John Alker (1775–1850) or simply Alker of Wigan, was a long case clock and

pocket watch A pocket watch is a watch that is made to be carried in a pocket, as opposed to a wristwatch, which is strapped to the wrist. They were the most common type of watch from their development in the 16th century until wristwatches became popula ...

maker and member of the

Worshipful Company of Clockmakers The Worshipful Company of Clockmakers was established under a Royal Charter granted by King Charles I in 1631. It ranks sixty-first among the livery companies of the City of London, and comes under the jurisdiction of the Privy Council. The ...

active in

Wigan Wigan ( ) is a town in Greater Manchester, England. The town is midway between the two cities of Manchester, to the south-east, and Liverpool, to the south-west. It is the largest settlement in the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan and is its ad ...

Lancashire Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated ''Lancs'') is a ceremonial county in North West England. It is bordered by Cumbria to the north, North Yorkshire and West Yorkshire to the east, Greater Manchester and Merseyside to the south, and the Irish Sea to ...

Life and career

John Alker, son of James Alker, was baptised on the 15th of April 1775 at All Saints' Church, Wigan. He was first recorded as a clockmaker in his marriage to Margaret Hickman in 1794. John and Margaret would go on to have six children together, with several also becoming reputed clock and watch makers, before her death of consumption in 1808. Market Place Wigan - 1860

From their storefront on Market Place in central Wigan, John and his family would craft intricate longcase clocks for use in the home and large

turret clock A turret clock or tower clock is a clock designed to be mounted high in the wall of a building, usually in a clock tower, in public buildings such as Church (building), churches, university buildings, and town halls. As a public amenity to enab ...

s for public spaces. In 1813 he installed one such turret clock at St Wilfrid's Church in

Ribchester Ribchester () is a village and civil parish within the Ribble Valley district of Lancashire, England. It lies on the banks of the River Ribble, northwest of Blackburn and east of Preston, Lancashire, Preston. The village has a long history w ...

. John was described as having a preference for the newer fashions of his time, as shown through his use of painted dials. A number of his clocks survive, and frequently present features of special interest. One of his longcase clocks, dated to around 1830, was featured on

Antiques Roadshow ''Antiques Roadshow'' is a British television programme broadcast by the BBC in which antiques appraisers travel to various regions of the United Kingdom (and occasionally in other countries) to appraise antiques brought in by local people ( ...

and valued between £7,000 and £10,000. John passed away at his home in Scholes and was buried on the 14th July 1850 at All Saints' Church, Wigan.

Legacy

John Alker began a legacy of clock and watch manufacturing within his family, spanning over 100 years. The original storefront in Wigan was in operation from at least 1794 to 1860, being run by John and subsequently his sons and extended family. Eventually expanding to a second store in

Chorley Chorley is a town and the administrative centre of the wider Borough of Chorley in Lancashire, England, north of Wigan, south west of Blackburn, north west of Bolton, south of Preston and north west of Manchester. The town's wealth ca ...

that was active until the late 1800's. * Thomas Alker (1794 - 1847) Son of John Alker. Clockmaker in Wigan. * Nicholas Alker (1803 - 1871) Son of John Alker. Watchmaker in Wigan and Chorley. * James Alker (1818 - 1889) Son of Thomas Alker. Clockmaker in Wigan and Chorley. * John Alker (1819 - 1859) Son of Thomas Alker. Clockmaker in Wigan. * Nicholas Alker (b. 1828) Son of Thomas Alker. Watch finisher in Chorley.

Gallery

File:Alker Clock - 1794.png, Dial and hood of clock by John Alker, c.1794. File:John Alker00.jpg, Mahogany longcase clock by John Alker, early 1800's. File:John Alker01.jpg, Example of John Alker's use of painted dials. File:John Alker keywind watch, c.1800.jpg, Signed John Alker pocket watch, early 1800's.

References

External links

The Long Case Clock: The Science and Engineering that Goes Into a Grandfather Clock - Jessica ChappellHistorical Clock and Watch ResearchEdward Baines' Directory of Wigan, 1825Lancashire Quarter Sessions - National Archives
{{DEFAULTSORT:Alker, John English clockmakers People from Wigan 1775 births 1850 deaths