A story of a church clock: St Cuthbert’s Fishlake.

 

 

https://fishlakeheritage.wordpress.com/2025/09/06/a-story-of-a-church-clock-st-cuthberts-fishlake/

 

 

                            or read without illustrations.

 

A brief background to church clocks.

The etymology of the word clock, as is often the case, has differing origins. Some say the word clock derives from the medieval Latin word 'bell'—clocca. Other say Clock is an Old English word for bell (from the German glock). Either way it appears a clock is a bell.

 

Parish churches have been at the centre of English community life for more than a millennium and a time piece like a clock has been ideally placed on the church tower in a raised position and  clearly visible to the village for hundreds of years.

 

Church clocks can be dated back to 13 th century usually found on large cathedral churches and monasteries. Over the following centuries, clock design improved: first ringing every hour and later with the addition of dials and hands so people could see the time as well as hear it. Later by the 16 th century they became more commonly installed in more humble parish churches throughout the country. Records of these early clocks can be found in Churchwarden accounts from 1600 onward.

 

The earliest (so far) documented reference to a church clock at Fishlake appears in the Church Wardens Accounts of 1710. These records provide frequent references to the church clock which makes it very clear that the clock needed a lot of maintenance and attention to keep it in working order. In other words it was a source of trouble. The following are a number of short verbatim extracts from these accounts to illustrated this point….Taken from the Fishlake Church Wardens Accounts 1699-1732 now located at Doncaster City Archives.

1710 ‘pd to ye clock maker 0.5.0’

‘Spent with ye clock maker 0.0.6’

‘For a pull for ye clock’ 0.0.6.

‘Pd for a clock string’ (page torn).

1712 ‘pd to ye clock maker 0.5.0’.

‘Pd for ye clock keeping’ (page torn).

1714 ‘paid to the clockmaker for looking to the church clock 0.5.0’.

‘For a new clock rope 0.4.6’.

1722 ‘for ye clock spring .0.1.0’

‘Pd Jno Butterwood for mending ye church clock .0.2.6’.

 

 

A painting of the church dated 1830 by the Sheffield artist Roland Hibbard, clearly shows an hexagonal clock situating in the upper tower facing South to the River Don. This would have been ideal for the benefit of navigable craft using the river. An indication of the importance that the river trade must have had.

 

 

 

By 1882 an engraving of the church for John Tomlinson’s History of Hatfield Chase and Parts Adjacent shows the clock had been removed from its South facing position on the tower and re positioned on the upper tower which faces the core of the village, as it does today. The date at which the clock was  moved remains uncertain and why. As to when we know that Rev George Ornsby was very busy after 1853 overseeing the restoration of the church. As to why it may be an indication that the importance river trade had diminished following the construction of the Stainforth to Keadby Canal in 1793. 

 

Problems with the functioning of the clock are highlighted by a church structural assessment. A report with survey plan to the vicar and churchwardens on October 1889 provided by Hicks & Charleswood. Newcastle on Tyne, says the following ‘the old clock is a curiosity, but is of no value as a timekeeper, and is of very cumbrous make. There ought to be a new one, and this would gain space in the ringing chamber.’

 

This well known ‘haywain’ photograph of 1895 shows the old hexagonal clock in its new position with it hands stuck at 7.30 am or pm?

 

We have further information about this matter from a newspaper report.

 

Taken from The Newcastle  Courant. July 1 1899. An article by a visitor to the village. Harwood Brierley entitled ‘A village Among The Windmills’.

 

‘Let me see. has any change taken place since last was at Fishlake? The church clock is still standing -7.30 am or pm which?’. Clearly the clock had been stopped for many years and had become a joke.

 

Finally something had to be done so in  the Spring of 1901 a new clock was installed organised by vicar of the time Rev Eliezer Flecker in Spring 1901.

 

The following information comes from the Church Guide of 1961 by Rev Kenneth Arthur

 

‘The present clock was made and fitted by John Smith and Sons, of Derby. The estimate of 1901 reads that it would be the design of Lord Grimthorpe, the great authority on such clocks guaranteed to maintain accurate time with less variation than 3 seconds a week. It is pointed out that this same firm made the "New Great Clock at S. Paul's Cathedral by the recommendation of the said Lord." They also built clocks of a similar kind for places between and including Colchester Town Hall and Maralin Church in Ireland. A testimonial is referred to from Mrs. Warde-Aldam, of Frickley Hall, about a clock erected for that lady at Hooton Pagnell Church.

The cost of the clock complete and fixed inclusive of carriage and travelling expenses, and clockmaster's time would be £70 + £3 for a frame large enough for chimes to be added.

The "Cambridge" Chimes were later added by Mrs. Flecker, wife of the incumbent during this period’. In fact on 22 May 1907.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rob Downing July 2025