HERITAGE DAY: New technology breathes life into Simon’s Town historic clock

After more than a year of silence, the historic Simon’s Town West dockyard clock is chiming again, much to the delight of three persistent volunteers.

The maintenance of the clock, originally a passion project started by David Erickson, former chairman of the Simon’s Town Historical Society, around 2011, has since been taken over by volunteers after he became ill and returned to England, where he subsequently died last year following a battle with cancer.

The team at the helm of the latest project to restore the clock to its former glory is Simon’s Town Historical Society treasurer Roy Burnie, retired South African Navy Warrant Officer Harry Croome, and Glencairn resident Stewart Neville.

Mr Burnie said, the clock which dates back to 1816, and is possibly one of the oldest public turret clocks in South Africa, stopped functioning after the spring clutch broke.

This caused the 120kg going weight to unwind rapidly, damaging the winding rope.

The clock, he said, was originally installed in the Royal Navy Mast House and Sail Loft, built in 1815 in Simon’s Towns West Dockyard.

The clock was supplied by Dutton & Sons of London and manufactured by Thwaites & Reed, a renowned London clockmaker established in 1740, who continue to maintain some of the world’s most famous clocks, including the one housed in Elizabeth Tower at the British Houses of Parliament.

He said the association was initially under the impression that the Groote Kerk’s clock, manufactured in Amsterdam and installed in 1773, was the oldest, but have since discovered it was replaced in 1829 by a clock manufactured by John Moore, an associate of Thwaites & Reed.

Another old clock is the Lutheran Church clock in Strand Street installed in 1820, also manufactured by Thwaites & Reed, he said.

In an email exchange between Mr Erickson and the Echo in December 2021, Mr Erickson indicated that he had copies from historical records from the Guildhall in London of the day books of Thwaites & Reed, confirming the clock was completed on December 18, 1816. It was then transported from the Royal Navy Dockyard in Deptford to Simon’s Town, possibly aboard a ship called Flower of Ugie.

Mr Erickson stated in the email that the clock mechanism was a complete unit - a large and very heavy mechanism that must have been installed in the clock tower by riggers and other craftsmen from the west yard.

He said the clockmaker did not send a specialist to supervise or assist with the installation but since the Mast House was constructed before the arrival of the clock, it is possible that the Clock Tower was left incomplete, to allow the clock and the bells to be lowered down into the structure before the tower floors and roof were finalised.

The bells, he wrote, were supplied from the Bell Foundry already attached to two heavy oak beams, which slotted into the woodwork at the top of the belfry.

“It is clear that very careful thought had gone into the design, and that a good degree of precision was achieved both by the clockmaker, the Bell Foundry, and the carpenters and riggers on site in Simon’s Town. The Admiralty had some very competent engineers,” the email stated.

Mr Burnie said following the breaking of the the spring clutch, the team initially considered a full professional rebuild, but the cost proved too high.

Attempts to have Thwaites & Reed remake the part also posed risks, as it would have required shipping other key components to the UK. The other option was to find a local engineering company to manufacture the replacement part.

“We approached numerous companies, but all were reluctant to even consider making this part, as the original part was handmade like the rest of the clock using wrought iron,” he said.

However, a solution was found locally when Mr Neville located a company near Stellenbosch which specialises in precision parts using high-pressure water’ cutting technology.

Mr Burnie said they were able to create an exact replica of the original spring clutch using high-grade tool steel, allowing the clock to be restored to full function.

“It is truly amazing that this crucial part, made by a highly skilled blacksmith over 200 years ago, has now been replicated using state-of-the-art water jet cutting technology. When we finally installed the new part, it fitted like a glove without any adjustments,” he said, adding that the clock now keeps remarkably accurate time, within one minute per week, and is wound weekly.

The part was supplied at cost and the Simon’s Town Historical Society covered the additional cost of the re-manufacturing of the part.

“Its bells have once again started ringing, much to the delight of residents,” said Mr Burnie.

He said the Simon’s Town Mast House, often referred to as the Dockyard Church due to its appearance, served multiple purposes over the years.

Church services were originally held in the Sail Loft, and although the space was used for naval purposes over time, it was consecrated as a church in 1946. The building now forms part of the South African Navy Museum complex, with exhibits housed in the Mast House and the Sail Loft used for special church occasions.

Mr Croome said he had always had an interest in history and became involved with the clock when Mr Erickson asked to gain access the the Simon’s Town Naval Museum to see the clock around 2011.

He said Mr Erickson had meticulously recorded every detail of the clock and photographed it from all angles.

“He spent hours up there and would wound it every Friday. The chiming was erratic and he had to come back to see what was wrong. He became ill and it was difficult for him to get up the stairs so I took over the basic maintenance of it,” Mr Croome said, adding that he still winds it every Friday around 9.30am.

During this period, Mr Croome said, Mr Burnie joined the association and encouraged further maintenance of the clock due to its historical significance.

Mr Neville said Mr Burnie had contacted him in February last year to ask his help with the clock. He met Mr Erickson after the clock had not chimed for a few years due to the strike wheel that was badly worn.

In 2017, he said, he had helped Mr Ericson to remove this large wheel and took it to Johannesburg for repair.

On completion, he said, the teeth had all been built up but needed to be machined to the correct shape and he collected it and brought it back to Cape Town and sent it to an engineering firm in Stikland who did “a beautiful job at no cost.”

The wheel was refitted, and the clock started again, and the bells were heard around Simon’s Town again.

Mr Burnie asked if anyone can dispute the society’s claim that the clock is the oldest public turret clock in South Africa, Africa and the Southern Hemisphere, the society would appreciate hearing from them.

Contact Mr Burnie at rbcs@iafrica.com