JB Joyce & Co

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The Eastgate Clock in Chester. Clock mechanism built by JB Joyce about 1899.

The Shanghai Customs House seen from the Huangpu river

JB Joyce & Co, established 1690, designs and manufactures clocks. Located in Whitchurch, it is the oldest tower clock manufacturer in the world.^[1] They have been part of the Smith of Derby Group since 1965 but continue to operate independently.^[2]

The company was founded by William Joyce in North Shropshire, where he made longcase clocks. In 1849 the company began manufacturing the double three-legged gravity escapement designed by Edmund Beckett. In 1904 J B Joyce moved the company to its current premises.^[3]

J B Joyce & Co is the oldest firm of tower clockmakers in the world and can trace their history back to the year 1690 when William Joyce began making longcase clocks in the North Shropshire village of Cockshutt. The family business soon flourished and was handed down from Father to Son and eventually in 1790 moved to Whitchurch. They operated from premises in High Street and in 1834 Thomas Joyce embarked upon making large clocks for local churches and public buildings. In 1849 the Company was instrumental in manufacturing a double three-legged gravity escapement after the design of Lord Grimthorpe and this type was later used in the Great Clock of the Palace of Westminster, more commonly known as "Big Ben". This invention revolutionized the timekeeping of large public clocks and has been hailed as the greatest invention since the pendulum. The firm's reputation spread and contracts for large clocks were won for many public buildings, both at home and overseas. The company also made clocks for some of the principal railway companies both in Britain and the Commonwealth. One of the best loved examples is the Chester Eastgate clock which was fully restored and re-gilded to its original style for its centenary in 1997. In 1904 J B Joyce moved premises again to a purpose built factory in Station Road, from where it has continued to operate to this day.

The company joined the Smith of Derby Group in 1965 but very much retains its independence. At present 10 staff work out of the Whitchurch factory, serving the West half of the UK, Wales, Northern and Southern Ireland and the Isle of Man, plus visits to the Channel Islands and other world locations as required. Today the company is very active in making large public clocks, some of which are exported and installed overseas. Since 1945 the company has installed over 2000 large public clocks in the British Isles, the majority being the synchronous mains controlled type and a high proportion installed in churches. These clocks have a long record of reliable service which is a testament to the company.

Dr. Simon Royce, distinguished academic and professional footballer has carried out extensive research on the company and its place in British economic history. Royce has an academic background in both engineering and history and is expected to publish a book in 2009 following his retirement from professional football which will focus on both the works of his great uncle Henry Royce and also on J B Joyce & Co.