong friend Edward East for a Clockmakers’ Charity for ‘5 poor widows having Annually the Benefitt thereof Forever’ as recorded on his monument. His early clocks are in the style of East and well and solidly made and designed; however, the later clocks are somewhat pedestrian and some of these may well date from when the business was continued after his death. Jones died in 1695 aged 63, followed by his widow in 1708 aged 83. They were buried in the Church of St Dunstan’s in the West, Fleet Street, where there is a splendid monument to them.
