Hemyock

With the recent work being done on the Hemyock church clock, a few words of history might be of interest. Our current clock was purchased in 1747 replacing one brought in 1697. That one had needed repairs in 1736 and 1743. As scrap it weighed 106lb and released 13s 3d (66p) towards the £36.10s cost of the new one. Our new one though only struck the hours whereas the earlier one also chimed out the quarters.

The present dial arrived in 1833 and was supplied by John Gore. It replaced an earlier one dating from 1707, which was further down the tower. It cost £10.19s (£10.95), with fixing being £4.15s (£4.75) and masonry work £6 1s 10d (£6.09p).

The clock did not have a faultless history, requiring repairs in 1833, 1858, 1875, 1920 and 1925. These latter two repairs were paid for by public subscription. The 1925 repairs were carried out at the London works of Twaites and Reed Ltd.

The dial meanwhile was repainted in 1851, re-gilded in 1860 (cost £1.15s) and re-gilded again in 1925 by Crease and Sons of Uffculme at £5 8s 3d.

Our predecessors wanted to get rid of the clock in 1897 (Victoria's Jubilee) and again in 1949. However it survived, being wound daily until the year 2000. From 1947 till 1997 it was wound by Ron Trickey, who now lives in Culmstock, and his father Harry, daily climbing the 26 steps of the swinging ladder, which itself dates from 1907. But then the Normans put the pillars there in 1180 or thereabouts.

Most of the above has been taken from Robert Sherlock's major study on the church complied in the 1950s.