The text and images below were provided by Canadian clocks expert Jim Connell.  Jane Varkaris also did some of the original research for the book that they co-authored in 1986.  PICTURES TO BE ADDED BY LATE MARCH 2010

THE HAMILTON CLOCK COMPANY

Hamilton, Ontario (1876-1880)

This company was established in 1876, after the failure of the Canada Clock Company in Whitby, Ontario.  The factory was located in an existing building at the corner Cathcart and Kelly Streets in old Hamilton.

The machinery and other tools and equipment were purchased and moved to Hamilton by two business men, James Simpson and George Lee.  Simpson, born in Scotland, had been active in Hamilton for years as a partner in a wholesale grocery business.  He assumed the title of President of the clock company.  Lee, born in Ireland, was also active in food wholesaling, and the operation of hotels, and restaurants.  He became the Business Manager.  Neither man had any prior experience with factory operations or clock making.

Technical expertise was provided by John F. Collins, who had previously acted as Manager of the Canada Clock Company in Whitby and had been instrumental in equipping and operating that enterprise.  He was brought from Whitby along with the equipment and given the title of Mechanical Superintendent.

Collins utilized tools, dies and designs he had created at Whitby, so the Hamilton company was really a continuation of his previous efforts.  He was able to broaden the range of movements and case styles, and hence to offer a more complete line of merchandise.  Unfortunately, after a few years, he appears to have fallen out with the new owners and left the company in 1879.

George Lee, in turn, suffered health problems and was obliged to leave around 1880.  

This left James Simpson as sole proprietor.  He ended production under the name Hamilton Clock Company and proceeded to make major changes.  The factory and equipment were retained, but a completely updated product line was developed.  Simpson found new investors and incorporated the firm as a public company that was renamed The Canada Clock Company Limited.  Its history will be covered in a separate one of these Galleries.

The Hamilton Clock Company appears to have made a valiant effort to provide clocks for the Canadian market, in competition with the huge U.S. clock factories that already dominated the market.  Hamilton clocks matched competitive products in appearance and their quality was quite adequate.  The volume achieved, however, was never very large and the product line was simple and limited.  No catalogues or printed material have ever been found from the company and our opinions can only be based on an examination of surviving clocks.  Perhaps, like the attempt in Whitby, the available capital and ‘know-how’ were insufficient to ensure a major success.

Case Construction for Hamilton Clock Company Clocks

Most mantel and wall clock cases from the Hamilton factory were made from standardized veneered mouldings which were cut and glued together in a variety of shapes.  This technique was also used by competitive firms and certainly simplified the amount of woodworking skill required.  To form the base of each case, two moulding styles were available, which can be described as “single curve” and “double curve”. The upper portion of each case was made from mouldings which were either “wide” or “narrow” in form.  

(photo)

CAPTION  The clock on the left is made from the “wide” moulding and “double curve” base.

On the right is an example with the “single curve base” and “narrow” moulding. (Fig 1)

A wide variety of mantel clocks could then be made up, by varying style and color of mouldings as well as the size and shape of the final case.  Further variety was achieved by using a variety of dials, pendulums and glass tablets.  Examples are shown in the illustrations at the bottom of this Gallery.

It should be mentioned that OG clocks were also manufactured at Hamilton, and these were identical in construction to those that had been made at Whitby with veneered pine cases.  In addition, small cottage clocks were produced using plain stained pine or simple veneered pine.  A few Hamilton clocks are also known that do not conform to these patterns.  They may have been made for a special order or as a prototype for later production.  See below for illustrations.

Movements Used in Hamilton Clock Company Clocks

Five different movements are known to have been produced at Hamilton during this period.  These consisted of:

·        30 hour weight-driven, time & strike

·        30 hour spring-driven, time only,

·        30 hour spring-driven, time & strike,

·        8 day spring-driven, time & strike,

·         A separate alarm mechanism

These movements are illustrated below, and further data can be obtained from the reference cited at the bottom of this Gallery.  All are spring-driven except for the OG weight-driven movement.  One variant, however, deserves special comment.  The company offered an octagonal “schoolhouse style” wall clock for use in schools and offices, and it was usually sold with the 8-day striking movement.  Occasionally a customer would demand a clock that did not strike the hours.  For the small number needed, it appears that funds were not diverted to produce a standard 8-day, time-only movement.  To satisfy the customer, a regular 8-day striking movement was altered by physically cutting away the strike mechanism section!  This was a crude but practical solution, and a method seldom used by other manufacturers.  Those brass sections removed from the plates could be recycled.

(7 photos with short captions

(can do via TABLE function in CFACE)

CAPTIONS

·        30-hour OG (Fig 2)

·        30-hour time only (Fig 3)

·        30-hour time & strike (Fig 4)

·        8-day time & strike (Fig 5)

·        8-day time only (strike removed) (Fig 6)

·        separate alarm (bell not present) (Fig 7)

·         movement company stamp (Fig 8)

Labels on Hamilton Clock Company Clocks

Most clocks were fitted with standard labels that contained operating instructions, the company name and location.  The factory building was frequently shown in an engraving.  Pictures of several examples are provided below.  Model names were not given to most clocks.  One exception was “The Simpson”, a simple little cottage clock of unusual shape, which is shown in the section below.  It was, of course, named after the company President, James Simpson.  Since only one example is known, it was obviously not a ‘best seller’.

5 photos

CAPTIONS

·        OG label showing three partners' names (Fig 9)

·        1-day mantel label (Fig 10)

·        8-day mantel label (Fig 11)

·        internal mantel label (Fig 12)

·        Simpson model label (Fig 13)

Examples of Clocks Produced by the Hamilton Clock Company

This section shows examples of most of the clock varieties produced.  Other variants may exist.  In fact, new versions are identified from time to time.  Some of the clocks shown are very rare and in some instances only one or two examples are known.  Similar mantel clock styles are grouped together to show how the components could be varied within a single style to create new models.

OG CLOCKS

(Photo) (Fig 14)

CAPTION  The OG clock cases and movements are similar to those made at Whitby.  Labels may show names of Simpson, Lee, and Collins, and later, Lee only.  Note the etched glass tablets.  Mirrors were also commonly used.

COTTAGE CLOCKS

This style was typically a small, time-only shelf clock that was less expensive to make and buy.  Several American companies produced similar models in the mid/late 1800s.

(2 photos)

Miniature 30-hour time only (Fig 15)

Standard size, 30-hour time & alarm (Fig 16)

POINTED-TOP MANTEL CLOCKS

Clocks in this style and the others below were also made by American companies at the same period of time (mid/late 1800s).

(6 photos)

CAPTIONS

·         miniature 30-hour time (Fig 17)

·         30-hour time & strike (Fig 18)

·         30-hour time & strike (Fig 19)

·         30-hour time & strike (Fig 20)

·         30-hour time & strike (Fig 21)

·         8-day time & strike (Fig 22)

FLAT-TOP MANTEL CLOCK

(1 photo)

CAPTION 30-hour time & strike (Fig 23)

FOUR-SIDED-TOP (“Octagon Prize”) MANTEL CLOCKS

(4 photos)

CAPTIONS

·         miniature 30-hour time only (Fig 24)

·         30-hour time & strike (Fig 25)

·         8-day time & strike (Fig 26)

·         8-day time & strike (Fig 27)

STEEPLE CLOCKS

(3 photos)

CAPTIONS

·        miniature 30 hr. time (Fig 28)

·        30-hour time & strike (Fig 29)

·         8-day time & strike (Fig 30)

WALL CLOCKS

(2 photos)

CAPTIONS

·        Octagonal wall clock, time & strike (Fig 35)

·         Octagonal Wall clock time only (Fig 36)

SPECIAL MODELS

(4 photos)

CAPTIONS

·         the Simpson 30 hr. time (Fig 31)

·         carved case type 1 8 day time & strike (Fig 32)

·         Carved  case type 2 8 day time & strike (Fig 33)

·         Gingerbread style (Fig 34)  (This clock was found as an empty case with label - the dial and movement were added for photo)

ETCHED GLASS TABLETS

Many of the clocks shown above were fitted with glass tablets that contained acid-etched decoration. These are unique.  In the latter 1800s, Hamilton was the site of two glass-making plants, both of which made window glass.  Glass decorating would have been commonplace at the time, and we do not know for sure if this was done at the clock factory or elsewhere.

In any event, no other clock maker, except the successor Canada Clock Co. Limited, offered so many designs of etched tablets.  Many of them had religious motifs and others showed a variety of geometric patterns.  They add a measure of charm to these otherwise rather plain clocks.  Such tablets are rare on American-made clocks from the period.

For further reading see the following book:

The Canada and Hamilton Clock Companies, Jane Varkaris & James E. Connell, Boston Mills Press, Erin, Ontario 1986 (out of print).

The text and images below were provided by Canadian clocks expert Jim Connell.  Jane Varkaris also did some of the original research for the book that they co-authored in 1986.  PICTURES TO BE ADDED MID MARCH 2010

History of the Company

The Canada Clock Company is of considerable historical interest, because it was the first attempt to produce clocks in Canada using factory methods.  It was begun in 1872 by three brothers: William, John, and Edward Collins.  The plant was equipped during the latter months of 1872, and limited production began in January 1873.  William Collins appears to have been the initial investor.  John Collins, listed as Manager, was in charge of technical matters and production, while Edward Collins appears to have simply been an employee in the plant.

Later in 1873, William Collins attempted unsuccessfully to attract more investment capital.  At that point John Hamer Greenwood, Mayor of Whitby, invested money hoping to secure the clock factory as a permanent Whitby industry, and William Collins withdrew.  Production in the balance of 1873 and 1874 appears to have been somewhat successful, and 30-hour OG (OGEE) clocks were shipped in some (unknown) quantity. 

Unfortunately, in early 1875, Mayor Greenwood, now company President, was forced into personal bankruptcy, having overextended his finances.  The factory, valued at $45,000, had to be sold to satisfy creditors.  In April 1875, another prominent Whitby personality, Col. James Wallace, assumed financial responsibility for the clock factory.  At once he made vigorous efforts to secure additional business for the firm.  Calling himself Proprietor, he met with some success but appears to have been handicapped by insufficient capital.  His efforts to sell the going company, or attract new partners, came to a sudden end in December 1875 when a serious fire damaged the factory.

The fire stopped all production, but there appeared to be no serious damage to the machinery.  There was some insurance coverage, but not enough to cover the losses suffered by Col. Wallace.  At this point, he was left with a quantity of clocks and empty cases, which he then cleared out in two auction sales in 1876 and 1877.  He advertised that some of the clocks were fitted with movements obtained from the Ansonia Clock Company (this is the only known time that clocks were sold either in Whitby or later in Hamilton with imported movements).

This ended all efforts to manufacture clocks in Whitby.  Back in April of 1876 he had been successful in selling the machinery and other tools to investors in Hamilton, Ontario.  These investors were James Simpson, a wholesale grocer, and George Lee, who was also active in the food business.  They formed a new company, The Hamilton Clock Company, to resume production of clocks and were able to expand the business.  John and Edward Collins also went to Hamilton, where they helped set up the new company.  John was appointed Mechanical Superintendent.

The Hamilton Clock Company was reorganized in 1880 and re-named The Canada Clock Company Limited, now based in the same Hamilton factory.  The stories of these two companies are described in two other sections of our web site Galleries. 

The Clocks Produced at Whitby

The only clocks produced in quantity were 30-hour OGs with weight-driven, time & strike movements.  This simple style of clock was still popular at the time in Canada, after its original introduction in the United States in the 1840s when the first brass movements became available in North America, and they sold well.  It was similar to American production OG clocks and did not change during the four years of activity in Whitby.

Two examples are illustrated here.

The case is an end-of-line item, with no veneer on the curved surfaces.  This deficiency is concealed by a coat of dark varnish.  The clearing auction notices also mentioned a number of other case styles to be sold.  Few of these have survived, but we can show two examples of experimental (?) cases that contain Ansonia spring-driven movements.  These case styles were not produced by the successor companies.

The Labels on Whitby Clocks

Four label variants have been found and are shown here. These reflect the many changes in management that were described above.

Movements Used at Whitby

As noted above, only one movement type (30 hour time and strike, weight-driven) was actually produced at Whitby.  There were, however, a few evolutionary changes made as time went on and these are shown here.

For further reading see the following book:

The Canada and Hamilton Clock Companies, Jane Varkaris & James E. Connell, Boston Mills Press, Erin, Ontario 1986