Share:

Have you ever looked at a grandfather clock and wondered how it got its name?  While it’s a fitting name for an object that’s often a family heirloom, one clock shop explains that the reason has to do with pop culture. Tic Toc Shop in Mason, OH, goes through the surprising history behind these beautiful timepieces.

Clock Shop Explains Name Meaning Behind Grandfather Clock

Originally called “longcase clocks,” the grandfather clock can be traced backclock-shop-mason-oh to the 17th century. Drawing inspiration from Galileo Galilei’s research, Dutch astronomer Christiaan Huygens built the first pendulum-driven clock in 1657. It gained notoriety throughout Western Europe as the most accurate timepiece available.

Though the grandfather clock was invented more than 350 years ago, its name is more recent. In the 1870s, American songwriter Henry Work was visiting England when he checked into the George Hotel in North Yorkshire. The hotel’s lobby housed an ornate pendulum clock that had stopped working a long time ago. Work was intrigued by this out-of-order timepiece, and he wasted no time asking the hotel staff about its history.

Work learned that the clock originally belonged to the Jenkins brothers, the George Hotel’s previous owners. The longcase clock used to function normally, but it began running slowly when the first Jenkins brother died.

Upon his passing, the clock began to work less accurately. Eventually, when the second brother died, the clock stopped working completely. The hotel’s new owners tried to have the clock fixed, but any attempts to revive the timepiece did not work.

No one knows if the story is true or not, but it inspired Work. According to his nephew, the songwriter spent four years writing the piece before it was released in 1876. It told the story of a grandfather who received a brand-new longcase clock the day he was born and whose heart stopped beating as the timepiece stopped ticking. The song became a hit, selling more than 800,000 copies.

For more information on the history of your favorite timepieces, talk to the experts at Tic Toc Shop. Established in 1963, this clock shop repairs and restores a variety of timepieces. Learn more about grandfather clock repair, clock restoration, and more online or by calling (513) 922-0315 today.

tracking