Betsy Cherry's Clock?
Cherry -> Spencer -> Stone -> HowellPeter Howell has this interesting heirloom clock made cir. 1864 in Connecticut by the S.C. Spring company. This photo below taken by J. Spencer Howell during his last visit in 2010.
According to antiques.com which lists similar clocks:
"The company never issued a catalogue so its hard to know how many styles they made. Most of their clocks were sold to other clock manufacturers, so to find one with the S.C. Spring label in the case is a wonderful 'find' indeed...the image on the reverse-painted lower door glass reflects the type of work that was popular in that day...the clock features faux marble columns with gilded sections."
Of special interest to our family: The clock has penciled service notations inside which often record the date and owner's name such as "3.10.92 - Cleaned, Mrs. Spencer Stone" (Flora Maude Campbell Stone 1872-1969). Another notation refers to "Mrs. Spencer." which could be interpreted to mean the aforementioned Mrs. Spencer Stone, but due to the age of the clock this could literally be Mrs. Spencer who was Betsy Cherry (1808-1893) who married William Spencer (1804-1846). Betsy Cherry Spencer outlived her husband William and daughter Adelaide Spencer (1833-1871). After her daughter's death, Betsy Cherry Spencer moved in with her widowed son-in-law Thomas Stone and raised her grandson, Spencer Stone (1869-1939) from age 2. (Adelaide Spencer married Thomas Stone (1827-1899) and they had eight children before her death)
So the likely provenance of the clock is: William & Betsy (Cherry) Spencer -> Spencer & Maude (Campbell) Stone -> John E. & Elizabeth (Stone) Howell -> Peter & Lee (Johnson) Howell.
Posted by jhowell at April 23, 2011 7:01 PM