A very fine mid Victorian skeleton clock by Johnston of London

A very fine mid Victorian skeleton clock by Johnston of London, of large rectangular form comprising two openwork arabesque panels partially shielding the fusée bell striking movement, the polished scroll frame raised on shaped turned pillars, the foliate scrolled silvered and engraved dial with Roman numerals joined with delicate thistle motifs, housed in its integrated glazed brass case applied with a silvered maker’s labels stating ‘Johnston, 2 Elm Street, Gray’s Inn Lane, London’.  English, circa 1852.

Provenance:    W. B. 1852 thence

1. C. B. 1900 thence
2. E. M. 1902

John Johnston is a rare maker and there is a certain amount of confusion about his business, with some sources stating that a David Graeme Johnston traded at 2 Elm Street until circa 1830 before being succeeded by his widow.  However, the 1871 census reveals a John Johnston, “watch making, repairing”, then aged 44, registered at 2 Elm Street with his wife Matilda, aged 42.  In the 1881 census, the couple were both still alive though confusingly had only aged by 6 years in the intervening 10 year period, being listed as 50 and 48 years old respectively.  Matilda survived her husband and died in 1910.  In Britten’s Former Clock & Watchmakers and Their Work, published in 1894, he listed “J. Johnston” as operating from the correct 2 Elm Street address in 1835.

There are many prominent Johnston watch and clockmakers listed in Scotland and it is highly likely that John Johnston was descended from one of these families.  Few surviving clocks and watches made by John Johnston are recorded but those that do all appear to be very high quality.  Elm Street was located right in the centre of the historic clockmaking area in London and it is likely that much of Johnston’s work was carried out on behalf of retailers and other makers who then sold the work on as their own – this was common practice in the trade and remains the case today.