Celebrating the Return of Nova Scotia’s Bishop Family Clock

In late June 2025, I received an invitation to attend the installation of a historic Nova Scotia family clock. Unfortunately, I was unable to attend the July 12th ceremony, but I asked the museum manager if I could publish the public service announcement on this blog. She agreed and gave permission to include photos as well.

The Nova Scotia (Canada) Kings County Museum’s mission statement is “To preserve and promote the cultural and natural history of Kings County for present and future generations.”

The Bishop Family clock left Nova Scotia in 1902, has been returned to Nova Scotia after more than 120 years. The circa 1770 clock will become part of a permanent exhibit at the museum focusing on the New England Planters and the Bishop family.

“Built by John Bishop, a member of one of the first Planter families to settle in Horton (eastern Kings County), the clock was given to his daughter Amelia as a wedding gift when she married Charles Dickson in 1772.”

_{King’s County Museum, 37 Bridge Street, Kentville NS}

Here is the announcement:

Historic Bishop Family Clock Returns to Nova Scotia
Installation to Take Place at Kings County Museum

July 12, 2025
1:00 PM
Kings County Museum, Kentville NS
All welcome

Please join the Kings Historical Society as we welcome Stephen Sieracki, a Maryland-based horologist (clock specialist), who will permanently install a historic clock in the Kings County Museum.

The clock, a significant Planter artifact and a rare example of early clockmaking in Nova Scotia, is returning home after 200 years. It was crafted in Horton Township in the late 1700s by John Bishop and given to his daughter, Ameila, upon her wedding to Charles Dickson, of Horton in 1772.

Since 1772, the Bishop Clock, a remarkable example of early Nova Scotian ingenuity and woodworking, has found itself in many different homes and, most recently, in Annapolis, Maryland where it has been taken care of by descendants of John Bishop. The clock will return home to Nova Scotia in July, accompanied by Stephen Sieracki, and find a new home at the Kings County Museum where it will be preserved for generations to come.

On July 12th, 2025, the clock will be installed in a permanent exhibit which will pay tribute to the Bishiop family, the Bishop family clock, and the planter legacy of Kings County. This installation will include reinstalling the Bishop Clock mechanisms (which will have been removed for safe transport). Stephan Sieracki will also be giving a talk on 18th-century clocks, including specific details and research on the Bishop Clock, and demonstrations. Q&A session to follow presentation.

For more information, please contact info@kingscountymuseum.ca or call the Museum at 1-902-678-6237.

Ellen Lewis

interim Office Manager

Kings County Museum

902-678-6237

The following article from The Annapolis Valley Register provides more detail.

https://www.saltwire.com/nova-scotia/annapolis-valley/historic-bishop-clock-returning-home-to-nova-scotia-after-more-than-a-century

The return of the Bishop Clock is more than the homecoming of a cherished family heirloom—it is a powerful reminder of the ingenuity, craftsmanship, and stories that shaped our communities. Preserving artifacts from the past, like this remarkable tall case clock, allows us to connect with the lives and legacies of those who came before us.

These tangible links to history enrich our understanding of who we are and where we come from. By safeguarding them today, we ensure that future generations can continue to learn from and be inspired by the people, cultures, and innovations that helped build our communities.

July 25, 2025 0

War Souvenirs | How One Clock Made Its Way Back to France

This fall, my wife and I embarked on a battlefield tour of northern France and Belgium. The weather was remarkably good for November in Europe—though mostly cloudy, we were fortunate to avoid any rain. Instead of joining an organized tour, we followed a personalized itinerary thoughtfully put together by our son, inspired by his own visit to France a few years ago.

Vimy war memorial, France — _{Vimy Ridge memorial}

The highlight of our trip was visiting the Vimy Ridge Memorial near Arras, France. The Battle of Vimy Ridge, a key part of the larger Battle of Arras, saw the four divisions of the Canadian Corps facing three German divisions.

This battle has become a powerful symbol of Canadian sacrifice and national achievement. Standing at the memorial, we were deeply moved as we reflected on the immense loss of life—nearly 3,600 soldiers killed and over 7,000 wounded.

Vimy memorial site showing trench and bomb craters — _{Bomb craters mark the 250-acre Vimy site}

We visited many Great War sites and wandered through the graveyards of the fallen, trying to comprehend the unimaginable horrors of the conflict.

Rampart cemetery, Ypres, Belgium — _{Rampart Cemetery in Ypres}

One particularly poignant stop was the In Flanders Fields Museum in Ypres, Belgium—a remarkable institution dedicated to preserving and studying the history of the First World War.

The museum is named after the famous poem by Canadian George MaCrae written on December 8, 1915.

a poem by George Macrae, Candina solder in world war one — _{George MaCrae}

The exhibit tells the story of the invasion of Belgium, the first months of the mobilization, and the four years of unimaginable trench warfare.

Ypres city hall and site of In Flanders Fields Museum — _{The impressive Ypres (Leper, Yper)city hall was faithfully reconstructed after the war and is where the museum is situated}

The personal stories of how the First World War affected the lives of individuals of many nationalities are told through the many objects on display. One such object is a time-only French slate clock.

French time-only slate clock — _{French slate clock}

During wartime, soldiers often collected souvenirs as tangible reminders of their experiences, victories, or the places they visited. These items carried emotional, historical, or symbolic value and provided a personal connection to their time in service. Soldiers often found helmets, badges, bayonets, or weapons taken from the battlefield that, to them, symbolized triumph or survival.

These keepsakes not only held personal significance but also allowed soldiers to share their experiences with loved ones upon their return.

One fascinating example is Corporal G. Driver of England, who managed to bring home a French slate clock—an object that would have been notably heavy and cumbersome. How he transported it to England intact remains a mystery. Upon closer inspection, the clock reveals its journey through time, with nicks, scratches, cracks, and remnants of what appears to have been a floral design at its base.

The clock was discovered in a local church that had been devastated during the bombing of Ypres by the advancing German forces.

After Corporal Driver passed on, the family held onto the clock for a period but decided in 2005 to return it to Belgium where it now sits on display at the In Flanders Museum.

What moved us most were the deeply personal stories of the soldiers who fought in the Great War—their courage, resilience, and ultimate sacrifice. Their selflessness ensured that future generations, including all of us today, could live in freedom. These poignant tales of humanity and heroism left an indelible mark on us.

November 22, 2024

Visit to the National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors museum

We were making our way to Missouri after beginning our journey in Maine in early May (2017). We only had one very important stop along the way because for the past 5 years I have always wanted to see the NAWCC clock museum in Columbia, Pennsylvania. Ever since I seriously wrapped my head around clock collecting and repair my dream was to visit this museum. Getting there was no problem but Interstate traffic is truly a disaster! Unfortunately, we budgeted too little time for a thorough tour in the hour and a half we had but we saw as much as we could in that short time.

Waiting in a hot parking lot for the museum to open was not much fun. Couldn’t you just open the front doors a little earlier than 10:00am? To kill time we walked around the town of Columbia. It might be neat and tidy place and one of the “top twenty small towns to visit in America”, so the sign says, but like all small towns in America the decline is evident in the number of vacant storefronts and absence of activity in the streets.

A sign in Columbia Penn. — Sign in Columbia Penn.

We finally got into the museum. We (my wife and I) were the first in and being a NAWCC member my wife and I got in free. During our time there we saw only one other couple. So, not a terribly busy time but there are likely peak periods in the summer.

I was wondering how I would describe my visit to the National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors Museum in Columbia Pennsylvania on that day in May. It was wonderful and more than I had imagined. There is simply not enough time to see everything and take it all in. The museum is very well laid out and there are displays to please everyone.

Vienna Regulator with Grande Sonnerie movement

For me the highlight has to be Engels Monument Clock (see Youtube video below). There was only ourselves and one other couple at the time so we were happy that the staff were able to put on a real show for us. The staffer walked us through the history of the clock and followed with a fascinating demonstration. AS he did so I imagined what it must have like to attend a local fair and see this wonderful clock in action. The clock was exhibited around the country for 74 years and last displayed in 1951 at the Ohio State Fall.

There is an emphasis on American clocks as you would expect but there are excellent examples of French, German, English and Japanese clocks. There is a broad selection of tall case clocks all the way back to the 1700s The history of time was very interesting as are the interactive displays which I am sure would please any children visiting the museum.

In a later article I will post more photos.

Whether you are an avid collector or merely have a casual interest in clocks this is great place to visit.

September 13, 2017

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