The Lonsdale Story

tanding in the hall at the Lowther home in 1987 was a much loved, admired and cherished heirloom Grandfather clock. It now graces the Study and is shown below right. It is a little more than one hundred years old. It has a mahogany case, inlaid with fine marquetry in the Edwardian mode of the time, styled after Sheraton, and has a mixed chime of bells for the quarters and gongs for the striking hours.

That clock was the inspiration for the foundation of the Lonsdale Clock Company. By chance there was at that time an advertisement offering for sale as a going concern a longcase manufacturing company in Suffolk. The price, according to our consultant chartered accountant, was unrealistic. He advised that it was more sensible for us to start a new company. This we did and the Suffolk purchase was abandoned.

The Lonsdale Clock Company was created in a newly refurbished factory unit in Castle Acre Road, Swaffham, in Norfolk. In recent years the site of the Lonsdale factory, the buildings having been demolished, has become the car park to a Tesco Superstore.

Pendulum clocks were invented by the mid-seventeenth century and were first advertised for sale in 1658 by Ahasuerus Fromanteel. Longcase clocks, now more popularly known variously as grandfather, grandmother or granddaughter — according to size, were made before that date. It is an argument among experts whether Fromanteel of London or Huygens of Holland was the inventor of the pendulum clock movement. These early clocks were very expensive and cost the equivalent of a craftsman's wage for about two years. Bracket and wall clocks developed almost at the same time.

The Lonsdale name alludes to John Lonsdall, a clockmaker and Freeman of the Clockmakers' Company of the City of London, who is recorded as being an apprentice to clockmaker John Mason in 1706 and afterwards a master clockmaker in his own right.

Very often in the early days clock cases were made in London and shipped out to movement makers in other parts of the British Isles. Sometimes, perhaps, abroad.

This Company was a family enterprise. One of the proprietors was a Freeman and Liveryman of the City of London. Members of the Lowther family have been traced to clock case workshops in Red Lion Street, Clerkenwell, London, in 1811.

In addition to Ian, his wife Ann and his son Mark—who all actively contributed to the business—there was a peak workforce of eight. At first longcases and bracket cases, and later wall cases, were produced in solid mahogany in the traditional style. The brass mechanical movements were obtained from Kieninger--a top quality manufacturer in Germany's Black Forest. A production model of the Lonsdale longcase clock, with removable hood, is illustrated on the left.

Later the manufacturing side of the business was closed as it was uneconomic. Quality control rejection became unacceptable. Sadly the skill of the workforce available in Norfolk at that time did not achieve the craftsman status of cabinetmakers essential to the process.

High quality clocks were imported from Germany, France and Switzerland. Music boxes and automata were imported from Switzerland. Manufacturers were sourced in England for brass carriage clocks to Lonsdale requirements.

The business of I R Campbell of Clerkenwell and Redditch was acquired. Trademarks Angelus, Bornand Frères, and Gladiator were purchased. Lonsdale exhibited its wares at Trade Shows in Basel, Switzerland, Earls Court in London and the NEC at Birmingham.

The Lonsdale Company was beginning to flourish. But then disaster struck. Chancellor Lawson in the Conservative administration at that time increased Bank rate to 15%. The Exchange Rate Mechanism link between Sterling and European currency was severed. Lonsdale relied upon imports and was heavily geared. Its Bankers, Barclays, in common with other banks, were unsympathetic to budding entrepreneurs. Facilities were reduced without warning. Bank rate was lowered, but too late. Recession caused several closures. The fragile Lonsdale Company considered it prudent to cease trading. It had been in operation for just five years. The Company remains dormant.

Lowther More about Lowther The Villars Lowther Family The Lonsdale Story The Lowthers in Retirement

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