Jul 29, 2025
The Greatest Collectors of All Time: David Arthur Wetherfield – A Very Prominent and Significant English Collector
David Arthur Wetherfield (1845-1928) was a prominent collector of English domestic clocks, amassing one of the most significant private collections of its kind. His collection, known as the Wetherfield Collection, particularly from the ‘Golden Age’ of English clockmaking (late 17th to early 18th century), consisted of over 220 clocks, including longcase clocks, bracket clocks, and lantern clocks. The collection was particularly notable for its focus on English craftsmanship, featuring works by master clockmakers such as Edward East, Daniel Quare, Joseph Knibb, George Graham and Thomas Tompion (known as the ‘Father of English Clockmaking’). David Wetherfield lived in Blackheath, Southeast London, and for many years, was the senior partner of the coal exporters and marine insurance brokers W.S. Partridge and Co. The firm went out of business when he retired at an advanced age. His interest in clocks was said to have started when he wanted to own a longcase (grandfather) clock, employing an ‘expert’ to advise him on which one he should buy. Apparently, he was deceived into buying a worthless imitation and when he realised this, decided to put together a collection of timepieces that would be unsurpassed by anyone else. His entire collection was housed at his home in Blackheath and remained there until his death, aged 83 in 1928. According to one visitor, the house was three or four storeys high with a basement, where grandfather clocks stood on every other stair ...
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