Joseph Knibb

The gilded and matted dial has a silvered-brass skeleton chapter of hours typical of Knibb’s finest work. Metropolitan Museum of Art / CC0

Hanslope and District Historical Society

Joseph Knibb (1640–1711) was an English clockmaker of the Restoration era and regarded as one of the greatest horologists of his time.

Joseph Knibb’s connection with Hanslope started in 1691 when he bought an estate at Green End in Hanslope, although he did not live there until 1697 when he sold up his business in London due to ill health. He didn’t stop making clocks, however, and clocks signed “Jospeh Knibb of Hanslop” are rarer than those made in London and are much sought after.

There are long case clocks by Knibb at the Victoria & Albert Museum and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Last year Sotheby’s sold a Knibb longcase clock made c.1675 for £10,000.

Joseph Knibb (clockmaker) Oxford, London and Hanslope