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The Encyclopedia of Horology

Clock · Lantern clock

Lantern clock by Francis Forman

Partially verified

This English brass lantern clock is signed 'Francis Foreman at St. Paules gate' and dated to circa 1630 in London. Built within a Mannerist frame, the movement is documented as possessing a twelve-hour duration with a replaced balance escapement beneath a bell surmounted by arched straps and finials. The dial center is engraved with a naive floral motif and a grotesque mask, encircled by an applied chapter ring marked with Roman numerals featuring reversed 'X' symbols between nine and twelve o'clock. The pierced frets bear the mark of brass founder 'I.S.' or 'S.I.'.

Front view of Francis Forman brass lantern clock, c. 1630
Front view of Francis Forman brass lantern clock, c. 1630 — The Clockmakers' Museum/Clarissa Bruce. Rights pending — permission not yet requested. Original source

Catalogue identity

Source
collection.sciencemuseumgroup.org.uk
Category
Clock · Lantern clock
Maker / attribution
Francis Forman
Reference
L2015-4070
Catalogue / lot identifier
Source URL identifies the listing
Source-reported date
c. 1630
Country
United Kingdom

Source-reported attribution and specifications are not independent authentication. A listing does not establish present ownership, current display, availability or permission to reproduce.

Object description

Identity and Attribution

The object is a brass lantern clock, documented by the source as being from London, circa 1630. The piece is signed 'Francis Foreman at St. Paules gate'.

The clock is documented as having a twelve-hour duration. The pierced frets of the clock bear the mark 'I.S.' or 'S.I.', identified as the mark of a brass founder.

Evidence for this section
  • “Signed ‘Francis Foreman at St. Paules gate’.”
  • “London, c.1630.”
  • “A lantern, or house clock of twelve hours duration”
  • “The frets bear the mark of the brass founder ‘I.S.’ or ‘S.I.’.”

Dial and Visual Features

The dial is engraved with a floral pattern and a grotesque mask. The chapter ring features Roman numerals, with the source noting characteristic reversed 'X' symbols between nine and twelve o'clock.

Time is displayed via a single hand, which is noted as being made of steel and featuring a pierced counterpoise.

Evidence for this section
  • “The dial engraved with naïve floral pattern and grotesque mask.”
  • “Characteristic reversed ‘X’s from nine to twelve o’clock.”
  • “Single steel hand with pierced counterpoise mounted over a central disc”

Construction and Reported Condition

The clock is built within what the source describes as a Mannerist frame. The structural configuration includes a bell mounted above the dial.

The source identifies the balance escapement as a replacement.

Evidence for this section
  • “Mannerist frame.”
  • “with (replaced) balance escapement.”

Open research questions

  • What specific construction features define the 'Mannerist frame' reference in the context of this 1630 lantern clock?
  • Does the 'I.S.' or 'S.I.' founder mark correspond to specific documented brass founders from the early 17th century?
  • What is the physical extent of the modification to the movement associated with the replacement balance escapement?

Source evidence

Recorded claims and source quotations for Lantern clock by Francis Forman
FieldSource-reported valueSource quotation
Maker SignatureFrancis Foreman at St. Paules gate“Signed ‘Francis Foreman at St. Paules gate’.”
Date of Manufacturec.1630“London, c.1630.”
DurationTwelve hours“A lantern, or house clock of twelve hours duration”
EscapementReplaced balance escapement“with (replaced) balance escapement.”
Dimensions350 mm x 155 mm x 190 mm“Measurements: overall: 350 mm x 155 mm x 190 mm”
Museum Inventory NumberL2015-4070“Object Number: L2015-4070”
Clockmakers Museum Number1165“Clockmakers Museum No. 1165”
Overall Dimensions350 mm x 155 mm x 190 mm“Measurements: overall: 350 mm x 155 mm x 190 mm”

Visible details

  • Large top-mounted bell supported beneath intersecting arched brass straps terminating in an upper finial
  • Pierced cresting fret positioned above the dial frame between two turned corner finials
  • Engraved center dial depicting foliate scrollwork and a central grotesque mask
  • Single steel hand with pierced counterpoise mounted over a central disc
  • Silvered chapter ring with Roman numerals and quarter-hour inner ring divisions
  • Rectangular brass frame supported on turned baluster pillars with spherical feet

Research qualifications

  • Source notes the balance escapement is a replacement
  • Movement trains, verge, balance mechanism, and side access doors are not visible in frontal aspect

Photograph identity and source facts were screened before import; rights clearance remains pending.

Consulted source

Lantern clock by Francis Forman | Science Museum Group Collection

Reviewed 2026-10-22 · Record 0826bbd215

Terms in this record

Glossary explanations for terms named in this object’s record.

Other lantern clock records