In 1582, Galileo discovered that a pendulum could be used to track time. He drew the first designs for a grandfather clock, though he did not build it.
 
1656 a Dutchman named Christian Huygens was the first person to use a pendulum, as a driving device, in clocks.This was the birth of the Grandfather clock, or to use the correct terminology, Long Case clock.

The London clock maker Ahasuerus Fromenteel sent his son to Holland to learn about the use of a pendulum.

British Clock maker Ahasuerus Fromenteel then producted The first Long Case Clocks.

Though the clock did not keep accurate time, it was a major breakthrough in timekeeping technology. Through the years, various inventors tried to improve on the design, but with little luck.

For the first 15 years Long Case clock makers struggled to develop a pendulum device capable of keep accurate time. By 1670 an anchor escapement had been developed that, when used with a pendulum, allowed great accuracy to be achieved.

This development ensured that history would remember Britain as the dominating producer in the world of clock making. Like Joseph Knibb, Thomas Tompian, George Graham, and Daniel Quare all come to mind when discussing the history of Long Case Clocks.

In 1670 William Clement discovered that the clocks worked better with a longer pendulum. Of course, this required a taller clock. Clement named his newly designed clocks long-case clocks.The earliest longcase cases were made of Oak & high quality clock finished ebony or pearwood, African Mahogany This was the predecessor of the grandfather clocks that we know today

In 1772 The white dial was introduced by Osborn & Wilson, from Birmingham.These early dials had simple decorations, such as birds or strawberries.
By 1830 small painted scenes, in the corners and arch, were introduced on dials.

In 1875, Henry Work wrote the song “My Grandfather’s Clock” and the name stuck and finally, after many years in the making, grandfather clocks were born.

Today’s grandfather clocks rely on a pendulum attached to an anchor. The swinging pendulum causes the anchor to turn a gear, which in turn causes the clock to tick. A pair of weights further helps power the clock and keeps it from losing time. Although the technology has evolved over the years Psychology Articles, the grandfather clocks of today still reflect the ingenuity of human’s earliest ancestors.