John Smith (1770–1816) was a clockmaker born in Pittenweem,

Fife Fife (, ; gd, Fìobha, ; sco, Fife) is a council area, historic county, registration county and lieutenancy area of Scotland. It is situated between the Firth of Tay and the Firth of Forth, with inland boundaries with Perth and Kinross (i ...

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...

. His most famous clock is in the possession of the

Duke of Buccleuch Duke of Buccleuch (pronounced ), formerly also spelt Duke of Buccleugh, is a title in the Peerage of Scotland created twice on 20 April 1663, first for James Scott, 1st Duke of Monmouth and second suo jure for his wife Anne Scott, 4th Cou ...

. It is reported to have four dials and shows days of the week and days of the month. The clock can play eight old Scots tunes and every three hours initiates a procession where the Macer of the Lords of Council and Session appears, doffs his cap and then leads fifteen Lords in ceremonial robes across an opening, before re-appearing and replacing his cap. At midnight on Saturday, a plaque appears bearing the legend "Remember Sunday". On Sunday the clock neither strikes nor processes, resuming at midnight. John Smith of Pitenweem was a superb ingenious craftsman and his clocks generally were of the highest quality. For such a talented clockmaker to come from a small secluded fishing village in Scotland this is no mean achievement. An advertisement is issued by himself in the year 1775, which he informs us, " he was bred in the trade and had never been out of the country."

References

* J.Smith," Old Scottish Clockmakers", (UK)

External links

John Smith Pittenweem Longcase Clock C.1790
{{DEFAULTSORT:Smith, John Scottish clockmakers People from Pittenweem 1770 births 1816 deaths