St Magnus the Martyr Church Clock Restoration – June 2026

Restoration of the Clock at St Magnus the Martyr 

St Magnus the Martyr Church has an impressive and historic bracket clock gifted by Alderman Sir Charles Duncombe in 1709, which has recently been restored. The Rector and PCC are extremely grateful for donations from the Plumbers Charity, the Clockmakers Company, The Georgian Group Cleary Fund, and the Friends of City Church, which enabled this important work to be undertaken.

The Rector and Company Chaplain inspecting the restoration work

Scaffolding at Adelaide House, next to St Magnus, presented a valuable opportunity to undertake much needed repairs and redecoration to the bracket clock, which has now been fully cleaned, with areas of decayed timber cut out and repaired with new timbers sections and resin, before repainting and regilding.  Measures have also been taken to direct rainwater away from the end of the bracket which has suffered particularly badly from water ingress and wet rot.   The work was undertaken by Fullers Builders Ltd.

Clock bracket before restoration showing significant decay

The clock is the subject of famous (although possibly apocryphal) story, recounted in The London City Press in 1861:

The clock of this church, with its projecting dial, were presented by Sir Charles Duncombe in 1709.The history of Sir Charles is one out of the many instances of men of humble birth rising to exalted station in the City.When a poor boy, he made an appointment with his master to meet him at a certain time on London Bridge, but missed him on account of his not knowing the time.He resolved that, if he ever rose in the world, to have a clock fixed in the vicinity.Time rolled on; and what appeared to be but a day dream of the poor lad, became a reality, and in 1708 he was elected to the office of Lord Mayor.In that year, mindful of his early resolve, he gave the clock.

Sir Charles’s gift is also recorded on the church’s benefactor boards.

Author, Renter Warden Michael Cooper OBE