THIS IS THE BRIEF HISTORY OF ELI TERRY, AND THE EARLY AMERICAN CLOCK
MACKEY'S ANTIQUES & CLOCK REPAIR
1249 GIHON ROAD
PARKERSBURG WV 26101
PHONE 304 422-7274
E-mail: 
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JULY 1 2008
WE DO NOT SELL GUNS -- WE COLLECT ANTIQUE AND VINTAGE ODD GAUGE SHOTGUNS
THIS FOLLOWING INFORMATION WAS OBTAINED
FROM VARIOUS HOROLOGICAL BOOKS
WE ACCEPT TRADES ON OUR
CLOCK REPAIR WORK
THIS PAGE WILL BE UPDATED FREQUENTLY WITH MORE CLOCKMAKERS
WEB SITE http://members.ruralnet.org/clocks
CLICK HERE FOR HISTORY OF CHAUNCEY JEROME
CLICK HERE FOR HISTORY OF ITHACA CALENDAR CLOCK
CLICK HERE FOR HISTORY OF THE CALENDAR CLOCK
CLICK HERE FORE HISTORY OF SETH THOMAS
CLICK HERE FOR SETH THOMAS NO. 2 REGULATOR IDENTIFICATION
CLICK HERE FOR HISTORY OF JOSEPH IVES
ELI TERRY SR.
ELI TERRY WAS BORN AT EAST WINDSOR ON APRIL 13 1772 HE WAS THE SON OF SAMUEL AND HILDAH BURNHAM TERRY . ELI
COMPLETED HIS APPRENTICESHIP IN BRASS MOVEMENT CLOCKMAKING THERE IN 1792 NINE PATENTS FROM 1797 TO 1845
WAS ISSUED TO HIM. ELI TERRY WAS THE FIRST AMERICAN THAT ACTUALLY PRODUCED CLOCKS IN VOLUME . HE
INVENTED AND PERFECTED THE WOOD MOVEMENT SHELF CLOCK HE WAS A MASTER OF DIFFICULT HOROLOGICAL PRINCIPLES .
HE WAS A GOOD BUSINESS MAN AND MADE AND MERCHANDISED LARGE NUMBERS OF CLOCKS BY 1800 POSSIBLY ONE OR TWO
WORKMAN WERE MAKING SEVERAL WOOD MOVEMENT CLOCKS AT A TIME ; USING WATERPOWER DRIVEN SAWS . IN 1806 ELI
TERRY CONTRACTED WITH LEVI AND EDWARD PORTER OF WATERBURY CONN. TO MAKE THE THEN UNHEARD OF NUMBER
OF 4,000 WOOD " HANG-UP " CLOCK MOVEMENTS DIALS AND HANDS . BY 1809 THE CLOCK MOVEMENTS WERE COMPLETED
AND THIS IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT ELI TERRY AND THE 4,000 MOVEMENTS MAY HAVE BEN THE FIRST OF THE MASS
PRODUCTION WITH INTERCHANGEABLE PARTS IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA IN 1812 ELI TERRY ASSURED HIMSELF THAT
HE COULD MANUFACTURE AND SELL THE SHELF CLOCK SO THE TIME HAD COME TO SET UP SHOP AND PRODUCE THE SHELF
CLOCK AND BY 1814 THE SHORT OR SHELF CLOCK WAS DEVISED , MADE AND INTRODUCED BY ELI TERRY. AFTER 1823 SETH
THOMAS STARTED TO MAKE THE 5 WHEEL GEAR TRAIN MOVEMENT IN THE PILLAR & SCROLL CASE AND THE PRINTED LABEL
DID NOT HAVE ELI TERRY PATENTED CLOCK . THERE WAS A LAW SUIT BETWEEN ELI TERRY AND SETH THOMAS BUT IN APRIL
1829 ELI TERRY VOLUNTARILY DROOPED HIS LAW SUIT AGAINST SETH THOMAS 1816 TO 1835 THE CLOCK INDUSTRY MAIN
CLOCKMAKERS WERE ELI TERRY SAMUEL { HIS BROTHER } SETH THOMAS , SILAS HOADLEY , CHAUNCEY JEROME AND
EPHRAIM DOWNS . ALL OF THESE MEN ORIGINALLY WORKED ON CLOCKS AT PLYMOUTH CONNECTICUT . IT IS INTERESTING
TO NOTE THAT ELI TERRY WAS THE ONLY APPRENTICED CLOCKMAKER SAMUEL WAS A HARNESS MAKER AND THE OTHER
FOUR WERE TRAINED AS CARPENTERS. 1825 CHAUNCEY JEROME INVENTED THE "BRONZE" LOOKING GLASS AND WAS LABLED
JEROME & DARROW . IN 1830 JOSEPH IVES RETURNED TO BRISTOL AND THE 8 DAY WROUGHT BRASS STRAP MOVEMENT WAS
INTRODUCED AND THIS BROUGHT SERIOUS COMPETITION TO THE WOOD MOVEMENT . AND ELI TERRY DESIGNED A 8 DAY
WOOD MOVEMENT INTRODUCED AS ELI TERRY & SONS ABOUT THE SAME TIME ANOTHER FEATURE BROUGHT BY THE FIRM
OF JEROME & DARROW WAS THE "BRASS BUSHED " 30 HOUR WOOD MOVEMENT. BY 1840 THE WOOD MOVEMENT WAS RAPIDLY
DECLINING AND BY 1850 THERE WERE VERY FEW WOOD MOVEMENT MADE AND EVENTUALLY WROUGHT BRASS MOVEMENTS
TOOK OVER . ELI TERRY DIED AT THE AGE OF 80 IN FEBRUARY 24 1852
ON LINE ANTIQUE CLOCK PARTS CATALOG
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MACKEY'S ANTIQUES & CLOCK REPAIR
