Mexborough and Swinton Times January 20, 1939
Time on his hands for 53 years
Man who Tends Town Clock
Mr. J. T. Clarke winding the clock in the loft high above Montagu Square.
“Regularity,” says Mr. John Templeman Clarke, of Chapel Walk, Mexborough, “is the secret of time.” And John’s is the voice of experience. Every-Saturday morning, for 53 years, this white-haired, eighty years old watch maker, has climbed the old dark stairways of the National Provincial Bank stairways twisting into the dim light of a timbered loft; away from the noise of streaming traffic, silent, save for the slow, regular beat of a six foot pendulum. Here, set in the wall, silhouetting cogs and axle rods against a great circle of frosted glass, is the bank clock. John’s is the hand that preserves the regularity of its beat. Every Saturday, through these long years, he has arrived punctually at one minute to eleven to take the great winding handle from its place on the supporting rafter, and hoist a weighted sandbag to the ceiling. There it hangs, supported over a series of simple pulleys, swaying with almost imperceptible motion. And all the time, the giant pendulum ticks away the seconds, slowly, accurately. For under John’s expert care it has varied but sixty seconds a week, sixty seconds in a week of 604,800!
Native of Woodhall Spa.
John was brought up at Woodhall Spa and served a five years’ watchmaking apprenticeship in Horncastle. For three years he specialised on church clocks in Retford. For two days a week he would be out in the cock-lofts, busy on the hammers, tightening up a cog. Then back again to the workshop. John has looked after church clocks in the Mexborough district in his time, though he is not so nimble now as he used to be. He is a familiar figure to Mexborough folk. For forty years he and his wife had a business in the town ; they have lived in Chapel Walk for twelve years. John drops in at the Montagu and Commercial hotels on his rounds. He winds clocks there, too. Every Friday—about 10-30!
The National Provincial Bank clock was installed by a Leeds firm. Its only works are encased in a small box, six feet from the dial, and linked to the dial by hand rods. The hands have never been taken off. John tells me it will keep good time for years with minor adjustments. Hands and rods have become a little corroded by the weather. Wind, incidentally, is one of the chief causes of inaccurate (if you can call sixty seconds a week “inaccurate” (timekeeping. And apart from encasing the hands you can’t guard against that. Regular winding is the secret of success in regular timekeeping. John keeps a number of clock keys in his pocket. He knows just when to drop in. But the Bank key is too heavy: he leaves it on the rafter. He’s not likely to forget— after fifty-three years.
Eye For Antiques.
You might imagine a watchmaker to have plenty of “time” on his hands. But what of a watchmaker’s wife? Mrs. Clarke shares her husband’s love of clocks and antiques. They sold antiques when they were in business, and Mrs. Clarke has an eye for the genuine article. Her home is a treasure house. But time is the predominant note—night and day! John has nine grandfather clocks—and three marble striking clocks (not to mention those in pieces). One old timer is 300 years old. All but two speak falsely. For Mrs. Clarke is a poor sleeper and likes to hear them chiming– at all hours of the night—at all times.
So they are deliberately wrongly set.
Only the bedroom clocks are right. But , right or wrong according to the sun, John sees to it that they keep time accurately. Just a watchmaker s pride of here K craft.