A good, small, slender, well proportioned, mahogany, inlaid and strung, long door case. Diamond pattern string inlay to flat top, blind fret frieze under, brass capped columns to hood door with matching hood rear quarter columns, boxwood strung concave throat moulding to long trunk door with "barbers pole" stringing to outer and boxwood stringing to inner, the latter repeated in the base panel. Oval fan inlay to trunk door centre. All set on simple strip base. Good warm colour and patination.

12" square early "Osborne" painted dial with subsidiary seconds dial and "sad mouth" date aperture. Raised gilt gesso borders enclosing flower painted spandrels. Arabic "minutes numbered" to outer of Roman chapters. Blued cut steel hands.

Good quality, 8 day, 4 pillar, movement with hourly ( rack) striking and pull hour repeat.

Jerom Murch of Honiton is recorded as taking an apprentice named John Skinner in 1763 at a premium of 6 - 16 - 6d. Believed buried 6 September 1802 ( Parish records ).

N.B. The dialmaker, Osborne, is recorded working 1780 - 1808 at 9, Whittal Street, Birmingham, having previously worked at Great Charles Street, Birmingham 1779 - 80 and prior to that 20, Cherry Orchard, Birmingham 1777 - 79. He started in partnership with James Wilson 1772 - 77 in Colmore Row Birmingham. Stylistically this example may be dated to circa 1790 so will be from his Whittal Street production.