Commemorating the Restored Bishop Family Timepiece of Nova Scotia
In a significant event for the Kings County Museum in Kentville, the historic Bishop Family Clock, crafted in Horton Township, Nova Scotia, in the late 1700s, will be installed as a permanent exhibit on July 12, 2025, at 1:00 PM.
This remarkable tall case clock, a symbol of the ingenuity and craftsmanship that shaped communities, was given as a wedding gift to Amelia Bishop in 1772. The clock, an important artifact representing early Nova Scotian and New England Planter heritage, had left Nova Scotia in 1902 and returned after more than 120 years.
The Bishop Family clock, a significant Planter artifact, showcases the blend of local woodworking expertise and imported clockmaking technology of the era. Its wooden casing is hand-carved locally, while the metal clockwork mechanisms and the clock face were imported from England.
The Kings County Museum, with its mission to preserve and promote the cultural and natural history of Kings County, considers this acquisition especially significant. Artifacts of this age and provenance are rare in Nova Scotia and broader North America.
The installation ceremony will include a talk by horologist Stephen Sieracki on 18th-century clocks, including specific details and research on the Bishop Clock, and demonstrations. The public is invited to attend this historical event and celebrate the return of this valuable cultural artifact.
For more information, please contact the Kings County Museum at [email protected] or call them at 1-902-678-6237. The article providing more detail about the Bishop Family clock’s return can be found at https://www.saltwire.com/nova-scotia/annapolis-valley/historic-bishop-clock-returning-home-to-nova-scotia-after-more-than-a-century.
Tangible links to history, such as the Bishop Clock, enrich our understanding of who we are and where we come from. By preserving historical artifacts like the Bishop Clock, we ensure that future generations can learn from and be inspired by the past. The Bishop Family Clock, now preserved and showcased at the Kings County Museum, serves as a powerful reminder of the ingenuity, craftsmanship, and stories that shaped communities.
Vintage clocks, such as the Bishop Family Clock, are prized possessions among clock enthusiasts, offering a direct link to the past and a testament to the craftsmanship of bygone eras. This installation in the Kings County Museum's home-and-garden section will serve as a permanent exhibit, promoting a vintage lifestyle and helping to illustrate the rich history of Kings County and the broader region.
