| John (3) was baptized at Arthuret Parish Church (Longtown) on 26th December 1806 as John Blaycock.
He became head of the clockmaking business on the death of his father William (1) in 1832.
In association with the inventor Thomas Edmondson, he produced in large numbers railway ticket dating and printing presses. One of his ticket printing machines is in the Science Museum, London. With William Pratchitt, John (3) formed the engineering and ironfounding firm of Blaylock & Pratchitt, Carlisle. This was in 1859. The centre of their production was the Long Island Ironworks, Carlisle where John (3) had built a large workshop in 1848. By 1861 the firm of Blaylock & Pratchitt were described as Engineers, Millwrights, Machinists, Boiler Makers, Iron and Brass Founders.
From 1862 until 1873 John (3) was in partnership with William Dudson for his domestic clockmaking production. The father and brother of William Dudson were furniture dealers and my suspicions are that William Dudson supplied the cases for clocks signed "Blaylock & Dudson, Carlisle". John (3) apparently took retirement in 1873 and he died in 1877.
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Longcase Clock by John Blaylock (3) of Carlisle c.1825 London mahogany case, Graham dead beat escapement and Harrison maintaining power. LCR8
Of all the clocks illustrated on this website this is probably the only one to provoke controversy. This is because the clock is provincial, having been made in Carlisle and yet is housed in a mahogany case of the typical London style. This is however no ordinary clock of the type usually made by provincial makers of the period. It has a Graham dead beat escapement and Harrison maintaining power, wood rod pendulum and brass cased weights. It was made for a most discerning client who wanted a domestic clock of the very best quality and I doubt if he would have been satisfied with the type of case made in Carlisle at the time. This type of case is of a style normally attributed to Thomas Mudge of London, circa 1760, but I cannot say if he was the first to use it. In the early form there was a single large finial to the domed hood and the trunk corners were square. The quarter reeded columns on the case shown here are a later development and found on London made clocks from about 1770. Many London examples have a pagoda top to the hood which raises the height considerably. Interestingly Andrew Nichols in his book Clocks in Colour , published by Blandford Press in 1975, illustrates a very similar clock made by French, Royal Exchange, London in about 1820. It has a painted dial and dead beat escapement. The hood and dial of LCR8
There is evidence of a fretwork cresting having once been fitted to the top of the hood between the finial supports. The matching steel hands are original to the clock and similar style of hands were used by John (3) on other clocks. The finials are modern replacements. The painted dial is 13 inches wide and the false plate bears the name S. Baker, Birmingham. Samuel Baker was working in Birmingham from at least 1823 until 1850. The pendulum bob
The pine backboard has only a single fine scribe mark which coincides exactly with the pendulum bob rating nut when set to time. The weight on the right hand side is the lighter of the two and has a letter "G" painted on its base, presumably for going train. The seatboard and case support cheeks
The dried remains of modern white glue can be seen here which has been used to secure the backboard to the case sides. This is incorrect restoration as the original animal glue will have penetrated the fibres of the wood and the modern white glue will not form a good bond. These two different types of glue are not compatible. The seatboard is original to the clock and has cut out sections each side at the front as the dial fits within a recess to the hood masking. The clock was found in a cellar in Bristol where it had allegedly lain since the 1920's. John Blaylock (3), born 1806 in Longtown, was a most exceptional clockmaker. He made a number of regulator clocks with Graham dead beat escapements and a marine chronometer is known to exist signed with his name. His first turret clock is thought to have been erected in 1834 when the Carlisle Journal of 26th April reported The new Clock erected in the Tower of Appleby Church was last week completed; it is a piece of excellent workmanship; Mr John Blaylock of this City is the maker and it reflects great credit on our Townsman. It has two convex dials ,one facing the South and the other facing East and strikes the quarters. On 15th November 1850 All Saints Church, Cockermouth was destroyed by a disastrous fire which also ended the life of the existing church clock, probably made by William Porthouse of Penrith in 1777. A new church was built on the site of the old and consecrated on 15th June 1854. John Blaylock (3) made the turret clock for the new church together with a a carillon playing well known airs every three hours. John (3) went on to make all the clocks for the Lancaster to Carlisle Railway which opened in 1844. He exhibited a turret clock at the Great Exhibition of 1851 held in the Crystal Palace, London. It is not known from where or by what means John (3) acquired his extensive skills and knowledge of clockmaking and bellfounding. or return to Page last updated 20 May, 2003 |
