Master clockmaker Salomon Coster (c 1620-1659) was born in Haarlem in the Netherlands. Many years later (it is said he was trained in Germany) he and his new wife moved to The Hague. He was an active Baptist. He hired an apprentice named Peter Visbagh in 1646 and worked for Salomon Coster for six years. Later when Salomon Coster died unexpectedly Visbagh would move back to The Hague and take over the clock business from Coster's widow. Peter Visbagh would be one of the finer clockmakers in The Hague for the next twenty-five years.
Christiaan Huygen was granted a patent for his new design of the pendulum clock in 1657. Soon after this Huygen struck a deal with Salomon Coster to build and sell his clock with exclusive rights for the next twenty years. The mere fact, that the new pendulum clock was sixtyfold more accurate that any available clock was some of the biggest news to hit Europe in 1657.
Now days we take for granted the accuracy that we achieve daily with a run of the mill mass-produced wall or floor clock. This was not so in the sixteenth and seventh centuries. Clocks before the pendulum would lose fifteen minutes a day. The early pendulum clocks produced by Salomon Coster would lose only fifteen seconds a day. The sixtyfold increase in accuraty was unheard of in a clock that could be mass-produced. A few years later the accuracy would drop to a few seconds a week and would continue to drop from there.
Now a new twist arrives at the workshop of Salomon Coster named John Fromanteel. Huygens and his father are said to have met in London. Ahasuerus Fromanteel owned two workshops that also produced clocks in London. We have yet to know all that when on behind the words of the contact but a contract was signed between Salomon Coster and John Fromanteel.
With as many views as there are scholars of the sixteenth century clocks, two views stand out on the Salomon Coster 1657 contract; the British belief that Fromanteel had more than theoretical knowledge of pendulum clocks prior to signing on with Salomon Coster. The other view (see The Coster-Fromanteel Contract) is that Fromanteel was as stated, a junior apprentice, and learn how to construct a new generation of clock that kept time accurately over long periods. A true pendulum clock by Coster and Huygens.
Some of the questions I asked when researching this article were what would have been Salomon Coster's reason for such a contract? Was he in desperate need of some information Fromanteel had? Or could he be doing this to provide an avenue for his business into one of the larger London workshops? I doubt he would have done this had he known that a few months later John Fromanteel would leave and return home to produce clocks in his father's shops of their own improved design.
by Michael Flum
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The Coster and Fromanteel Contract
The W. van KLAVEREN translation of the van der HORST Transcription
Today, on the third of September appeared before me, Josua de Putter, notary public, admitted by the court of Holland, living in The Hague, as well as witnesses to be specified, the honourable Salomon Coster, master clockmaker also of this city on the one hand. And John Fromanteel journeyman of the same trade on the other And declared the contractants together to be in agreement and accordance as they agreed and accorded herewith in manners to be specified below. To wit that he John Fromanteel shall oblige and bind himself to perform and finish his clock making work in the shop or the house of the aforementioned Coster from the present date of this deed until may day 1658 now forthcoming just as he Fromanteel has already made some and this on condition to be specified hereafter, that is, when a piece shall be completed by him Fromanteel for every piece the brass and steel required for it Coster shall pay him a sum of twenty carolus guilders. And if the aforementioned brass and steel shall be provided by the aforementioned Coster he Fromanteel will not enjoy then more than 18-10-0, Nevertheless provided that he Coster during the aforementioned time shall indemnify and pay for beer fire and light. Moreover such
has he Coster promised to make the same work that he Fromanteel shall make (and the secret contained therein), to reveal to him Fromanteel before the aforementioned expired time, provided that the works that shall be made by him Fromanteel subject to the aforementioned conditions, he Coster shall stick to the prearranged price promised In fulfilment and keeping of all aforementioned conditions and stipulations bound the contractants on both sides hereafter their respective persons and goods both movable and immoveable present and belonging to the same purpose in execution of all rights With the expenses. All in good faith Thus done and passed in The Hague on the day and month and year as mentioned above in the presence of Pieter Harmansz Schout and Pouwels Pouwelss van Luchticheijt as witnesses asked for this purpose
Salomon Coster
John FFromanteel
Pieter Harmensen Schout
The sign + is produced by
Pouwels Pouwelss Luchticheijt
Ratified.
De Putter Notaris Publicus
All rights reserved 2010. Permission is granted to freely print, unmodified, up to 100 copies of the most up to date version of this document from http://grandfatherclocksite.com/?p=158, or to copy it in any electronic form. However, if you re-publish this acticle you must link here and not put up your own page.
