16. The Controversial Clock

By the 1820s, early Launceston was gradually changing from a settlement of tents and huts into a small town, and with the completion of St. John’s Church in 1825, an opportunity arose to install a town clock in its tower, so all could see the time and set their own clocks and watches. 

The earliest clock was installed in 1826, and its mechanism can still be seen in the church museum. It was replaced in 1830 by a more advanced clock and bell, the tower being extended upwards to accommodate the latter.

With the end of government funding of the church in the 1840s, the issue of responsibility for the maintenance, winding and setting of the clock became controversial. The townspeople argued that the church was well-paid from various fees and could afford it, and the church argued that it was a public asset which happened to be situated in the church tower, so the local council and townspeople should pay, as they needed it as mentioned.

The late Jenny Gill has left us with a fascinating article about the controversy, and the whole history of the clocks of St. John’s. See All Saints History Collection : The Controversial Clock of St. John’s Church [ASJ2025.19]
Since she wrote that article in 2016, the clock has been shut down due to the stairs in the tower being deemed unsafe. The time nowadays is always the same… a wise wag suggested it is correct twice every day!