I recently received an intriguing message through the forms on my website about a clockmaker named Thomas Ashton, active in Macclesfield and later Tideswell, and a particularly rare longcase clock dated to around 1780. The dial on this clock is engraved in Latin, Hebrew and Greek — an exceptionally unusual combination in provincial English clockmaking — and the sender wondered whether this Ashton might be connected to the well‑known Ashton families involved in the cotton industry.

Rather than reply with a quick line, I decided to look at the question in a more contextual way.

What we know so far is that Thomas Ashton appears in the historical record as a working clockmaker in Macclesfield during the late 18th century, a period when the town was primarily associated with silk, not cotton. There is currently no documented link between this particular Ashton and the later industrial Ashton families of Hyde, Stalybridge or Dukinfield, whose prominence grew after 1790. The surname is common across Cheshire and Derbyshire, so overlap doesn’t necessarily imply connection.

What is striking, however, is the trilingual dial. The use of Latin, Hebrew and Greek suggests a commission for someone with theological or scholarly interests — perhaps a minister, schoolmaster, or a patron with antiquarian leanings. It places the clock in a very small category of symbolic or intellectual timepieces rather than everyday domestic clocks.

I’d love to understand more about this example.
If the person who contacted me — or anyone else with knowledge of Ashton’s work — is willing to share a photograph of the dial or case, I’d be happy to add it here for clarity and continue building a fuller picture of his practice.

This kind of enquiry always reminds me how objects carry stories that reach far beyond their materials. A single clock can open up questions about trade, literacy, belief, migration, and the quiet skills of regional makers whose names rarely survive in the record. I’m always interested in these intersections between craft, place and lived history, so if anyone has further information about Thomas Ashton, or examples of his work, I’d be glad to hear from you.

And if the original sender is comfortable sharing a photograph of the dial or case, I’d be happy to include it here. It would help build a clearer picture of this unusual commission and contribute to a more complete understanding of Ashton’s practice.

Further Reading

1. Thomas Ashton of Macclesfield (working 1760–95)

A commercial listing for a longcase clock by Thomas Ashton of Macclesfield, confirming his working dates and presence in the historical record. It’s About Time

2. Ashton Clockmakers of Tideswell

Auction listings and historical notes showing that Ashton was a known clockmaking surname in Tideswell, including Samuel Ashton and others active in the 18th century. This helps contextualise the Tideswell connection. The Salesroom

3. Ashton Family of Tideswell (1720–1829)

A detailed auction listing noting that the Ashton family were established clockmakers in Tideswell and Ashbourne across the 18th century. Hansons Auctioneers