[MR] History Blog: Lincoln Cathedral Clock Jack

[Garth Groff and Sally Sanford]

Noble Friends,

While scanning the History Blog archives for something interesting I came
upon a recent piece about a "clock jack" discovered in Lincoln Cathedral.
"What is a clock jack?" you ask. Ah, stumped to too! It is a figure that
would whack a bell with a hammer on the hour, and maybe the quarters, in
old chiming clocks.

The figure depicts a knight who seems to be wearing 16th C-style armor. The
clock itself is known only from a few pieces:
http://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/51988 .

How many such clocks still exist is beyond me. One of the most famous is at
St. Dunstan's church in London's Fleet Street where figures of "Gog and
Mogag" strike the hours. This clock dates to 1671, though the actual church
building is from 1830: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Dunstan-in-the-West
.

Yours Aye,

Mungo Napier, Laird of Mallard Lodge  🦆