WILLARD, SIMON

born April 3, 1753, Grafton, Mass., U.S. died Aug. 30, 1848, Roxbury, Mass. U.S. clockmaker, creator of the timepiece that came to be known as the banjo clock, and a member of a Massachusetts family of clockmakers designing and producing brass-movement clocks from 1765 to 1850. Around 1780 Willard moved from Grafton, where he had been apprenticed to a clockmaker, settling in Roxbury, near Boston, and working there until his retirement in 1839. He catered to a wealthy clientele, including Thomas Jefferson, making various types of clocks but specializing in pieces for churches, halls, and galleries. It is believed that he concentrated on producing accurate, simple movements and that the cases for his clocks were made by others. On Feb. 8, 1802, Willard patented a spring-driven, pendulum clock housed in a case having a round top portion bearing the dial, an elongated central portion curving inward, and a rectangular base. It is possible that the shape of the case inspired the term banjo clock, a name Willard did not use. Other items patented by Willard include a device for roasting meat, operated by a clock mechanism (1784), and an alarm clock (1819). Willard's brother Benjamin (17431803) began manufacturing clocks in Grafton c. 1765 and was known for the quality of his tall-case clocks (a style later called grandfather clock). Another brother, Ephraim (17551805), apparently worked with Benjamin. The youngest brother, Aaron (17571844), also a clockmaker, worked in Roxbury until 1790, when he established a prosperous business in Boston, producing various types of clocks, including banjo styles usually having painted lower panels. Simon's business was continued for several years by his son, Simon, Jr. (17951881). Aaron's son, also named Aaron (17831864), worked as a clockmaker until about 1850.