Joseph Knibb (born 1640 & died 1711) was one of the most celebrated clockmakers of his day and was highly admired by Charles II, for whom he made several fine clocks.
Joseph was apprentice to his cousin Samuel Knibb in 1655 at Newport Pagnell, and after his seven-year apprenticeship, he then moved to Oxford in 1662, whilst Samuel moved to London the same year. It was far from an easy move, when he arrived in the city he was thought of as a foreigner by the freeman traders of the city who objected to his presence. It is thought that he traded without permission until, upon payment of a fine in 1668, he was then free to carry out his business without hindrance. It was at this time he was most interested in the development of the anchor escapement and seconds pendulum for timekeeping accuracy – of which this particular clock is a fine example of his efforts.
In 1670 he moved to London, this could have been because of his accurate clocks or it could possibly be to do with Samuels death. Either way, immediately after setting up business in the city, he was granted the freedom of the Clockmakers’ Company. He was quick to become established in London with a very distinctive style along with several notable inventions. Apart from producing consistently high-quality work, Joseph was imaginative, inventive and had an excellent eye for proportion. He had many apprentices and was elected as Steward of the Clockmakers’ Company in August 1984 and then Assistant in 1689.
By the time he retired in 1697, his business is believed to have made over four hundred clocks, proving that he was an illustrious businessman during his time in London. He retired to Hanslop, where he still made clocks, only not on such a large scale. He died in December 1711.