Act of Parliament clock

Act of Parliament clock

An "Act of Parliament clock" is a type of large clock originally hung in inns and taverns in the United Kingdom, beginning in the mid-18th century. Such clocks were plain in design, the faces were around two to five feet in diameter, and they were hung on the wall. They are also commonly called Tavern Clocks. The term "Act of Parliament clock" came about long after these clocks were already in existence. In 1797, a tax against clocks of five shillings was introduced in the Kingdom of Great Britain by the Prime Minister William Pitt. The tax was very unpopular among clockmakers and was repealed after nine months. The large clocks in inns were later popularly (though incorrectly) said to have been developed as a response to this tax.

External links

* [http://www.tavernicus.co.uk Tavernicus]


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  • Act of Parliament clock — (Act of) Parliament clock A type of wall clock (usu of mahogany, and with a large uncovered dial found esp in public houses) which became popular around 1797 in response to an act of parliament imposing a tax on all clocks and watches • • • Main… …   Useful english dictionary

  • (Act of) Parliament clock — A type of wall clock (usu of mahogany, and with a large uncovered dial found esp in public houses) which became popular around 1797 in response to an act of parliament imposing a tax on all clocks and watches ● parliament …   Useful english dictionary

  • Act of Parliament clock. — See Parliament clock. * * * …   Universalium

  • Act of Parliament clock. — See Parliament clock …   Useful english dictionary

  • Act of Parliament clock — also called  tavern clock        weight driven wall clock with a large wooden, painted or lacquered dial. More correctly, it is called a tavern clock. Clocks of this type were displayed by innkeepers and got their name from the passage of a five… …   Universalium

  • Act of Parliament clock — noun A large clock, once hung in inns, erroneously thought to derive from a tax on clocks …   Wiktionary

  • Parliament clock — a pendulum wall clock of the late 18th century, usually having a black dial with gilt numbers: originally installed in English taverns because a burdensome tax prevented many homes from having private clocks. Also called Act of Parliament clock.… …   Useful english dictionary

  • Parliament clock — a pendulum wall clock of the late 18th century, usually having a black dial with gilt numbers: originally installed in English taverns because a burdensome tax prevented many homes from having private clocks. Also called Act of Parliament clock.… …   Universalium

  • Act of Supremacy 1559 — The Act of Supremacy 1559 (1 Eliz, c. 1) was an Act of the Parliament of England, passed under the auspices of Queen Elizabeth I of England. It replaced the original Act of Supremacy 1534 issued by Elizabeth s father, Henry VIII, which arrogated… …   Wikipedia

  • Pendulum clock — A pendulum clock is a clock that uses a pendulum, a swinging weight, as its timekeeping element. From its invention in 1656 by Christiaan Huygens until the 1930s, the pendulum clock was the world s most accurate timekeeper, accounting for its… …   Wikipedia

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