Grandfather clocks only became known as such since the late Nineteenth Century. Such long pendulum clocks were previously described as floor clocks, floor
standing clocks, tall clocks, long-case clocks, long-cased clocks, or coffin clocks.
As the story goes, Henry Work, an American composer, was staying at the George Hotel in the English town of Piercebridge in 1875. There, he was told that the
long-case clock in the lobby had ceased to function upon the death of its last-surviving owner. The previously accurate clock had begun losing time when the first of the two Jenkins brothers died, and ceased altogether upon the subsequent death of the other brother. Henry was inspired to write "My Grandfather's Clock" when he returned to America. The song became popular, and the term grandfather clock was born and flourished.
Historically, time had been measured from ancient times by sun dials, water clocks, and by sand slipping through an hour glass. In the Sixteenth Century,
Galileo discovered that time could also be kept by a swinging pendulum. Christiaan Huygens put Galileo's concept to use in 1656. Pendulum clocks were not all
that accurate until William Clement learned in 1670 that the longer the pendulum, the more accurate the timekeeping. His were the first long-cased clocks.
Their wooden housings were also reminiscent of the wooden coffins of the day, and thus was coined the alternate name of coffin clock.
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Grandfather clocks are usually around six feet in height. They can be spring powered or run more often and accurately by suspended weights. Each swing of the
pendulum from its anchor advances a gear, causing the clock to tick tock. Even greater accuracy was achieved in 1721 when George Graham created pendulums that
could compensate for temperature changes. Grandfather clocks now can often keep time with an accuracy of 1 second per day.
Early long case clocks were made by Ahasuerus Fromenteel in London. He had learned about the use of long pendulums from having sent his to Holland to study how
the Dutch understood the technology. Dials were square at first, having painted backgrounds. Numerals were often Roman numerals. Other English long case
clockmakers were previously-mentioned George Graham, along with Daniel Quare, Joseph Knibb, and Thomas Tompian. Clock cases were often made of mahogany, oak,
or walnut. Shorter variations were known as grandmother clocks - around five feet in height - and granddaughter clocks - less than 5 feet tall.
In the 1870's, American clockmakers were able to produce grandfather clocks at a much less expensive price than those previously produced in Britain. English production of tall clocks nearly ceased altogether after that time.
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