Naming of grandfather clocks
Original names for grandfather clocks
In 1670 William Clement made the pendulum on his clocks longer in an effort to make the clocks keep better time. The new taller clocks had very long cases, and became known as long case clocks. However, those early grandfather clocks came in simple long wooden boxes with wooden doors that opened to the front. Most people started calling the early grandfather clocks, coffin clocks instead of long case clocks.But why do we call them grandfather clocks
In 1876 Henry Clay Work stayed at the George Hotel. The George Hotel had an old grandfather clock that no longer worked. When Henry asked about the clock he was told that it had always kept perfect time until the Jenkins brothers (who used to own the hotel) died. At the moment the last brother died the grandfather clock stopped and it was never repaired. Henry decided to write a song about the clock which became very popular. In the song he referred to the long case clock as "my grandfather's clock." After that most people started calling all long case clocks, grandfather clocks.Back to grandfather clocks
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