Horological Articles by John Robey

This index of articles published in Clocks magazine, Antiquarian Horology, Horological Journal and elsewhere, includes about 100 that are available as a free download.
PDFs do not exist for the earlier articles, but can be created on request, EMAIL.

Clocks Magazine

Penny moons
(John Taylor, Ashton-under-Lyne)
June 1991, pp26-32

Of clocks and cotton
(Thomas Hargreaves, Settle)
March 1992, p14-17

Striking peculiarity
(John Barron[w], London)
October 1992, pp30-5

Connections in the Midlands
(Tantum, Wooley, Whitehurst, round dials)
May 1993, pp12-16

A Blundell bracket
(Joseph Blundell, Dublin)
Part 1: The going train, alarm and passing strike,
May 1994, pp27-31
Part 2: The pull repeat
June 1994, pp32-5

Marking time
(scribed circles, George Ainsworth Warrington, Richard Scholfield, Rochdale)
August 1994, pp12-16 DOWNLOAD

Square repair
(repairing winding square)
March 1995, pp43-44

Added arches
(Asselin, Finch, Alexander Gordon)
September 1995, pp29-31

A competent country craftsman
(Richard Marshall, Walsingham)
November 1995, pp17-20

Making a walnut case
(Blundell bracket clock)
Part 1: Designing and constructing the carcase, February 1996, pp26-29
Part 2: The cross-grain mouldings and veneering, March 1996, pp33-35
Part 3: Staining and polishing, April 1996, pp15-16

An accurate moondial (anon maker)
July 1996, pp8-10

A tic-tac miniature lantern alarm
(Thomas Read, Ipswich)
Part 1: A question of restoration
November 1996, vol 19, No 6, pp11-13
Part 2: Further observations
December 1996, vol 19, No 7, pp15-17

A Donisthorpe by Deacon (SD No 57)
March 1997, pp34-7

Weighing anchor (Giles Coates, Chedworth)
Vol 20, No 4, 1997, pp41-44

A cast arch by George Guest
Vol 20 No 7, 1997 pp26-28 DOWNLOAD

Two-wheel striking (James Bown, Matlock 30-hr)
Vol 20, No 8, 1997, pp32-34

A Cawley bracket (Robert Cawley, Chester)
Vol 20 No 12, 1997, pp13-15

Entertaining movement
(Edward Upjohn, Exeter, musical longcase)
Vol 20, No 13, 1997, pp29-33

Cutouts and cartwheels
Vol 21, No 2, 20, February 1998, pp9-12

Component parts
Part 1 Vol 21 No 7 10 July 1998, pp21-23
Part 2 Vol 21, No 8, 7 August 1998, pp31-34

A tale of two ting-tangs
Part 1: John Davis, London.
Vol 21 No 9 4 September 1998, pp37-39
Part 2 John Taylor of Lancashire
Vol 21 No 10, 2 Oct 1998, pp40-43

Clockmaker, clocksmith and jack-of-all-trades
Vol 22 No 1, 22 Jan 1999

Made in Birmingham
Vol 22 No 5, 14 May 1999, pp13-15

Will the real ‘WF’ please stand up?
Vol 22 No 11, Nov 1999, pp11-13

Weights and measuring
June 2000, pp 9-11

A Deacon apprentice piece
(Donsithorpe/Deacon JD26)
Dec 2000, pp26-9

Beilby … of Sunderland?
Sept 2001, pp9-10, 42

Gadsby or Deacon?
Nov 2001, pp36-9, 47

The cooking pot clock of Roger Lee
Sept 2002, pp20-3

The Parkers of Derby and London
April 2003, pp20-3

The importance of drop
April 2006, pp15-17

Who Fitted the Dial
Part 1 (John Luckman, Bickenhill)
June 2007, pp26-30
Part 2 (Thomas Mycroft, Waterfall)
July 2007, pp30-2

Dialmaker unknown
(repainted Wilson dials)
Oct 2008, pp26-30

More quirky than attractive
(Bowen, Alfreton clock + barometer)
April 2010, pp26-8

The truth about Barlow
Feb 2011, pp29-33

The Tytes of Wells (and Warminster and Swansea) DOWNLOAD
Dec 2011, pp26-32

The devil is in the detail DOWNLOAD
(Muncaster & Son, Isle of Man)
March 2014, pp26-31

Donisthorpe’s Earliest Clocks
Part 1 A skeletonised posted-frame 30-hour DOWNLOAD
May 2014, pp29-34
Part 2 An abandoned alarm conversion DOWNLOAD
June 2014, pp19-24
Part 3 Blacksmith, clockmaker & preacher DOWNLOAD
July 2014, pp31-6

A Quartet of Alarms
Part 1 A 30-hour iron alarm DOWNLOAD
September 2014, pp17-22
Part 2 A week-duration iron alarm DOWNLOAD
October 2014, pp17-22
Part 3 A 30-hour Normandy alarm DOWNLOAD
November 2014, pp21-5
Part 4 A 30-hour alarm by Whitehurst of Derby DOWNLOAD
December 2014, pp15-19

Dent Timepiece No 828 DOWNLOAD
June 2015, pp26-30

Hark! The Herald Angel Swings DOWNLOAD
— A 30-hour iron clock dated 1748
September 2015, pp26-31

New levers for a noctuary DOWNLOAD
December 2015, pp26-33

John Dowson of London and Bath DOWNLOAD
March 2016, pp26-32

A trio of French iron clocks
Part 1 The elusive ‘I Prowent’ DOWNLOAD
June 2016, pp26-33
Part 2 Saved from the Revolution DOWNLOAD
July 2016, pp26-32
Part 3 Cherubs and roses from Northern France DOWNLOAD
August 2016, pp26-33

Repairing a Fusee Click Spring DOWNLOAD
January 2017, pp26-32

Filing Perfect Squares DOWNLOAD
April 2017, pp26-29

Early Clockmakers’ Workshops
Part 1: Jost Amman’s woodcut DOWNLOAD
October 2017, pp15-18
Part 2:The Stradanus engraving DOWNLOAD
November 2017, pp13-16, 47

A German Spring Alarm
Part 1: The dial and case DOWNLOAD
January 2018, pp26-30
Part 2: The movement DOWNLOAD
February 2018, pp26-30
Part 3: The escapement and alarm DOWNLOAD
March 2018, pp26-30

Joseph Batty’s Superior 30-hour DOWNLOAD
May 2018, pp15-20

Dujardin of Versailles DOWNLOAD
Brass dial, brass wheels, but a Gothic frame
August 2018, pp26-32

Swedish? Strip Frame
Unsigned clock of uncertain origin DOWNLOAD
February 2019, pp26-32

Liege Alarm Conversion DOWNLOAD
October 2019, pp26-32

Osborne & Wilson of Birmingham
Part 1 The earliest makers of painted dials DOWNLOAD
January 2020, pp26-30, 52
Part 2 Osborne & Wilson DOWNLOAD
February 2020, pp18-23
Part 3 Osbore’s Manufactory DOWNLOAD
March 2020, pp36-40
Part 4 James Wilson DOWNLOAD
April 2020, pp34-9, 49

Investigating an Enigma by Charles Skedge of Norwich DOWNLOAD
August 2020, pp26-32

A Mainman Moon
with an unique operating mechanism DOWNLOAD
Octobr 2020, pp26-31

Double-Six Striking
Part 1 an Italian heavyweight DOWNLOAD
December 2020, pp26-34
Part 2 Nuzzi of Rincine DOWNLOAD
January 2021, pp26-32

English Longcase by John Pepper, Biggleswade
Part 1 Case & dial DOWNLOAD 1a DOWNLOAD 1b
March 2021, pp9-13
Part 2 The Harlow movement DOWNLOAD
April 2021, pp25-9

Cumbrian Quaker Clock
by Simpson of Wigton DOWNLOAD
June 2021, pp33-7

Halifax Dialmakers
Part 1 William Whitaker DOWNLOAD
Augusr 2021 pp26-30
Part 2 Whitaker & Shreeve
September 2021, pp26-31 DOWNLOAD
Part 3 The final years
Octobet 2021, pp26-30 DOWNLOAD

Whitehurst Bracket Clock
December 2021, pp21-5 DOWNLOD

The Adam Clock
Part 1: The dial and movement
February 2022, pp26-33 DOWNLOAD
Part 2, Puritans, witches and the devil,
March 2022, pp26-30 DOWNLOAD
Part 3, The Suffolk connection
April 2022, pp26-31, 40 DOWNLOAD

Mayhew’s hoop and spike clock
June 2022, pp15-19 DOWNLOAD

A French side pendulum
August 2022, pp26-31 DOWNLOAD

John Fordham's anchor conversion
October 2022, pp37-42 DOWNLOAD

Earliest English painted dial?
February 2023, pp26-31 DOWNLOAD

Posted-Frame Clock from Liege
June 2023, pp9-15 DOWNLOAD

Miniature Flemish Lantern Clock
Part 1, The dial and frame
August 2023, pp26-31 DOWNLOAD
Part 2, the movement
September 2023, pp26-31 DOWNLOAD

Recessed Seconds
January 2024, pp33-6 DOWNLOAD

Benjamin Stribling Lantern Clock
June 2024, pp9-13 DOWNLOAD

Jura Chamber Clock
August 2024, pp20-5, 49 DOWNLOAD

Samuel Stretch's Original Balances
Part 1, October 2924, pp9-11 DOWNLOAD
Part 2, November 2024, pp40-4, 49 DOWNLOAD

Antiquarian Horology

A Mystery Timer (Thomas Low, Dundee)
Summer 1996, pp542-3

Pin Countwheels
Autumn 1996, pp71-3

Countwheels With Projections and Pins
Autumn 1998, pp237-9

Samuel Harlow of Ashbourne and his Longcase Movements DOWNLOAD
March 2002, pp527-45

Hammer Marks as a Diagnostic Method in Horology DOWNLOAD
March 2004, pp85-7

Who Invented Rack-and-Snail Striking?
The Early Development of Repeating and Rack Striking DOWNLOAD
March 2005, pp584-600

Eardley Norton’s 1771 Patent for Striking Clocks & Repeating Watches DOWNLOAD
March 2007, pp88-95

Birmingham Dialmakers, Some Biographical Notes
Part I, June 2007, pp209-22 DOWNLOAD
Part II, Dec 2007, pp470-80 DOWNLOAD

Longcase Clocks from The North of England DOWNLOAD
September 2008, pp43-64

The Notebook of Humphrey Hadley of Birmingham
Introduction & Repeating Watches DOWNLOAD
June 2010, pp225-30

An Unusual English Lantern Clock DOWNLOAD
September 2010, pp405-16

English Lantern Clocks with Iron Frames DOWNLOAD
March 2011, pp689-704

A Large European Iron Chamber Clock DOWNLOAD
March 2012, pp335-45

Moorfields and Clock-Brass Founders
Part 1: The London Horological Trades in Moorfields DOWNLOAD
June 2012, pp479-86
Part 2 The Mayor Family and Other Founders DOWNLOAD
Sept 2012, pp609-23

Leonardo da Vinci and the Earliest Known Clock with Warned Striking DOWNLOAD
December 2012, pp775-85

Picture Gallery: One-day single-handed Augsburg spring timepiece, c 1680
(Elias Weckerlin) DOWNLOAD
March 2013, pp95-9

Picture Gallery: 30-hour iron wall clock dated 1748 DOWNLOAD
June 2013, pp240-3

The Porrvis Clock of 1567
The Earliest Surviving Domestic Clock Made in England DOWNLOAD
(with Leighton Gilibrand)
December 2013, pp503-18

A Scottish clock dial for determining Easter DOWNLOAD
June 2014, pp827-33

Picture Gallery: A Miniature Italian Lantern Clock DOWNLOAD
December 2014, pp125-9

The English usage of foliot and balance DOWNLOAD
June 2015, pp239-43

Ung petit traictie pour faire horoleiges:
A little treatise for making clocks in the fourteenth century DOWNLOAD
(with W. Linnard & M. T, Wright)
June 2016, pp182-98

The origin of the English lantern clock
Part 1: Comparison with Gothic clocks DOWNLOAD
December 2016, pp511-21
Part 2: The earliest lantern clocks DOWNLOAD
March 2017, pp35-50

Early English horological terms DOWNLOAD
(with W. Linnard)
June 2017, pp191-201

Adam, the Devil and the Supernatural:
An unusual English Lantern clock revisited DOWNLOAD
December 2017, pp533-44

New Light on Osborne and Wilson DOWNLOAD
June 2018, pp251-8

An early Gothic Hausuhr DOWNLOAD
December 2018, pp475–84

Three medieval clockmakers: children of Mercury DOWNLOAD
(with W. Linnard)
March 2019, pp102-8

William Whitaker and William Shreeve.
Dialmakers of Halifax, West Yorkshire DOWNLOAD
September 2019, pp360-76

Children of Mercury: an addendum DOWNLOAD
(with W. Linnard)
December 2019, pp545-51

English lantern clocks with an original balance DOWNLOAD
June 2020, pp177-96

Two more diamond dials DOWNLOAD
September 2020, pp400-1

The Adam Clock — the Suffolk connection DOWNLOAD
December 2020, pp462-72

The Rise & Fall of Samuel Wilkes, Birmingham Dialmaker DOWNLOAD
June 2020, pp222-40

Prototype Lantern Clocks
Part 1: The Inspiration for the first lantern clocks and the Harvey workshop
December 2022, pp521-9 DOWNLOAD
Part 2: Recently discovered clocks
March 2023, pp23-33 DOWNLOAD

Italian grande sommerie whizzing-work sriking
September 2024, pp3349-62 DOWNLOAD


Horological Journal

A Pallet Refacing Jig
October 1997, pp338-9

Screw Threads
November 1997, pp386-8

An Irish Pull-Repeat Mechanism
(Joseph Blundell, Dublin)
December 1997, pp415-19

A Capucine Clock DOWNLOAD
December 1998, pp405-7

Striking Without Warning DOWNLOAD
Part 1, Sept 1999, pp294-5
Part 2, Oct 1999, pp348-50

Adjusting the Rack Tail DOWNLOAD
February 2004, pp64-7

The Fifth Pillar and the Clock Trade
September 2007, pp344-7

What did Edward Barlow Invent in 1675?
Sorting out Fact From Fiction
September 2011, pp408-12

Nag’s Head Striking DOWNLOAD
November 2011, pp494-7

A Longcase Dial by William Mainman DOWNLOAD
February 2014, pp72-75

A French 8-Day Posted-Frame Clock DOWNLOAD
August 2014, pp314-19

Iron Crossings and Brass Rims
— and a Thwarted Passing Strike DOWNLOAD
July 2015, pp301-5

Iron Clock with a Side Pendulum DOWNLOAD
October 2015, pp413-17

French Lantern Clock with Rack Striking DOWNLOAD
May 2016, pp222-8

Rescuing a Gothic Clock
Part 1 — The Frame, Striking Train and Strike Work DOWNLOAD
May 2017, pp11-15
Part 2 — The Going Train, Bell Frame and Dial DOWNLOAD
June 2017, pp253-6

Simple Rack Striking
A German Longcase Movement with Iron Plates DOWNLOAD
June 2018, pp10-19

A Weight-Driven Silent-Pull Timepiece DOWNLOAD
Mechanism of an Eighteenth-Century Bedroom Clock
March 2019, pp112-17

Fusee Click Spring Repair DOWNLOAD
June 2019, pp243-7

Bulletin NAWCC

English Movements and American Tall-Case Clocks DOWNLOAD
April 2004, No 349, pp147-159

Deutsche Gesellschaft Für Chronometrie

Wer erfand den Rechenslag? [Who invented rack striking?]
Jahresschrift 2011, Vol 50, pp169-178

Leonardo da Vinci und die ersten schlagendenuhren mit Warnung
[Leonardo da Vinci and the earliest striking clock with warning]
Jahresschrift 2013, Vol 52, pp63-74