H. F. McLachlin once lived on the 1st Concession in Beckwith, two miles from Franktown, and used to have a service station near Smith’s Falls. Generations of his family have been residents of Beckwith township since 1818 and the farm on which Mr. McLachlin resided had been in the family since 1827.
In the year 1818 Mr. McLachlin’s great grandfather came to live in Beckwith. When his great grandfather came to this country he brought with him a cherished memento of the old land, a “grandfather’s clock”. That clock stood nearly seven feet high, and in fact, was so tall that the low log shanty he built in 1818 would not hold it.
So he decided to ask the jailer in Perth to let him keep it inside the jail for a spell until he could build a house with ceilings high enough to house it. That clock remained for a number of years in the Perth jail and it was no ordinary clock. The eight day clock had works of solid and heavy brass.
Years later that clock finally left the old Perth jail and went into the hands of grandfather Robert McLachlin. According to records the clock was then willed to a nephew John Ferguson who lived in Torbolton Township. From John Ferguson, the clock went to Robert McLachlin Jr. father to H. F. McLachlin.
The last bit of information I found was that the clock was last in the possession H. F. McLachlin who was going to leave it to his son. The interesting part of this story is that the clock although well over 112 years old when it came from England was still going and never missed an hour and kept excellent time. So does anyone know what happened to this clock?
UPDATE.. The Clock has been located. I am going to see it.:)
The story of the clock is in the new book that Beckwith is publishing called “Beckwith Then and Now”. The book is to be launched on January 17th and will be available at the Township Hall. It is a wonderful compendium of stories, photos and recipes from the past 200 years.– Tim Campbell
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