John Skinner, Exeter a rare double-sided shop clock: the eight-day duration double-fusee movement striking the hours on a bell and signed for the Exeter clockmaker Skinner, with the two fifteen-inch round painted convex dials having black Roman numerals and blued steel hands, one with a regulation lever to the top, the round mahogany case with ebony stringing to the surround, complete with iron ceiling bracket, diameter 47cms. * Provenance Formerly the property of Clive N. Ponsford, author of Time in Exeter and Devon Clocks and Clockmakers. * Biography John Skinner and his son, also John, were prolific clockmakers having started in business in the 1770s and continuing until 1846. Many of the clocks made by them were in fact supplied by John Thwaites, then Thwaites & Reed and are therefore of an excellent standard. The Thwaites workbooks still extant show that in July 1803 they supplied Mr. Skinner with five clocks in that month alone, with further entries showing that Skinner would often order just parts, rather than complete clocks. One turret clock ordered from Thwaites and finished by Skinner still sits in the pediment of Exeter prison. The elder John was born circa 1747 and apprenticed to Jerome Murch of Honiton in 1763 with his marriage to Susana Mortimore taking place in 1774. He died in May 1818 after which his son placed an advert in the local newspaper stating that he was continuing the business. The younger John was married in 1822 to Catherine Tooze and died on the 25th of November 1846, aged 70.* Note. Reference Clive N. Ponsford, Time in Exeter, Headwell Vale, 1978.