Why Is a Grandfather Clock Tall?

Pendulum Clocks

• In 1582, Galileo Galilei discovered pendulums could be used to keep time. He began to develop designs for a pendulum clock. In 1656, Christiaan Huygens used the designs created by Galileo and created the first working pendulum clock. Various types of pendulum clocks are used today. The grandfather clock is an example of this type of time-keeper.

The Longcase Clock

• The original name for the grandfather clock was longcase clock, termed due to the length of its case. William Clement is credited with creating the longcase in 1670. This type of clock needed a tall case to enclose weights and a long pendulum. Prior to this development, pendulum clocks were shorter, which required the pendulum to swing faster in order to work. They were inaccurate, losing up to 10 minutes a day, and wore out quickly due to the rapid movement of the pendulum.

Benefits of Longer Pendulums

• The tall clock cases enabled clockmakers to utilize the longer pendulums. This addressed and corrected the inaccuracy problem of earlier types of pendulum clocks. It also caused the clock to tick more slowly, thus creating less wear and tear on the longcase and increasing its longevity.

Name Change

• In modern times, the longcase clock is called a grandfather clock. Henry Work, a songwriter in the late 1800s, penned a song called "My Grandfather's Clock" in 1876. This song was about a longcase clock located in the George Inn in England. It supposedly worked well until one of the two brothers who owned the inn died. Then it began to lose time. When the second brother died, the clock stopped completely. This folk song became the catalyst for the change in name from longcase to grandfather clock.