Smith of Derby Group

Smith of Derby Group

Type	Public Company
Founded	1856
Products	clocks
Website	http://www.smithofderby.com

Founded in 1856, the Smith of Derby Group are clockmakers based in Derby, Derbyshire, UK. The Smith of Derby business has been running continuously under 5 generations of the Smith family.^[1]

History

John Smith (1813-1886), clockmaker and the original founder of today's Smith of Derby Group

The earliest origins of Smith of Derby’s history began before the company was established in 1856. John Whitehurst I started making clocks in England in 1708. His son, John Whitehurst II (10 April 1713 – 18 February 1788) was tutored in the art of clockmaking by his father and also became a clockmaker, innovator and renowned scientist. He started a clockmaking business in Derby in 1736 at 22 Irongate, Derby. The third John Whitehurst III then carried on the family clockmaking tradition.

John Smith (21 December 1813 - 1886)^[2] became an apprentice to John Whitehurst III in 1827. He went on to be the founder of a new clockmaking company in 1856, first establishing his business in premises at 27 Queen Street in Derby.^[3] The Queen Street premises originally belonged to John Whitehurst, and it was the Whitehurst family home. After the death of John Whitehurst III, John Smith became, through reputation and craftsmanship, his successor.

John Smith’s new company flourished during the industrial revolution. When he died in 1886, his two sons, Frank and John took over the running of the family business. Under Frank Smith, the company were responsible for building the huge turret clock for St Paul's Cathedral in 1893.

Frank Smith died in 1913, and the company was run by staff until Frank's son Alan was old enough to take over the running of the business. Alan Smith was succeeded by Howard Smith, who, in turn was succeeded by Nicholas Smith.

During the 20th century, Smith and Sons expanded through the acquisition of a variety of businesses. Clockmakers William Potts & Sons, Leeds were established in 1833 and acquired by Smith of Derby in 1933; laying claim to be the oldest clockmakers in the world, J. B. Joyce & Company of Whitchurch were responsible for many clocks internationally and were acquired by Smith of Derby in 1965; George & Francis Cope were established in 1845 as producers of chronometers for the Admiralty, they joined Smith of Derby in 1984. In 1985 they acquired B & H (Derby) Ltd and became today’s Smith of Derby Group.

Public clock installations in Europe

The Cathedral Clock originally manufactured and installed by John Smith and Sons in 1893 at St Paul's Cathedral in London

• Cathedral Clock at St Paul's Cathedral, London 1893
• Town Hall clock in Grampound, Cornwall 1894
• The Jubilee Clock Tower, located in Maidenhead, Berkshire 1897.
• Trinity College Clock, Cambridge 1910
• Cathedral Quarter Hotel Clock in Derby
• Temple Court time feature at Minories Shopping Centre, Birmingham
• Grand Brasserie Clock at St Pancras Station, London
• Hourglass Clock at Burghley House near Stamford
• Planisphere at Bluewater Shopping Centre, Kent
• Light Clock at Royal Derby Hospital, Derby
• Restoration of original Medieval Salisbury cathedral clock in Salisbury
• Restoration of the Blair Castle Clock Tower destroyed by fire in Blair Atholl, Perthshire
• Portsmouth Guildhall Bell Tower restoration, Portsmouth
• "H. Samuel" clock (1963) hanging outside Cardiff Market, High Street, Cardiff.^[4]
• Pierhead Clock (1897) restored and reinstalled by Smith of Derby in 2011 as public art in St Mary Street, Cardiff
• The DNA Clock (2011), located in the foyer of Redcar Hospital

Public clock installations in the Asia

• Nagercoil Clock Tower, Nagercoil, India
• DNA Clock at King Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia
• Tower Clock at Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque, Muscat, Oman
• 16 operational clocks in Mecca/Makkah, Holy Haram, Saudi Arabia
• Town Clock at Dammam, Saudi Arabia
• Seif Palace, Kuwait City, Kuwait
• Al-Mustansiriya University, Baghdad, Iraq
• Beach Rotana Hotel, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
• Central Bank of Oman, Muscat, Oman
• Souq Square, Nizwa, Oman
• Ismaili Centre (JamatKhana), Hyderabad, Pakistan

Record holding clocks

The world's highest building mounted clock above street level at the Boeing Headquarters in Chicago, by Smith of Derby. Photographer J. Crocker

• Guinness World Records: The world's largest pendulum regulated clock is the Harmony Tower in Ganzhou, China ^[5]
• Guinness World Records: The world's largest steam clock is on the North Quay at St Helier, Jersey
• The world's largest solar powered clock is called 'The Beacon' and is installed as a feature clock at the University of Baghdad.^[6]
• The world's largest inclined clock is at Time Square in Al-Ain, UAE ^[7]
• The world's highest building mounted clock above street level is 170 metres above street level and is mounted on top of Boeing's Headquarters in Chicago^[8]
• The world's largest mechanical tower clock is also the Harmony Tower in Ganzhou, China ^[9]
• The world's most remote public clock is owned by the Queen of Tonga ^[10]

In addition to these clock installations, Smith of Derby is also considered to be the manufacturers of the world's most expensive Islamic Prayer Clocks.^[11] The Prayer Clocks are customisable and can be designed to include precious metals and gems.^[12]

Other notable projects

The rotating globe kinetic sculptural installation at the Coliseum Theatre in London by Smith of Derby

• Foucault Pendulum in the Donnan and Robinson Laboratory at Liverpool University
• Rotating steel globe on the Coliseum Theatre, London ^[13]
• One Revolution Per Day pendulum sculpture in Davos, Switzerland
• Eleanor Cross in Stamford, Lincolnshire
• Zoetrope in Billinghay, Lincolnshire ^[14]
• Clock mechanism in Herne Bay Clock Tower replaced by the company with synchronous electric hour striking unit in 1971.^[15]

Further reading

• Craven, Maxwell (1996). John Whitehurst of Derby: Clockmaker and Scientist 1713-88. Derbyshire: Ashbourne. ISBN 0-9523270-3-1.

• Craven, Maxwell (2011). The Smiths of Derby: A Journey Through Time. Derbyshire. ISBN 978-0-9570846-0-5.

References

1. Smith of Derby promotional brochure Smith of Derby - 5 generations of clockmakers
2. Horological Institute book review, January 2012 Chris McKay, MBHI, reviews the book 'The Smiths of Derby A Journey Through Time’ for the 'British Horological Journal'
3. Picture the Past website Picture showing location of John Smith's first premises in Derby
4. "Cardiff landmark clock in St Mary Street to be restored". BBC News. 20 July 2011. Retrieved 26 March 2013.
5. Largest Pendulum Regulated Clock, Detailing the Guinness world record held by Smith of Derby.
6. Craven, Maxwell (2011). The Smiths of Derby: A Journey Through Time. Derbyshire. ISBN 978-0-9570846-0-5.
7. Largest inclined clock in the world, The world's largest inclined clock in Al Ain, United Arab Emirates.
8. Highest building mounted clock above street level, PDF of Financial Times business guide to Derby - Smith of Derby appears on Page 8.
9. Largest Mechanical Clock, Guardian Website coverage of the Harmony Tower clock built by Smith of Derby.
10. About Smith of Derby, Video outlining all world records and patents held by Smith of Derby.
11. World's most expensive Islamic Prayer Clock, Luxury Launches Website coverage of the Islamic Prayer Clock launched by Smith of Derby in May 2011.
12. Islamic Prayer Clock details on Smith of Derby website, Details of the Islamic Prayer Clock on the Smith of Derby website.
13. Coliseum Theatre Rotating Globe, Rotating Steel Globe on the Coliseum Theatre in London.
14. Zoetrope sculptural installation, Zoetrope sculptural installation in Billinghay, Lincolnshire.
15. Bundock, Mike (2000). Herne Bay Clock Tower: A descriptive history. Herne Bay: Pierhead Publications. ISBN 9780953897704. Page 18

http://www.whitehurstclocks.com/a-brief-history.html

External links

• The British Horological Institute
• Smith of Derby Group