Typical, "Whitehaven," high quality, long door, flame mahogany case with hand carved and gilded "rose" paterae, distinctive "returns" under swan neck terminations, fluted "flying" hood columns with matching trunk quarter columns and shaped top to trunk door.

"Chippendale" fretted detail under convex throat moulding repeated under trunk quarter columns and to canted corners of raised, scallop cornered, base panel. The whole set on ogee bracket feet. It is speculated that Benson took the distinctive Whitehaven case design to Belfast where it was well received and adopted.

13" breakarch brass dial with "starry sky" moonphases to arch, large cherubs head cast brass spandrels, finely engraved and silvered dial centre and circular date aperture above the 6 o'clock position. Signed Benson Whitehaven to lower dial centre. Blued cut steel hands.

Good quality, 4 pillar, 8 day movement with distinctive grooveless winding barrels. Hourly ( rack ) striking to a single bell.

Benson ( John ) of Whitehaven is recorded "Married 1750, Belfast 1753, then Whitehaven again 1755 where died 1798." There is a very fine mahogany longcase by him in the entrance hall to No.10, Downing Street, London which may be glimpsed during the No.10 video clip tour.

It is described as "High Quality and Complex." It is recorded - "He became a highly skilled and much respected clockmaker, and his work was mainly in brass dial, 8 day clocks, for the Upper Market."Several clocks by him are illustrated in "Clockmakers of Northern England" by Brian Loomes. This clock comes with a copy from an article in CLOCKS magazine dated November 2013 detailing the Downing Street clock.