A WILTSHIRE GENIUS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXX, Issue 3461, 28 February 1912, Page 8

A WILTSHIRE GENIUS.

CHURCH CLOCK CONSTRUCTED OUT OF ODDS AND ENDS.

One of the most remarkable cl icks rn the country has just been deflected at the parish church of Wootton livers,, near Marlborough. It has been entirely constructed by one of the villagers, who began life on a farm, and tlic component parts have been made from scrapped odds and ends supplied by the villagers. Estimates were received for a clock as a public memorial of the Coronation, but the cost was found to be too great, and a counter-proposal was carried that there should be a public dinner instead. Mr Spratt, one of the villagers, subsequently offered to make a clock free of charge if someone would help him witli the heavier work and the people would find a few hundredweight of steel, iron, brass and load, as there was plenty of material available in the parish. Although the project was looked upon rather as a joke. Mr Spratt proceeded with the work, and a heterogenous collection of material was brought to his cottage by the villagers. The- three dials of the clock ar? made of iron, enamelled with a white background and black figures and hands. On one is the inscription, “Glory be to God,” instead of the usual Roman numbers. The rod of the pendulum, which takes a second to swing, is made of wood, and the “bob" of lead, weighing GGlb. The frame is cast in one piece, and weighs over lcwt. This is bolted to brackets let into the wall. Most of the wheels are made of very hard brass, the pinions of steel being suitably tempered.