YEOVIL NEWS: Timely donation of church clock

A WORKING clock which was made in Yeovil has recently been donated to South Somerset District Council’s Community Heritage Access Centre after spending more than 75 years at the Preston Road Methodist Church in Yeovil.

The clock was made by clockmaker and jeweller William James Sherriff of Market Street, Yeovil and was donated to the Methodist Church when it opened in 1938.

From 1938, it kept time hanging inside the church until 2014 when it was replaced by a modern battery powered quartz version as William’s clock was considered by some to be too much of an onerous a task to wind it on a weekly basis.

The Community Heritage Access Centre works with a collection policy of Yeovil and South Somerset.

Staff at CHAC were very pleased to receive such a fascinating object which also came with large amount of background information.

Heritage information assistant, Joseph Lewis, said: “What was really satisfying was that the donors had not only thought to donate the clock, but had also provided the background context on the maker and the actual mechanism inside; which is so important to place an object in context.”

To view the donation or any other items at CHAC please call 01935-462855 and leave a message or email heritage.service@southsomerset.gov.uk. To keep up to date with the Heritage Service visit www.southsomersetheritage.org.uk.

PHOTO - TOP: The clock which was donated to Preston Road Methodist Church in 1938. The timepiece has a spring driven 8 day mechanism with a pendulum operated escapement.

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