Thomas Cole (1800 - 1864) and his elder brother, James Ferguson Cole formed a partnership in 1821 and by the next year had begun to produce a small series of highly complicated silver hump-back travelling clocks. By 1835 the brothers had gone their separate ways. By 1845 Thomas called himself A designer and maker of ornamental clocks and he began to make his now famous and popular series of exceptional quality clocks that appealed enormously to a rising class of Victorians made wealthy from the Industrial Revolution. This clock shows many common features with other known Cole clocks.

The present clock is retailed by G.F. Hancock, a successor of Storr & Mortimer, 39 Bruton Street, London. The retailer’s signature can be seen to the dial and also engraved to the access flap on the case back. An interesting feature to the present clock is the different ways it can be displayed as the easel to the back and bottom allows. The dial, however, is particularly interesting as it features a five point crown and monogram leading us to the possibility that it was ordered by a notable client of the time, perhaps an Earl. The attractive grid calendar towards the bottom section can be manually operated.