Georgian Clockmaking was as much a family tradition as it was a job, with knowledge of the skill being passed down from generation to generation. It wasn't just a matter of knowing how to utilise tools and materials; arcane horological knowledge, such as the mathematical formulae needed to compute wheel size and other components of clock movements, was an important part of the lore of clockmaking and had to be taught and practised over time. The Lister family of Halifax, which was one of the premier English provincial clockmaking centres, provides one of the most prominent examples of this passing on of knowledge from one generation to the next. William Lister started the family clockmaking business in Keighley. Few examples of William's work exist, but what does demonstrate that he was a capable manufacturer of plain, ordinary thirty-hour longcase clocks. However, the next two generations of the Lister family produced a significantly larger corpus of work: Thomas, commonly known as Thomas Lister Senior (d. 1779), and his son, Thomas Lister Junior (d. 1814). Thomas Lister Senior was apprenticed to John Stancliffe, a clockmaker at Barkisland, near Halifax, and stayed in the area after his apprenticeship to pursue his craft. His 30 hour case clocks with square brass dials and unique cast brass hands are his most well-known creations. Around 1760, Thomas Senior moved his workshop from Luddenden to Bull Green, Halifax, where he established a joint venture with his son. Thomas Lister Junior carried on his father's clockmaking history by turning it into an art form, demonstrating both an aesthetic flare and a passion for designing complicated and sophisticated movements encased in ornately decorated cases. The two Thomas Listers were in the workforce from 1738 to 1814. They are secured a place in the very top tier of provincial clockmakers, based on their prolific output and the complexity and uniqueness of their work.
Dimensions: 545 x 265 x 2125H mm
Please contact Anthony on 0412495436 
Or Email at wakimantiques@hotmail.com 
10 Nicholson St, Coburg VIC 3058 
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